1. 2 3 4&5 6 8
RCH Foundation
Launches $1 Million
Annual Urgent Needs Campaign
R O Y A L C O L U M B I A N H O S P I T A L F O U N D A T I O N
SPRING 2007
physicians, nurses and other staff throughout the hospital
are challenged to continue providing the best patient
care possible with old or out-of-date equipment or with
limited resources.
It’s a fact that our population is growing and aging and
putting more pressure on the health care system. RCH
provides care for the largest and fastest growing region in
the province and even with government funding, the hos-
pital is struggling to keep up with demand.
This spring, the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation
(RCHF) is launching its annual Urgent Needs Campaign –
to raise $1 million to buy vital equipment for units
throughout the hospital. “Physicians and staff rely on
the Foundation each year to help fund their departments’
urgent equipment needs,” says Adrienne Bakker,
President and CEO of the RCH Foundation. “There are so
many needs throughout the hospital and we are grateful
for donor support to help us fund life-saving equipment
for patients at RCH.”
Last year, with support from the community, the RCHF
raised over $2.5 million to fund much-needed equipment
and patient care enhancements at RCH. But the need
for more equipment continues to grow for the region’s
specialty units at the hospital. RCH is the major trauma
centre for 1.5 million people from Burnaby to Boston Bar,
and is the region’s heart centre, and only hospital to
provide open heart surgery and cardiac catheterization.
RCH is also the region’s major referral hospital for neuro-
surgery, renal care, high risk maternity and newborn
intensive care.
As hospital equipment ages, it breaks down and becomes
obsolete or needs to be replaced with more up-to-date,
effective equipment.
“Donor support truly lets us help build on government
funding and meet growing annual equipment needs,”
says Gillian Harwood, Executive Director of RCH.
With the help of caring individuals, organizations and
corporations in the community, the RCH Foundation looks
forward to meeting the growing needs of the hospital in
2007 to achieve a higher standard of patient care.
At Royal Columbian Hospital, lives are saved every day
and night in many different units. In the Intensive Care Unit
(ICU), a ventilator provides oxygen for a critically ill patient
fighting for his life. Down the hall in the Neonatal ICU, par-
ents watch their premature baby daughter being kept alive
in an incubator. And on the main floor in the ER, doctors
use a defibrillator to restart an active grandfather’s heart.
Throughout the hospital, from room to room and patient
to patient, critical equipment is needed to save lives at
Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH). However each year,
Special Events
Mark your calendar!
ICU Grand Opening
Thanks to your support
Special Thanks &
Meet two exceptional
donors
Educating Nurses
How you can help
Helen Sparkes
At home &
personal
Urgent Equipment Needs
Some of the many needs at RCH
1 Gastroscope $37,500
4 Cardiac Care Beds $120,000
1 Warmer Blanket $7,500
1 Critical Care Bed $30,000
2 Infusion Pumps $18,986
2 Fetal Monitors $50,000
4 Infant Incubators $106,000
3 Surgical Lights $120,000
1 High Speed Drill $32,000
2 Baby Scales $12,000
2 Medication Carts $50,000
1 Ceiling-Mounted Lift $21,000
1 Stretcher $10,000
Infusion pumps deliver vital fluids and medication to
critically ill patients.
Neonatal incubators help premature babies survive and thrive.

2. RCH has been my family’s hospital for 36 years. Giving back
to Royal Columbian Hospital is a privilege. We are committed
to grow funding to ensure all patients have access to the best
in health care at RCH.” – Gary Brush, Board Chair, RCH Foundation
“
2 Your Health Matters www.rchfoundation.com
We have watched with excitement and anticipation as the
new ICU has taken shape over the last 12 months and
are amazed by what we see today. It is truly a marvel of
modern medicine and our donors should be very proud of
the ceiling-mounted equipment booms which are the first
of their kind in the Lower Mainland. We look forward to
the Grand Opening celebration on June 5, 2007.
This year we are launching our $1million annual Urgent
Needs Campaign and have pledged to raise $3.5 million
over the next two years for heart programs, including a
new Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit and equipment
for a third Cardiac Catheterization Lab. We look forward to
sharing more information about our heart campaign in the
near future.
We believe Your Health Matters – to you, your family
and to the dedicated physicians and employees at the
hospital. Our newsletter is designed to provide you with
timely, relevant and exciting news about RCH and share
compelling stories how donor and volunteer support is
making a difference in the lives of patients every day.
