Bases Loaded and Heading Home: KGH Foundation Poised for
$40 Million Grand Slam for Local Health Care
KELOWNA, BC, October 28, 2025 – With over $35 million raised towards their $40 million goal, the finish line is Closer to Home Thank You Think for the KGH Foundation’s most ambitious campaign in history. Not only bold in scope, the campaign also promises to support the advancement of a number of priorities and acquisitions at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) and in the community in real time, committing to disbursing the funds quickly in response to urgent needs. With the goal in sight, the KGH Foundation and hospital staff continue to report good news regarding the campaign’s impact.
“I cannot emphasize enough how deeply this campaign has positively impacted our hospital, our teams, and the thousands of patients we treat every year,” shares Lindsay Taberner, Executive Director for Kelowna General Hospital. “Most of us will need to access care at KGH at some point in our lives. Thanks to KGH Foundation donors, the care delivered is now faster, more precise, and elevated. From advanced diagnostics and leading-edge surgical tools to improved patient care spaces, this campaign has enhanced many aspects of the patient experience. This is the care our community deserves, and our partnership with the KGH Foundation is helping us to deliver it.”
Guided by direct input from front-line clinicians and community health partners, the campaign targets seven critical areas of care: clinical and surgical excellence, women’s health, mental health, health system innovation, cardiac care, brain health, and cancer care.
“From the very beginning, this campaign has been about people — about the power of community — not just numbers,” shares Allison Young, CEO of the KGH Foundation. “The $40 million will continue to be a game changer, but its true impact lies in what it represents: a community united in meeting the needs of health care close to home.”
Thanks to an astonishing 8,327 individual gifts to the campaign since launching over three years ago, funds raised and disbursed are already resulting in extraordinary impact locally including:
CANCER CARE & SURGICAL EXCELLENCE: Acquisition of the interior’s first Robotic Assisted Surgical System (aka Vinni)
Vinni is now at KGH and will be in operation as soon as this November. This game-changing technology boasts significant advantages for patients such as smaller incisions, reduced post-operative pain, shorter recovery times, fewer complications, and improved surgical outcomes. It will support hospital-wide efficiency by reducing surgical wait times and freeing up beds. For surgeons, Vinni helps to enhance precision and minimize fatigue.
CLINICAL & IMAGING EXCELLENCE: Acquisition of the interior’s first 3T MRI at KGH
KGH’s new, 100% donor funded 3T MRI, which became operational this summer, is projected to perform more than 4,000 scans each year and reduce wait times by nearly 40%. With double the magnetic strength of standard MRI machines, it produces faster and more detailed images, helping physicians detect disease earlier and improve outcomes for patients across specialties including neurology, cardiology, oncology, and orthopedics.
BRAIN HEALTH CARE: The Humphreys Family Movement Disorder Clinic
Established in 2023 thanks to a transformative donation to the campaign, this clinic has become a cornerstone of care for those living with Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. Bringing together neurologists, therapists, and specialized clinicians under one roof, the clinic provides multidisciplinary care that helps patients manage symptoms and improve quality of life. The clinic continues to expand, with a new Movement Disorder Specialist to start in January, increasing clinical and research capacity, helping to ensure individuals and families facing complex neurological conditions can access world-class care close to home.
CARDIAC CARE: Quality Improvement for Code Blue
Gifts to the campaign have enabled the launch of a Quality Improvement initiative focused on enhancing the Code Blue response at KGH. The KGH Resuscitation Committee identified a critical gap in monitoring key CPR metrics such as compression depth, rate, and chest recoil. With donor support, the CPRmeter 2 with Q-CPR technology was introduced to provide real-time coaching and feedback during resuscitation. This innovative tool not only helps care teams deliver high-quality CPR in the moment but also captures valuable data for review and ongoing learning.
MENTAL HEALTH CARE: Establishment of Thrive Okanagan
Led by the KGH Foundation, the Thrive Okanagan initiative aims to build a stronger, more connected system of mental health support across the Central Okanagan. By bringing together health care and community partners, Thrive tackles complex issues through collaboration. Thrive Okanagan is already making progress in improving disaster response for vulnerable groups, developing child-centered supports for families affected by violence, mapping youth mental health services, and creating clearer care pathways for newcomers.
