KGH Foundation Announces $2.5 Million Campaign for KGH Emergency Department

KELOWNA, BC, April 2, 2026 – The KGH Foundation is announcing its final commitment in their $40 million Closer to home than you think campaign, aiming to raise $2.5 million to support targeted improvements to the Emergency Department at Kelowna General Hospital.

“While none of us plans a trip to Emergency, inevitably, we have all found ourselves there at some point,” says Allison (Allie) Young, CEO of the KGH Foundation. “If you’ve been there recently, you’ll know exactly why this campaign is important. Emergency care matters to all of us.” 

“In 2024/2025 KGH recorded 101,089 emergency visits, making it the second-busiest emergency department in British Columbia behind only Surrey Memorial Hospital,” says Dr. Geoff Sanz, Emergency physician and Head of the Emergency Department. “This means we see more emergency patients than large urban hospitals such as Vancouver General and St. Paul’s.” 

Currently, the Emergency Department has one patient registration desk and two triage stations for walk ins.

“The current location, in the Centennial Building, opened in 2012. Fourteen years later, the department have seen an 84% increase in visits,” explains KGH Emergency Clinical Operations Manager, Laura Gallacher. “Volume, acuity, and population growth have far exceeded what the existing layout was designed to support. These constraints affect flow, clinician efficiency and our ability to compassionately manage high-volume surges.”

The campaign will fund targeted improvements to enhance efficiency and the patient experience, including:

• Expanding triage capacity to speed up assessments and reduce bottlenecks during peak periods
• Redesigning the patient registration area to streamline intake and improve privacy
• Introducing mobile registration to ease congestion during high-volume surges
• Improving waiting areas to support better visibility, monitoring, and timely reassessment
• Adding a dedicated ECG room to increase diagnostic efficiency and patient dignity
• Funding specialized equipment, including two new mobile ultrasounds for the Emergency Department
• Upgrading waiting room furniture and incorporating culturally welcoming elements

“Like all hospitals across British Columbia, KGH operates within a health care system where resources are finite and must be prioritized across a growing province,” says Young.  “Regional centres like Kelowna often face long timelines for targeted capital enhancements. While government funding remains essential, it cannot always move at the pace required to respond to immediate, local needs — particularly in fast-growing regions such as the Central Okanagan.  That’s where philanthropy comes in. We don’t have to wait to take action.”

“Even with all the pressure and the increased volume, our emergency department has never missed a single shift. This is an incredible team, and we are always here for you,” says Dr. Sanz.

Adds Young, “The emergency department and the people who work there are always there when we need them most. Now it is our turn.”

The ‘Give Where it Matters Most’ campaign in support the Emergency Department launches today. All donations made by the KGH Day of Giving – May 13 – will be matched dollar for dollar up to $550,000 by a group of local families. 

To learn more or to donate, visit kghfoundation.com.