Victoria Hospital Foundation and Boann Social Impact announce a $1.02 million impact investment in Manitoba Possible’s home care and respite platform, Care Possible, to address the growing demand for care services across Manitoba. Care Possible is a groundbreaking online technology connecting individuals and families in need of home care and respite with independent care providers.Victoria Hospital Foundation and Boann Social Impact have partnered to invest up to $1.02 million to support the commercial growth of Care Possible. This partnership marks the first and only direct investment by Boann Social Impact anywhere in Canada, highlighting the groundbreaking work happening in Manitoba. Impact Investing is an innovative approach for Foundations and other investors to drive innovation in areas such as healthcare, while making financial returns on their investment. This investment will take the form of a repayable interest-bearing loan. “We are incredibly grateful for the support of Victoria Hospital Foundation and Boann Social Impact for helping grow Care Possible to meet the critical need for personalized, reliable care for seniors, persons with disabilities, and the people who love them,” said Lindsey Cooke, Chief Executive Officer, Manitoba Possible. The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence reports that caregiving responsibilities are taking a serious toll on caregiver emotional and financial wellbeing, with the average caregiver providing nearly 30 hours of unpaid care a week, nearly the equivalent of full-time job. According to the Government of Manitoba’s Future of Home Care Services in Manitoba report, spending on home care alone is projected to reach $897 million by 2037. Since launching in October 2022, Care Possible has experienced continual growth and now proudly serves over 2000 registered users on the platform. “Investing in innovative solutions like Care Possible helps us to make a meaningful impact in the lives of Canadians while growing the social finance marketplace,” said Derek Ballantyne, Chief Executive Officer, Boann Social Impact. Donate Post navigation < BACK NEXT >
Victoria Hospital Foundation and the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation have announced over $27,000 in funding to support new research examining the potential role of artificial intelligence in enhancing emergency department processes for improved patient care. Victoria Hospital Foundation has partnered with the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation, each awarding $13,575 of research funding to Dr. Farzad Zaerpour, Associate Professor for the Department of Business and Administration at the University of Winnipeg, for his project Artificial Intelligence in Modernizing Emergency Department: From Strategic Planning to Optimizing Operational Performance. The intention of the one-year project is to demonstrate the potential of an AI-based patient flow model in addressing the challenges of emergency department crowding. According to the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System (NACRS), there were almost 14 million unscheduled emergency department visits reported in Canada between April 2021 and March 2022 – up from over 11.7 million in 2020-2021. “Emergency department crowding is a critical challenge in healthcare, leading to prolonged service delays, ambulance diversion, reduced access to medical care, higher patient mortality rates, and staff burnout,” said Zaerpour. “This project has the potential to impact several critical aspects of healthcare delivery such as reducing emergency department crowding, improving patient outcomes, more efficient use of resources, structured decision-making, and better capacity planning.” The first year of this project will include a comprehensive literature review on AI-based patient flow optimization in emergency departments, data preprocessing and artificial intelligence and machine learning model development. It will also include an initial patient flow analysis, a small-scale pilot test of the developed AI models and decision support systems in an emergency department, and a report to serve as a basis for future project planning. This funding partnership between Victoria Hospital Foundation and the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation marks the third time these organizations have made a joint research investment. They previously invested a combined $50,000 to fund two health-related research projects in 2013 and 2017. “We are thrilled to partner with the Victoria Hospital Foundation in funding this innovative research that hopes to improve emergency care for Manitobans,” said Dr. Greg Hammond, Executive Director, Manitoba Medical Service Foundation. “We are proud to support Manitoba researchers like Dr. Farzad Zaerpour and the important work they do to improve the health and well-being of people throughout the province.” The outcomes from the initial one-year phase of the project will be used to inform the development of a robust AI-based patient flow model and actionable recommendations over a subsequent five-year period. Donate Post navigation < BACK NEXT >
Victoria Hospital Foundation has announced a gift of $100,000 from Canada Life in support of the recently opened Manitoba Blue Cross Mental Health Assessment Unit at Victoria Hospital. This gift represents a significant contribution to the Foundation’s $1.2 million commitment to this project. “We are grateful for the generosity of Canada Life and their strong commitment to the mental health and well-being of our community,” said Nicole Chammartin, Executive Director, Victoria Hospital Foundation. “This gift will have a profound impact on the delivery of mental health care at here at Victoria Hospital and will touch the lives of the hundreds of Manitobans in need of mental health assessments at our hospital each year.” The Manitoba Blue Cross Mental Health Assessment Unit opened in June 2022 as a private and supportive six-bed space in Victoria Hospital’s Urgent Care department designed for individualized mental health assessments and care. Urgent Care and mental health teams work in collaboration to provide mental health assessments in a calming environment. It is the first integrated space of its kind in Manitoba. Since its inception, Canada Life has invested over $11 million in mental health-related initiatives across Canada. “Canada Life has a proud history of improving the financial, physical, and mental well-being of individuals here in Manitoba and across Canada,” said Katerina Bletnitsky, Senior Program Manager, Community Relations at Canada Life. “We believe in giving back and helping to build stronger communities, which is why we are so pleased to invest in this important new space that will support the well-being of those on a journey towards mental wellness.” The $1.2 million Manitoba Blue Cross Mental Health Health Assessment Unit is part of Victoria Hospital Foundation’s $1.78 million investment in two new mental health initiatives at Victoria Hospital. A $580,000 Tranquility Trail greenspace will open in spring 2023 to support the mental wellness of the community and enable unique outdoor treatment programming for patients in Victoria Hospital’s Mental Health program. To date, Victoria Hospital Foundation has raised over $1 million toward its $1.78 million goal for these projects with $500,000 remaining to reach its goal. Donate Post navigation < BACK NEXT >
