CAMPAIGN UPDATE
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
"Unlimited...together we're unlimited."
These powerful words from the movie Wicked, embody a profound truth: when we unite with a shared vision, there are no limits to what we can accomplish. Many of us were captivated this winter by Wicked, a new twist on a beloved tale whose lessons ring true even to this day. Much like Dorothy’s journey in the original Wizard of Oz, the evolution of Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) from a small community facility to a leading, nationally recognized centre of excellence has been driven by courage, collaboration, and an unwavering determination to push boundaries and redefine possibilities.
In many ways it has been your generosity that has built the ‘yellow brick road’ that’s transformed KGH into a regional hub for advanced medical care. The next step on this path has now become clear and it is a big one: surgical excellence.
Last year alone, patients residing in the Interior Health region underwent over 4,500 emergency and scheduled surgeries elsewhere in the province. It’s no surprise the majority of these took place in the lower mainland. While significant, this number would be much higher if not for donor-driven advancements that have redefined care at KGH. Indeed, when we work together, we can and do accomplish big things. This past decade, your support for investments in state-of-the-art surgical technologies like the hybrid operating room (2015), electrophysiology (2019), interventional radiology (2021), and the gynecologic-surgical oncology program (2024) have pushed the limits and redefined what’s possible at KGH.
The story of KGH’s growth and advancement is far from over—its pages are still being written, with each chapter revealing new opportunities to redefine health care excellence. With cutting-edge advancements in surgical excellence, including robotic- assisted technologies and emerging solutions to treat women’s cancers on the horizon for KGH, the hospital is poised to become a world-class centre of surgical excellence.
This spring, the KGH Foundation will launch the next chapter of our Closer to home than you think campaign. The multi-year, $40 million fundraising commitment that promises to help usher in a new era of health care is our most ambitious ever. Thanks to your incredible generosity, we’re already 71% of the way towards achieving this vision. Building off the HUGE success of last year’s push to fund advancements in Cancer Care, 2025 will see the continued focus on clinical and surgical excellence at KGH, the region’s primary referral hospital serving communities across BC’s southern interior.
Advancing clinical excellence at KGH will not only eliminate or significantly reduce the need for patients to travel to the Lower Mainland for care but will also introduce best-in-class technologies that radically improve the patient experience through their precision and minimally invasive nature. This includes the transformative opportunity to bring in robotic-assisted surgery to our local hospital, the next step in elevating KGH’s standing as a world-class hospital in the Southern Interior of BC.
Why it Matters
As our region and the complexity of patient needs continue to grow, so too does the demand for advanced surgical care. State-of-the-art surgical techniques and technologies can mean the difference between life and death, recovery and prolonged illness, or functional independence and long-term disability. Focusing on the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment keeps our patients close to home while delivering vital benefits.
“Robotic-assisted surgery allows us to remove a patient’s tumor with greater precision while reducing the risk of cancer recurrence and spread”, explains Dr. Joshua Wiesenthal, KGH’s Head of Urology. “These minimally invasive techniques also mean that our patients suffer less pain, fewer complications, faster recovery, and an overall better quality of life.”
No one is more excited about the possibilities on the horizon than KGH’s Chief of Surgery, and Thoracic and Foregut Surgeon, Dr. Maurice Blitz.
“These advancements have broad applications across many disciplines—oncology, cardiovascular, gynecology, urology, and trauma surgery,” shares Dr. Blitz. “The integration of such technologies at KGH will further solidify the hospital’s reputation for clinical excellence while ensuring patients across the region have access to the most effective care available.”
A World-Class Hospital
Investments in advanced surgical technologies will not only meet immediate patient needs but will also establish our hospital as a centre of innovation and excellence.
“KGH is the regional hub for health care, providing essential services to hundreds of thousands of residents in the Interior,” says KGH Foundation CEO, Allison Young. “But the reality is, staying at the forefront of surgical innovation is only possible because of the extraordinary generosity of our donors. Advanced surgical technologies come with significant costs—well beyond what public funding can provide—but they also bring transformative benefits: less invasive procedures, faster recoveries, and better outcomes for our friends, families, and neighbors.”
“This is life-changing care that will touch all of us at some point in our lives,” adds Young. “We rely on the support of our community to ensure KGH can continue to provide world-class health care right here at home, when it matters most.”
Many of the advanced surgical technologies donors are making possible at KGH have become the standard of care in urban centres such as Toronto, Vancouver, and the US. These tools also help KGH attract and retain leading surgical talent.
“KGH has a long history of embracing innovation to meet the growing needs of our community” shares Dr. Blitz. “These investments will help ensure our hospital is positioned at the forefront of surgical innovation, delivering care that meets or exceeds national and international benchmarks.”
Next Chapter: Unlimited Potential
The Central Okanagan area is fast becoming one of Canada’s most dynamic places to live, and the opportunity for KGH to transform outcomes for patients across the region is closer to home than you think. The need for advanced surgical technologies at KGH marks the next step in ensuring residents of the interior have access to world-class surgical care. Technologies such as robotic-assisted surgery and other innovations are key to advancing excellence, attracting top surgical talent, and solidifying KGH as a leader in health care innovation.
The next chapter in this journey begins now. Thank you for building this road with us, for dreaming big, and for believing in the unlimited potential of health care at KGH. Together, we’re not just building a better hospital—we’re creating a future where every patient can receive the care they need, close to home.
Because when it comes to health care, there’s no place like home.