As you read our newsletter, we hope you gain a greater
appreciation for RCH and an increased awareness that
your care is critical. Please consider what you can do
to help ensure that the most advanced and exceptional
health care is available to all families in our communities
and across the region.
We invite you to visit our new home and tell us why you
care to give.
Adrienne Bakker
President & CEO
RCH Foundation
Your Care is Critical
It’s spring cleaning time again and here at the Royal
Columbian Hospital Foundation (RCH) we’ve taken things
one step further. We not only cleaned our offices but we
also packed and moved them to a new location
in the main lobby of the Health Care Centre.
Thanks to a very special, anonymous donor who provided
this fresh space, we finally realized our dream to be front
and centre in the hospital. You may have noticed that the
Foundation also has a fresh new look this spring. We will
always honour our rich history and the tradition of caring
that has helped us raise over $40 million dollars since
1978. But our new space and new look allows us to
increase awareness, meet and connect with donors,
patients, families, physicians and employees every day.
Ultimately our goal is to raise more money for the hospital
by uniting everyone under the single, compelling and
empowering cause for caring.
You may already know that RCH is the trauma centre for
the region and the regional referral hospital for neuro-
surgery, renal care, high risk maternity and newborn inten-
sive care. It is also the region’s heart centre – the only
hospital providing open heart surgery and cardiac
catheterization for 1.5 million people from Burnaby to
Boston Bar.
As the hospital’s role continues to expand to meet the
increasing health care needs of the largest and fastest
growing region in the province, our Foundation is committed
to raising more money to help fund annual urgent equip-
ment needs as well as large transformational projects that
will increase capacity and advance care at RCH.
Last year with donor support we raised $1 million for
annual urgent equipment needs as well as $1.6 million
for a new, state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at RCH.
Special Events
June 5
ICU Grand Opening
Royal Columbian Hospital
New nature-inspired $7.6 million ICU
features state-of-the-art equipment for
improved patient care and enhanced
family support space.
June 17
Sapperton Street Festival
Check out East Columbia Street for
live entertainment, a bouncy castle
and extreme bike riding. Visit our
RCHF booth and test how steady
your hand is on “Surgery Sam” and
create a mini flower arrangement,
which will be donated to a patient
at Royal Columbian Hospital.
June 18
Sapperton Family Day
Go to Sapperton Park for a pancake
breakfast, crafts, games and more.
Proceeds from Sapperton Days will
support RCH Foundation.
June 25–29
Baby Week at Marketplace
Health Centre Lobby, RCH
Stock up on unique baby clothes,
gifts and accessories all week with
different vendors daily.
Partial proceeds from Marketplace
support RCH Foundation.
For more info:
www.rchfoundation.com
Adrienne Bakker, President and CEO of RCHF, stands in front of
new Foundation office in the Health Centre lobby of RCH.
2006/07 RCH Foundation Board of Directors:
Gary Brush, Chair Dr. Michael Piper
Rick Mudie, Past Chair Belle Puri
Brent Atkinson, Treasurer Helen Sparkes
Les Jourdain, Interim Treasurer Dr. Laurence Turner
John Ashbridge Mac Tyler
Jim Glanville Gillian Harwood
Jim Gray Dr. Roy Morton
Larry Osachoff
RCH Foundation Staff:
Adrienne Bakker, President & CEO
Laurie Tetarenko, Vice President
Susie Poulsen, Director, Marketing & Communications
Ruby Campbell, Manager, Personal Giving
Lisa Rosales, Major Gifts Officer
Ingrid King, Communications Specialist
Laura Mills, Development Associate
Kathie Michalyk, Data and Donor Coordinator
Zoe Boichuk, Program Coordinator
Debra Walliser, Executive Assistant to the President & CEO
Cathy Brooks, Development Assistant

3. www.rchfoundation.com Your Health Matters 3
Grand Opening
of New ICU
A Nature-Inspired Centre
of Healing
On June 5, 2007 the doors will officially open to the
new state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Royal
Columbian Hospital. The 20,500 square foot facility is a
dramatic improvement over the old ICU, which was built
in 1978, and balances modern, hi-tech equipment and
care with a nature-inspired environment designed to
promote better healing.
Critical illness or injury can strike anyone at any time.