Victoria Hospital Foundation has announced a $1.78 million investment in two new mental health initiatives to support patient care at Victoria Hospital and the official opening of the Manitoba Blue Cross Mental Health Assessment Unit. The $1.2 million Manitoba Blue Cross Mental Health Assessment Unit is a dedicated space in Victoria Hospital’s Urgent Care department designed to provide individualized care in a private and supportive environment conducive to recovery. Urgent Care and mental health teams will work in collaboration to provide specialized mental health assessments and care in a calming, home-like environment. This innovative evidence-based model of care leverages the skills, knowledge, and expertise of the inter-professional team to meet the individual’s unique needs. The six-bed unit is the first integrated space of its kind in Manitoba. Funding for the Manitoba Blue Cross Mental Health Assessment Unit is made possible through the generosity of Victoria Hospital Foundation’s supporters, including a $500,000 gift from Manitoba Blue Cross. Other significant funding commitments include a $100,000 gift from Canada Life, $60,000 gift from Kinsmen Club of Winnipeg and $25,000 gifts from Johnston Group and Wawanesa Insurance. “We are grateful for the countless individuals and businesses in our community whose ongoing support is helping to ensure the best mental health care is available close to home, particularly with the increased need we are experiencing as a result of Covid,” said Nicole Chammartin, Executive Director, Victoria Hospital Foundation. “We are especially thankful for the generosity of Manitoba Blue Cross and all early project supporters, whose significant contributions are transforming mental health care at our hospital for thousands of Manitobans.” This integrated model of care will consist of a patient-centered approach wherein the inter-professional team engages and empowers individuals experiencing mental health concerns in the decision-making process. The combination of evidence-based practices and patient-focused care is anticipated to create the efficiencies necessary for these individuals to experience shorter wait times and hospital stays, while fostering enhanced therapeutic relationships with the care team. This collaborative approach will also enable more timely connections to community and outpatient resources to support improved recovery and quality of life. The Manitoba Blue Cross Mental Health Assessment Unit features six bright and spacious treatment rooms, two of which have the ability to seclude individuals requiring additional monitoring as part of their care plan. The space also features a patient lounge to facilitate social interaction in a safe environment, which is beneficial to healing and recovery. A central team station will enable individuals to benefit from frequent assessment, monitoring, and intervention as needed. “As our community’s need for mental health care continues to grow, we need to ensure that we have the appropriate settings for individuals to receive the care they need when they need it most,” said Rachel Ferguson, Chief Operating Officer, Victoria Hospital. “This unique patient-centred environment will help to ensure our patients have a safe space to talk openly with psychiatrists and clinicians and know they are being heard.” Victoria Hospital Foundation will also invest $580,000 in Tranquility Trail, a new greenspace on the grounds of Victoria Hospital to enhance the mental health and wellness of our community and support patients in their recovery. This environment will be designed specifically to support socialization and unique outdoor treatment programming such as arts and crafts, recreation therapy activities, exercise programs, cultural ceremonies, and gardening. Construction on this new healing environment is now underway and is anticipated to be complete in Spring 2023. To date, Victoria Hospital Foundation has raised over $1 million toward its $1.78 million goal for these projects and will be rallying community support to raise an additional $500,000. Donations can be made at TheVicFoundation.ca. Donate Post navigation < BACK NEXT >
Victoria Hospital Foundation has announced $254,843 in new technology grants to help non-profit organizations improve access to care through the Community Leveraging Technology For Innovation (CLTI) Grant program. The CLTI Grant program supports non-profits focused on mental health care and the care of older adults in improving their digital capacity in order to provide our community with better access to information and support.“Non-profit organizations are crucial to the delivery of care in our communities,” said Nicole Chammartin, Executive Director, Victoria Hospital Foundation. “Mental health care and the care of older adults have been significantly impacted as a result of the pandemic, and we recognize that many non-profit organizations now require adaptations to their digital infrastructure in order to meet community needs. This funding will help to improve outcomes and ensure that quality, accessible care is available to those who need it.” A total of seven grants have been awarded to local non-profit organizations. Klinic Community Health – $50,000 Sara Riel Inc. – $50,000 Mount Carmel Clinic – $50,000 Main Street Project – $50,000 Siloam Mission – $20,500 Artbeat Studio Inc. – $17,500 Dakota Community Centre – $16,843 Projects funded through these seven grants include new computers, software upgrades, website enhancements, and other technological upgrades. The grant to Klinic Community Health features a system upgrade that will enhance reliability for critical crisis services to support individuals experiencing mental health, disability and/or addictions issues.“We are incredibly grateful for the support from the Victoria Hospital Foundation. This funding will be used to upgrade technology so that we can deliver urgently needed services. Thank you to the Foundation and your generous donors for investing in community mental health services,” said Ayn Wilcox, Executive Director, Klinic Community Health.Siloam Mission received grant funds to support a project that will improve computer and internet access in their Progressive Services Area by 150% for the many individuals who rely on this area as their only source of online connectivity. “Many of our community members depend on internet access for scheduling medical appointments, information gathering, and as a way to connect with family and friends; which are all critical aspects of nurturing and maintaining positive mental health,” said Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud, Chief Executive Officer, Siloam Mission. “This funding will enable us to increase access to the tools our community members need to begin or continue their recovery journey.”Victoria Hospital Foundation’s granting program supports its mission to raise funds and support initiatives that enrich the health and well-being of those served by Victoria Hospital or living in the community. Victoria Hospital Foundation is committed to supporting, enhancing, and transforming mental health care and the care of older adults across the continuum of care. Donate Post navigation NEXT >
