Campaign Update
Closer to Home Than You Think
Thanks to your generosity, we’ve reached 78% of our $40 million goal in our most ambitious fundraising campaign. What makes Closer to Home Than You Think truly powerful is its flexibility and urgency. Guided by the expertise of local physicians and care teams, donations are being put to work immediately across seven priority areas. Because of you, care is being transformed, and lives are changing in operating rooms, clinics, outreach programs, and homes across our region.
Health Systems Innovation
Innovation funding gives clinicians much-needed time and resources to turn ideas into real-world solutions, something rarely possible within the pressures of day-to-day care. Your support is driving bold new solutions focused on strengthening our health system for the future.
Thanks to your generosity, parents of children with diabetes are connecting directly with care teams (Project IMPACT), physicians are training for high-risk emergencies in new ways (Body Donor Program), and rehabilitation is accessible in community (YMCA Pulmonary Rehab), The opening of the Jim Pattison Centre of Health Systems Learning + Innovation also marked a pivotal step forward, uniting care teams, researchers, and community partners to accelerate practical, research-driven change. These are just a few ways innovation funding is building a smarter, stronger, and more sustainable health system that puts people at the heart of every solution.
Investing in innovation means investing in the people driving it. Buying our teams time to design better systems and processes is essential to build a more efficient, collaborative, and effective model of care. We’re fortunate to have incredibly talented professionals who, when empowered, consistently turn bold ideas into lasting impact.
Dr. Cara Wall
Hospitalist, KGH Chief of Staff
Clinical & Surgical Excellence
Donations continue to equip KGH teams with advance technology to deliver specialized care, reduce wait times, and match the capabilities of leading urban centres. Thanks to your generosity, KGH has a state-of-the-art 3T MRI, which has more than doubled imaging capacity, and a new central monitoring system (CMS) in the Emergency Department that’s improving patient safety and team coordination. But we aren’t done yet, as we continue to fundraise to bring robotic-assisted surgery to KGH. These investments greatly improve patient care, but they also help attract and retain leading talent, ensuring KGH remains a centre of excellence for years to come.
To visit the full list of projects funded, click here.
The 3T MRI, CMS, and surgical robotics all require a significant investment, but the return is undeniable: shorter wait times, earlier diagnoses, less patient travel, and better outcomes. I cannot stress how important these improvements are for our patients, they can mean a cancer caught earlier, a stroke treated faster, the list goes on and on. This technology continues to play a vital role in saving and improving lives, all thanks to donor generosity.
Dr. Maurice Blitz
KGH Chief of Surgery, Thoracic and Foregut Surgeon
Women's Health
Women’s health has long been under-funded, but thanks to donor support, advanced care for all genders is available at KGH. Investments in life-saving gynecologic cancer surgeries, innovative breast cancer technologies, and improved maternity care are closing long-standing gaps and transforming patient outcomes.
Read more about the Gynecologic Oncology Surgical Program here.
Everyone deserves to feel safe, seen and supported in their care. Thanks to donor support, we’re elevating women’s health, from the new gynecologic oncology program bringing surgical care to KGH, to Wireless Localization technology that’s reducing pain and improving outcomes for breast cancer patients.
Dr. Vanessa Carlson
Gynecologic Oncologist
Cancer Care
Because of you, KGH has enhanced precision, comfort, and outcomes for over 7500 cancer patients cared for every year. The funding provided has equipped KGH care teams with new, state-of-the-art medical imaging, pathology (lab) and surgical oncology equipment and tools, some of which include:
- IHC Stainers for the lab
- Inpatient Chemotherapy Room
- Tumour Debridement/Cryo Equipment
- Endoscopic Ultrasound
- Wireless Breast Localization Technology
The support of our donors has enabled our hospital teams to detect cancers earlier, provide care closer to home, and employ less invasive treatment methods. These advancements are not merely clinical, they have a profound impact on individuals and families. When it is a loved one — a spouse, sibling, child, or friend — who is able to return to daily life more quickly, the significance cannot be overstated. In cancer care, such victories are hard-won and deeply meaningful to patients, their families, and the clinicians who support them.
Dr. Joshua Wiesenthal
Head of Urology and Urological Surgeon
Brain Health
Thanks to donor support, KGH is fast becoming a centre for brain health excellence, offering advanced neurological expertise, innovative equipment, and specialized training. From tools like the Neuro-stimulator and Mayfield Cranial Stabilization Device, to expanded services such as neuro-focused dietitian care and outpatient rehab, these advancements are improving patient experiences and outcomes, especially for our aging population and the growing number of those facing neurological challenges such as Parkinson’s.
We’ve seen remarkable advances in neurological care at KGH. The impact of our new cutting edge equipment, advanced treatments and meaningful investments in innovation are undeniable. On behalf of our entire team, thank you for empowering us to help our patients with this level of care.
Dr. Daryl Wile
Neurologist & Movement Disorder Specialist
Mental Health Care
The We See You campaign continues to fund the urgent needs of mental health care programs for vulnerable populations, uplifting thousands of individuals through counselling services, mobile clinic visits, suicide supports, immigrant programs, and so much more. It’s also driving major system change through Thrive Okanagan, a convening table of community partners collaborating to build a more connected, resilient, and proactive mental health care system.
The mental health challenges we face are complex, but they also present an opportunity for collective action. There are many organizations and leaders working together through Thrive Okanagan to create innovative solutions that drive lasting change, both in our services, systems and communities. We have already seen how this proactive approach makes a meaningful and positive impact, and helps our community thrive.
Shelagh Turner
Thrive Okanagan Lead Catalyst
Cardiac Care
Donor support has firmly established KGH as a recognized leader in cardiac care, providing thousands of patients with access to life-saving treatment.
But excellence isn’t a finish line, it’s a continuous journey. Ongoing investments, in items such as those below, ensure our teams remain at the forefront.
- Technology – ECMO and ECHO machines, pulsed field ablation
- Critical Care – CCU & CSICU enhancements, Code Blue improvements
- Diagnostics – Cutting-edge imaging and testing tools
Every year, thousands of cardiac patients come to our hospital, and every day, I witness moments that wouldn’t have been possible without donor support. A mother surviving a heart attack or a grandfather given more time. Our cardiac teams are skilled, compassionate, and have access to world-class equipment because of donors like you.
Dr. Kathryn Brown
Medical Director of Cardiology – IHA & Cardiology Division Lead – KGH
To view the full list of projects funded, click here.