As the regional centre for major trauma, cardiac and
neurosurgery cases for 1.5 million people from Burnaby
to Boston Bar, Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH) has been
challenged to provide highly-specialized, one-on-one
medical care to severely ill and injured patients in its
29-year old ICU. That’s why the RCH Foundation is so
pleased to celebrate the Grand Opening of the spacious
hi-tech and holistic ICU at RCH.
A Vision of Excellence
Last fall, the Fraser Health Authority recognized the
need for a new ICU at Royal Columbian and committed
$6 million towards the project. To offset the rising cost of
construction, the RCH Foundation turned to the community
to raise a further $1.6 million to help equip the new facility
with custom-made, state-of-the-art ceiling mounted equip-
ment booms, family waiting rooms, ventilators and
infusion pumps.
Previously, only two of the 14 ICU beds were located in
private rooms, which increased the risk of cross-infection
between patients. Tight quarters also limited privacy for
patients and their families, and affected the staff’s ability
to maneuver around beds and access equipment.
Construction began in November on the facility, which
is almost three times the size of the old ICU. It offers
increased capacity, from 12 cubicles and two private
rooms to 14 private rooms and 2 negative pressure
rooms, for a total of 16 beds designed to reduce infection
through better containment. The unit also houses 16
state-of-the-art ceiling mounted equipment booms for
better patient treatment and access, four private family
waiting rooms, five new ventilators to help patients breathe
and 16 infusion pumps to deliver vital fluids and medication.
The nature of healing at RCH
Research shows that nature-inspired design in hospitals
can promote improved healing. According to Robert
Ulrich, a professor of architecture at Texas A&M University
and a behavioural scientist who studies the effects of
health-care facilities on patient safety and outcomes, well-
planned hospital spaces can help reduce stress, improve
safety and health for patients, and enable staff to provide
care more easily.
In addition to the top quality health care and expertise
of specially trained doctors and nurses, Royal Columbian
recognizes the benefits of a holistic approach to critical
care. With this in mind, the new ICU was designed as a
nature-inspired centre of healing, from its spacious private
rooms and family rooms decorated in familiar, soothing
colours, to special decorative accents and an abundance
of natural light filtered through large windows that bathes
the entire unit.
Westcoast nature is apparent in every area of the new
ICU at Royal Columbian, from the blue painted stream
that flows along the floor through the halls, past rooms
that feature modern wood paneling, painted in calming
colours of nature, like forest green, sky blue and warm
sand. Windows throughout the unit allow lots of natural
light and the reception desk is trimmed with a meandering
trail of river pebbles. Out on the roof deck, a healing
garden is planned as a quiet retreat for families and a
source of peaceful meditation for patients who can see it
from the inside.
Critical Care for the Region
Thanks to thousands of generous individuals, businesses
and organizations in the community, this state-of-the-art
ICU offers a new level of care at RCH.
“Our donors are truly lifesavers,” says Adrienne Bakker,
President and CEO of the RCH Foundation. “Without the
generous support from people and businesses in the
community, we would not have been able to equip the
new ICU with leading-edge equipment and provide RCH
patients with even better care, more private rooms and a
dedicated waiting area for their loved ones.”
On June 5, 2007 George Abbott, Minister of Health, as
well as other dignitaries, RCH physicians and employees,
and RCH Foundation donors will be on hand to celebrate
this nature-inspired and state-of-the-art facility.
Thank you Lifesavers
RCH Foundation is grateful to the
following corporations, foundations
and community groups who
contributed to our Be a Lifesaver
Campaign, which raised $1.6 million
for the new ICU at RCH. Also thanks
to thousands of individuals and
other donors who wish to remain
anonymous.
$500,000+
Labatt Breweries of Canada
$50,000+
Buddhist Compassion Tzu Chi Foundation
TB Vets Foundation
$20,000+
Burnaby Firefighters
RBC Foundation
Estate of John Peter Manly
Burnaby-New Westminster NewsLeader &
Tri-City News
$5,000+
DI McDonald Holdings Ltd.
WesGroup Income Properties LP
McBride Sapperton Resident’s Association &
Sapperton Merchant’s Association
Valon Kone Brunette Ltd.
$2,500+
Peter & Kay Legge
Fraser River Pile & Dredge
Grant Thornton LOP
Bull, Housser, Tupper
Fraser River Port Authority
Coquitlam Foundation
CapServCo
Centaur Products Ltd.
Turlex Office Services Limited
$1,000+
RBC Dominion Securities – Eric Sommerfeld &
Tracy Price
Centra Exteriors Ltd.
