A day after a very successful Festival of Tress event wrapped up for another year, the importance of healthcare foundations was emphasized Monday at a Northern Health board meeting in Prince George.
Director of business development Finlay Sinclair gave a presentation on the nine foundations and 16 hospital auxiliaries who help raise funds for Northern Health throughout the region.
"Philanthropy allows us to provide enhanced health care," Finlay said as he presented a slideshow highlighting where the money has gone - from helping to buy a chair for a room in a pediatric unit to an MRI machine.
"We're thankful for every donor," Finlay said. "No donation is better or more significant than any other."
The Sprit of the North Healthcare Foundation raised more than $300,000 at its Festival of Trees gala alone and expects to bring in over $500,000 from its week-long event which wrapped up Sunday.
Two new foundations were started up this year in Kitimat and Smithers. Sinclair said their creation is proof people in those communities trust the services Northern Health is providing.
In other news from the December board meeting in Prince George:
n Northern Health remains on track to post a modest surplus for the 2012-13 fiscal year. The agency has banked a surplus of $8.2 million to date this year, although that number could shrink as resources get used up during the busy winter months - Northern Health is projecting a $6 million surplus, which represents less than one per cent of its expenses.
Any surplus money can be used to shore up the funding for capital projects, which has been hit by provincial budget cutbacks in recent years.
n Although no other health authority in the province produces one, Northern Health will continue to release a public annual report each year. The board approved a motion to produce an online document similar to the one it made this past year.
This was the first year the agency went to an online model after years of making a printed version. The report had 700 unique page views, which Northern Health considered a success given it used to only make 100 printed copies. The most popular section was the capital projects, while the least viewed area was the agencies financial position.
n About 10 per cent of Northern Health staff have taken the core health component of the Indigenous cultural competency training provided by the Provincial Health Services Authority.
Northern Health CEO Cathy Ulrich said for the moment the focus is on part-time and full-time staff members, but the agency is limited due to a certain number of training seats available.
So far 783 have completed the intensive online course, while another 200 are currently in the process of taking it.
Chief medical officer Ronald Chapman hopes more spaces can be found.
"It's an excellent training program," he said. "I became very inspired (after taking it)."
n Two delegations made presentations to the board Monday. First up, the Alzheimer's Society of B.C. made an emotional pitch to have more co-operation between primary medical care personal and its First Link program.
First Link co-ordinator Laurie De Cross gave a powerful account of how she's able to provide support for caregivers using the example of a woman who is struggling to look after her husband who is suffering from Alzheimer's. She said the charity can help even more people if medical professionals help get the word out.
"We've reached so many families," De Cross said, noting she has more than 250 clients. "But we can reach so many more by having a referral from a physician or a healthcare provider."
The Canadian Red Cross also spoke about its medical equipment lending program in the region and how it can be expanded. Currently the charity provides basic equipment like wheelchairs or crutches to clients after receiving a referral from a doctor. Kimberly Nemrava, director for the B.C. and Yukon divisions of the Red Cross said she would like to see that expanded to more advanced equipment including lifts, scooters and hospital beds.
"Our goal is to make equipment available to the entire province," she said.
