“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.