Guardian Group of Funds Ltd.
Mahler Industries
Pull Master Winch Corporation
Westminster Medical Association
$500+
Accurate Lock Safe & Alarm Co.
Atkinson & Terry Insurance Brokers
City of New Westminster
Columbian Insurance Services
Hilton Vancouver Metrotown
McDonald Detwiller & Associates
Rich Sound & Video Productions
$250+
Kitty’s Butterfield Florist
Scotiabank

4. 4 Your Health Matters www.rchfoundation.com
“Sapperton was not just home for us, it was where my
dad had his retail business and where we grew up,”
shares Bill Hobbis. “That’s why Mom wanted to support
the hospital that supported our family. It’s nice to be able
to give back to the hospital that was our neighbour for so
many years.”
In 1988, Tom and E. May Hobbis began supporting the
RCH Foundation, to help fund areas of greatest needs
The Tom and E. May Hobbis
Capital Fund
The Hobbis Family
Neighbours with a History of
Caring and Support
“We grew up next door to Royal Columbian Hospital,
and whenever we had nicks, scrapes and bruises over
the years, we just walked across the street for help,” says
Bill Hobbis, whose family lived in Sapperton for 58 years.
This closeness to the hospital and its neighbouring com-
munity became the foundation of care for the Hobbis family,
who have supported RCH over the years, and culminated
in a $100,000 Tom and May Endowment Fund created in
December 2006 by his mother E. May Hobbis.
In 1948, Tom and E. May Hobbis were married and
moved from the prairies to start a new life together in
Sapperton. “I remember at the time, the major buildings
in Sapperton were the B.C. Distillery, Knox Presbyterian
Church, Sir Richard McBride School and the Royal
Columbian Hospital,” says E. May Hobbis. “It was a com-
munity of cozy homes and small commercial buildings.”
For decades, Tom and E. May Hobbis lived, worked and
raised their two sons, Bill and Wayne, who were both
born at Royal Columbian, in the historic riverside town.
throughout the hospital. In 1990, Mrs. Hobbis lost her
husband Tom, who passed away in the hospital. “The
care our dad received was always first-class,” says Bill.
His mother was so touched by the care that Tom received,
and knew first-hand how funding could help the hospital
provide top quality care, that she continued to support the
hospital for the next 18 years.
“As our sons grew, we found Royal Columbian Hospital to
be quite accessible whenever we required medical care.
Indeed, it provided excellent care for each of us,” says E.
May Hobbis. “And it was there when my beloved Tom
died. He was a loyal and generous friend to the many
acquaintances he made there over the years.” When she
sold her home in Sapperton in 2005, E. May Hobbis
decided to give back on a much larger scale and create a
legacy to last for generations and help as many people
as possible.
The Tom and E. May Hobbis Capital Fund will help pro-
vide the same quality of care for families just like the
Hobbis’ received. “This gift to the Royal Columbian
Hospital Foundation is in appreciation of the many times
our family made use of the hospital’s facilities,” adds E.
May Hobbis. “Royal Columbian is where we always
received the best of care by its friendly, caring and skilled
doctors, nurses and medical professionals.”
Karen Watson, Manager of the ICU, shows Karen Baker-MacGrotty
of RBC (left) and Adrienne Bakker, President & CEO of the RCH
Foundation (right) around the nearly finished ICU department after
RBC donated $20,000 to help equip the new unit.
Peter Legge (right), President & CEO of Canada Wide Media,
presents a gift of $2,500 to Adrienne Bakker, RCH Foundation
President & CEO, and Gary Brush RCHF Board Chair. Peter was a
special keynote speaker at the Community Leader’s Breakfast
Event where he helped raise an additional $15,000 for the new
ICU at Royal Columbian.
John Ashbridge (right), RCH Foundation Board member shows
Linda Skipworth, TB Vets Chair and Ron Goyette (left), TB Vets
Executive Director, one of two new ICU ventilators their $60,000
donation funded.
Adrienne Bakker, RCH Foundation President & CEO and Gary
Brush, RCHF Board Chair, present a lifesaver wreath to Tracy
Keenan (centre), Publisher, Burnaby New Westminster
NewsLeader for their generous media sponsorship of the
“Be a Lifesaver” ICU fundraising campaign.