CANCER CARE & WOMEN’S HEALTH: Gynecologic Oncology Program Equipment Needs
The program, launched in fall 2024 at KGH, was made possible by the acquisition of $800,000 in specialized medical equipment funded entirely by donors. Patients from the Southern Interior of BC facing gynecologic cancers are now able to access advanced diagnostics, specialized surgical care, and coordinated treatment closer to home, right here at KGH. Since launching, the program has provided care to more than 250 women, dramatically improving access to timely cancer treatment in the interior while also reducing the need to travel to the Lower Mainland for care.
HEALTH SYSTEMS INNOVATION:
Nearly one third of the campaign’s total goal is dedicated to innovation funding aimed at initiating necessary changes to the health care system itself. Projects that have been already funded include:
Project IMPACT: This initiative uses secure two-way text messaging to connect parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes directly with their care teams between clinic visits. With nearly 400 participants enrolled, the model is now scaling into rural settings, improving outcomes and reducing the isolation families often feel when managing complex conditions.
C-POLAR Technology in Hospital Artwork: Through a creative partnership between local innovators and KGH, donor funding supported the installation of C-POLAR-treated artwork that neutralizes up to 90% of airborne viruses and bacteria. The blend of science and design is improving both infection control and the patient experience. This filtration technology is now being sold commercially, with proceeds coming back to KGH.
Cardiac Innovation Fund: This fund is empowering health care teams to explore new ideas to improve care for cardiac patients. Through seed grants and awards, the fund supports physicians, researchers, and front-line staff across our region who are delivering care every day. This fund provides early support to test new models of care, trial new techniques, and grow local health research, while also helping train future care providers and improve patient outcomes.
Jim Pattison Centre for Health Systems Learning + Innovation: Closer to Home Thank You Think also broke KGH Foundation records with a transformative $5 million investment from the Jim Pattison Foundation to fund health systems innovation in the Southern Interior. The Jim Pattison Centre for Health Systems Learning & Innovation officially opened this past spring.
What’s Next…
Although the KGH Foundation has achieved over 88% of the fundraising goal, the remaining $5 million is still needed to fulfill the $40 million goal and advance health care delivery in:
- Women’s Health– Priorities include expanding access to procedures that can be performed outside of traditional operating rooms, freeing up surgical capacity for more complex cases and significantly reducing wait times. These advancements will mean less time in hospital, faster recovery, and more accessible, patient-centered care for women facing some of the most challenging moments of their lives. New technologies will also help improve surgical precision and outcomes, especially for the growing number of breast cancer patients, ensuring safer procedures, fewer complications, and faster healing.
- Clinical Excellence– As the campaign enters its final phase, the focus will turn to an area of care that will touch most community members during their lifetime: the Emergency Department. This next chapter will focus on planning for renovations to modernize the space, improve patient flow, and enhance the working environment for care teams. Investments in advanced equipment, specialized training, and supportive resources, including child care for staff, will strengthen the department’s capacity and ensure that when emergencies happen, patients and families receive timely, compassionate care in a space designed for today, and ready for tomorrow.
“The challenges are complex, yet progress often begins with small, thoughtful investments that, over time, change the course of care,” says Young. “The hope and innovation that grow from this work matter just as much as the measurable outcomes.”
To learn more about the campaign, visit www.kghfoundation.com/closer-to-home/
View the Closer to Home Than You Think video- www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRRKjLAJFLY&t=1s
Since 1978, the KGH Foundation has worked with a generous community to raise funds to support world-class healthcare close to home for a growing and diverse population in the interior of B.C. Today, the KGH Foundation is the lead fundraising organization for Kelowna General Hospital, JoeAnna’s House, and Central Okanagan Hospice House, while also fundraising for vital community health care programs
Media Contact:
Jessie Billey
Marketing and Communications Manager
KGH Foundation
t | 250-862-4300 x 27270
e| Jessie.Billey@interiorhealth.ca