Adrienne Bakker (third from left), president and CEO of RCH
Foundation, stands under the ceiling-mounted equipment boom
with Yi Ling Chen (fourth from left) and members of the Buddhist
Compassion Tzu Chi Foundation, who donated $50,000 for a
boom in the new ICU at Royal Columbian.
Tod Melnyk (second from left), VP of Sales for BC with Labatt
Breweries of Canada, presents $500,000 gift for the new ICU to
RCH Foundation representatives Gary Brush (far left), Board Chair;
Adrienne Bakker, President & CEO; and Rick Mudie, Board
Member (far right).
Thank you for being a “Lifesaver!”

5. www.rchfoundation.com Your Health Matters 5
Chairman’s
Circle:
Caring above &
beyond
The Chairman's Circle is
a group of community
leaders who are dedicated
to achieving the best in
health care at Royal
Columbian Hospital. At
the RCH Foundation, we
are grateful to the follow-
ing members who make
annual gifts of $1,500*
or more.
LIFE MEMBER &
BENEFACTOR $10,000 +
David & Joanne McDonald
BENEFACTOR $10,000 +
Helen Brittain
Roy & Valerie Davidson
Thomas Fenwick
Dr. Thomas & Mrs. Elaine
Godwin
William & Dorothy Hughes
Edward & Diane Les
John & Rebecca Mackay
Kenneth & Ellen Mahon
Bob & Martha McDonald
Ian & Mary McDonald
Mollie McDonald
Steve & Karen McDonald
Wayne Schaffer
Errol Wintemute
PATRON $5,000 – $9,999
Orme & Shirley Asher
Ben & Carole Backman
Edward & Irene Graham
John and Jennie Hik
Adelma Hudson
Les & Marilyn Jourdain
Lohn Foundation –Loyd
McNicol
Rob & Sue Macdonald
Ian Matheson
Bruce & Sompit
McDonald
Mary McDonald
Robert & Diane Milne
Erica Ritchie
Marilyn & D.G. Stewart
Walter & Judi Weaver
PARTNER $2,500 –
$4,999
Gary & Noreen Brush
Gordon & Pat Gilley
Lothar Heinrich
Fraser & Michelle
Jefferson
Peter & Kay Legge
Walter & Shirley
MacDonald
Arleen Mott
Rick & Leona Mudie
Edward & Wendy Probyn
Merv & Diann Schweitzer
Brian & Pamela Smith
LEADER $1,500 – $2,499
John Ashbridge & Yvonne
Eamor
Brent & Gail Atkinson
Dr. Kenneth & Mrs. Lisa
Atkinson
B.C. Biomedical
Laboratories Ltd.
Adrienne & Gary Bakker
Haley & Christopher Barton
R. Paul & Elizabeth
Beckmann
Dr. Margaret Blackwell
Drs. N. Peter & Mairi M. Blair
Dr. Robert & Mrs. Judy
Brown
Gary & Noreen Brush
Jack & Marion Butterworth
Helen Carkner & Bernard
Leveille
Cassady & Company
Skip & Marilyn Cassady
Dr. Keith & Mrs. Marilyn
Chambers
Dr. Albert W. Chan.
Fred & Norma Chapman
Judge Lorne & Mrs. Eileen
Clare
Christopher & Elaine Cooper
Robert & Christine Cooper
Russel & Yvonne Cooper
Robert & Kathryn Crawford
Keith & Heather Cross
Paul & Cathy Daminato
Winton & Barbara Derby
Robert Dunlop
Dr. Michael & Mrs.
Katherine Epstein
Jim & Joel Fair
Joyce Fisher
Dr. Arthur Friesen
Jake & Doris Frizzell
Dr. Carol Gailey &
Mr. Michael Grunewaldt
Dr. Arun & Mrs. Lori Garg
William & Gerry Gartside
Martin & Judy Gifford
James & Margaret Gillis
Jim & Sue Glanville
Dr. Robert & Mrs. Elaine
Hayden
Gillian Harwood & John
Lucas
Dr. Mark & Mrs. Fran
Henderson
Frank & Lynne Kemp
Mike & Dona Klyn
Dr. Robin & Mrs. Barbara
Kuritzky
Dr. Akbar & Mrs. Shamin
Lalani
Russell & Lita Lane
Chuck Lavis
Loretta Lucas
Spencer & Jessie
MacCosham
Violet & Bruce Macdonald
Enid Matheson
William & Maureen Melville
Warren & Diana Mitchell
Arthur Monahan
Dr. Dayna Mudie & Mr.
Warren Lever
Bill & Doreen Nelson
Michael & Brenda O'Keefe
Larry & Sherril Osachoff
Marnee & Ken Peters
Dr. Kimit and Mrs. Linda
Rai
Dr. Robert Rothwell
Dr. Dennis Rupka
Peter Paul & Nancy
Saunders
Marian Selkirk
W.G. & Carol Sinclair
Richard & Melba Smith
Dr. Laurence & Mrs. Bev
Turner
Mac & Bonnie Tyler
Bruno & Jane Wall
James & Lillian White
Includes gifts received up to
May 10, 2007. Our sincerest
apologies for any errors or
omissions.
Saint Mary’s Health
Foundation
A legacy of caring continues at RCH
For 117 years, Saint Mary’s Hospital provided compas-
sionate care to the residents of New Westminster. In
June, 2004 its doors closed but the legacy of caring still
continues. Today, patients and staff at Royal Columbian
Hospital (RCH) and other hospitals across the lower
mainland receive funding thanks to the commitment of
the Saint Mary’s Health Foundation (SMHF).
Formerly the Saint Mary’s Hospital Foundation, SMHF has
two main goals: to provide financial help to health care
organizations that demonstrate an unfunded need which
will enhance patient access and care; and to preserve
donor capital over the long term while supporting neces-
sary improvements in health care delivery.
“The foundation supports innovative programs that are
not supported by the government or Fraser Health
Authority but we feel are worthwhile,” says Dr. Irwin F.
Stewart, SMHF board member who worked at Saint Mary’s
Hospital for 28 years as an Ear, Nose and Throat special-
ist as well as at RCH, where his department introduced
microscopic surgery in 1963. “As a doctor, I have an
enormous appreciation for what can be done with so little.”
One area that the SMHF provides additional funding for
is nursing education. “Nurses are not able to get out as
much as they should to upgrade their skills and learn
fresh ideas in their fields,” says Dr. Stewart. The founda-
tion receives bequests and donations specifically created
to help active, practicing nurses receive education and
courses. So far in 2007, SMHF has funded $7,700 for
nursing education.
Since 2004, SMHF has donated nearly $100,000 to sup-
port various departments and initiatives to improve patient
care at RCH. In July, 2004 the foundation gave $50,000 to
enhance the Ophthalmology Surgical department with spe-
cialized equipment for emergency trauma cases. Two years
ago, SMHF gave RCH funding to help the Orthopaedic
department develop research in trauma cases.
“Royal Columbian has been a recipient of foundation
funds almost every year since we founded the SMHF,”
says Dr. Stewart. In just three years, the SMHF has created
a new legacy of caring for those who access RCH, which
is both a community hospital and regional trauma centre
for up to 1.5 million patients from Burnaby to Boston Bar.
Distinguished Donors
RCH Foundation is grateful to
the following corporations,
foundations and community
groups who made gifts of
$1,000+ between August 1,
2006 and May 1, 2007. Also
thank you to thousands of indi-
viduals who made generous
contributions and other donors
who wish to remain anonymous.
$20,000+
CKNW Orphans’ Fund
Loyal Protestants Association
The Fisher Foundation
$5,000+
GE Healthcare Canada Inc.
Hip Hip Hooray
Pacific Open Heart Association
Saint Mary’s Health Foundation
Shrine Club – New Westminster #8
$2500+
AstraZeneca Canada Inc.
Stanjean Foundation
$1,000+
Eli Lilly Canada Inc.
Janssen-Ortho Inc.
Kevin Haddrell Brain Injury Foundation
Kiwanis Club of New Westminster
London Drugs Foundation
Novartis Pharma Canada Ltd.
Pfizer Canada Inc.
Roger’s Sugar
Royal Canadian Legion #2
TELUS Community Connections
The Hamber Foundation
Dr. Irwin Stewart and Shirley Piper, SMHF Board Members,
accept flowers and special thanks from RCH Foundation and
nurses at the annual Nurses' Tea at RCH on May 10, 2007.
*

6. 6 Your Health Matters www.rchfoundation.com
Mrs. Hazel Emerson, a retired schoolteacher, is a long-time
supporter of psychiatric nursing at RCH.
Lorna Jensen, Nurse Educator PACU, assists nurse Sarah Bull
post-surgery with first-time parents Jeremie and Mikayla Jamin
with their new baby son, Connor.
Ed and Diane Les (left) generously funded the hi-tech Angiojet clot-busting machine, with Adrienne Bakker, president and CEO of RCH
Foundation and Dr. Brad Halkier, Interventional Radiologist at RCH.
Foundation Education
Funds
Donors Caring for Caregivers
“According to the letters I receive from the nurses, I’m
pretty special,” says Mrs. Hazel Emerson with a shy
smile. In 1991, Mrs. Emerson, a retired school teacher,
established an endowment to support nursing education
grants at Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH). Today, at 96
years-old, she has saved dozens of thank-you cards
received from grateful nurses over the years and continues
to donate what she can.
New Hi-tech Clot-Busting
Machine at RCH
Thanks to Ed and Diane Les
Thanks to generous donor support, Royal Columbian
Hospital (RCH) is now home to hi-tech blood clot
removal equipment, called an Angiojet Thrombectomy
machine. It is the only one of its kind available west of
Toronto. With the addition of this revolutionary equip-
ment, interventional radiologists in the Medical Imaging
Unit of RCH can provide a much safer and more effective
treatment option for patients with potentially life-threaten-
ing blood clots.
Before the Angiojet, the Vascular Interventional Radiology
department at RCH had limited success treating clotted
veins and arteries in the arms, chest and lungs.
Traditional treatment was either invasive surgeries or drug
therapies that took up to two days. The Angiojet can take
just minutes to dissolve potentially deadly blood clots in
patients’ arteries at their site. Saline jets spray clot-bust-
ing drugs directly onto the blood clot, dissolving up to 95
per cent of it, and a strong vacuum suctions the clot out
of the body through a small catheter.
“The Angiojet is like a ‘vacuum cleaner for the blood ves-
sels,' with a drive unit, pump and specially designed
catheter which we thread through a patient’s veins or
arteries,” says Dr. Brad Halkier, Interventional Radiologist
at RCH. “It adds a very effective, leading-edge technology
tool to our tool kit that allows us to treat more patients
and offer a less invasive, more cost-effective solution to
traditional drug therapies or surgical options.”
Ed and Diane Les, who donated the Angiojet, are long-
time supporters of RCH. “We have been fortunate enough
to be able to support a number of different areas in the
hospital. Our family has received excellent care and we
realize first-hand that there are needs everywhere in the
hospital,“ explains Diane. Her husband Ed and children
have received care at RCH and the couple enjoys giving
back as a way of helping other patients receive the best
care. Ed and Diane Les feel excited to support Medical
Imaging because this new technology will really help
provide better and safer procedures for patients with
serious conditions.
Last year 118 staff members, including nurses and
various allied health professionals, were able to attend
conferences and workshops with assistance from the
Foundation’s education funds. “These educations grants
are made possible by the generous donations of a num-
ber of individuals and families who request their monies
be directed towards education for RCH employees,”
explains Brenda Poulton, RN, MN, Nurse Practitioner of
Pain Management at RCH and chairperson for the
Education Grant Committee.
Through donor support, RCH clinicians are able to attend
educational opportunities to learn the latest in care, treat-
ment and research in health care and bring this information
back to the various areas in which they work at the hospital.
“Not only are these conferences and workshops of great
educational value, they allow staff to network with health
care providers from across the country, North America
and the world in many cases,” says Poulton.
“Last year, we had a 25 per cent increase in applications
for programs,” says Poulton. “It’s always interesting each
month when the committee sits down to review applica-
tions to see the diversity of educational opportunities
available and the number of RCH staff who would like to
attend.” The committee is made up of two unit managers,
two clinical nurse educators, one clinical nurse specialist
and a nurse practitioner.
Educational funding limits ranges from $100 to $1,500
and does not cover all expenses so nurses often need to
pay a portion of their costs. “The increasing demand on
the health care system has resulted in budget pressures
that make education funding scarce or non-existent.
Donor support towards the Foundation education fund
program is one of the only opportunities for RCH staff to
access assistance for education,” says Poulton.
Donors can set up an endowment fund like Mrs. Emerson
or donate to a general education fund. Some nursing
areas funded include: innovative health care services,
professional development opportunities, major patient
education projects, multi-disciplinary health care teams
and cardiovascular nursing. “When I created my endow-
ment fund there was a specific need for psychiatric
nurses,” explains Mrs. Emerson who supports registered
nurses in psychiatric and medical areas of RCH.
As she holds a thank-you card, Mrs. Emerson reminisces
about the many grateful nurses she has helped over the
years. “I’ve even met some of them in person who spoke
about their experiences. I appreciate it all and like to hear
from the nurses,” she says. “They are so hard-working
and what they do is tremendously related to patient
recovery. My own experiences when my husband was ill
made me decide to help nurses through education.”
“The Foundation and its generous donors make these
opportunities a reality for many of the staff at RCH,” says
Poulton. “And we offer them our sincere thanks for their
continuing support.”
Some Nursing Conferences &
Workshops RCH staff attended
in 2006
Canadian Council of Cardiovascular Nurses Conference
Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses Conference
Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada Conference
National Teaching Institute (Largest Critical Care Nurses
Conference in world)
Maternal Health Leadership Conference
Infectious Disease Update
Perinatal Update
Asthma Care
Care of Stroke Patient
Innovations in Resparatory Care

7. www.rchfoundation.com Your Health Matters 7
RCH Nurse Gilma Johnston attended Nursing Symposium 2007 thanks to the Emerson Fund which supports nursing education.
Lorna Jensen, Educator PACU was the recipient of a Cotton Fund
education grant and attended a Perianesthesia Conference.
Lorna Jensen
Sharing her Knowledge
Since 1994, Lorna Jensen has worked at Royal
Columbian Hospital (RCH) as a Nurse Educator in the
Post Anaesthetic Care Unit (PACU). The busy mother of
two drives one-and-a-half hours each way from her home
in Chilliwack. But the opportunity to work at RCH is worth
the long commute.
As a nurse educator, Lorna enjoys training and upgrading
knowledge for active nurses. “It’s my job to upgrade the
staff’s skills and keep the information relevant as nursing
is an ever-changing profession,” she explains. Lorna
continually upgrades the present staff with new evidence-
based practice and provides clinical and educational
support to staff, patients and their families. She orients
new staff, refreshes those who have been off work and
tries to make sure everyone has the same up-to-date infor-
mation about any changes or new techniques.
It’s through donor funding to RCH Foundation that nurses
like Lorna can upgrade their skills through focused training,
workshops and conferences near and far. Recently, Lorna
was awarded $647 from the Cotton Fund to attend a
Perianaesthesia Conference in Kelowna. The event was
open to nurses from across BC and all of the speakers
gave presentations which they shared with the attendees.
The Kelowna conference covered the latest changes in
acute life support that are being introduced as the new
standard in BC. Lorna returned to work armed with the
latest CPR policies for improved patient safety. “After the
conference, I came back to work and was able to pass
along the new CPR standards to the other nurses. I’ve
also used information from the presentations shown at
the conference and added it to the training curriculum
here. It was a very helpful conference in terms of orienta-
tions and general education.”
Gilma Johnston
Empowered by Education
As a nurse working on the Acute Care wing on 5 South of
Royal Columbian Hospital (RCH), Gilma Johnston thrives
on caring for a wide variety of patients during each shift.
“The majority of our patients are diabetics who require
dialysis,” says Gilma. “We also deal with people who
come out of the Cardiac Care Unit, the Intensive Care Unit
and post-surgical patients recovering from brain, heart
and cancer operations,” Gilma explains. “I enjoy the
challenge of knowing that each day is not the same.”
While Gilma attended school, she was a nurses’ aide at
RCH and when she became a nurse, it was her hospital
of choice. “I like that RCH is a teaching and trauma
hospital,” she says, where she has worked for six years.
Continued education is important to her and thanks to
donor support, the RCH Foundation nursing education
funds have been able to provide Gilma with opportunities
to advance her knowledge through a variety of work-
shops and conferences.
Most recently, Gilma was one of three nurses who
received $1,500 from the Hazel Emerson Fund to attend
the Nursing 2007 Symposium, a large medical and sur-
gical conference held in Florida. There are many benefits
to attending these types of conferences. “It’s a great way
to network with other nurses from other countries as well
as learn the latest cutting-edge information,” she says.
“This event is very important to me because it caters to
medical nurses, so the range of information we learn
relates to what we do,” explains Gilma. “One of the other
reasons I like to attend is that I find it to be very empow-
ering. Nursing is an always changing field so it’s important
to keep up with the latest techniques and feel strong and
confident in my work.”
Each year, a limited amount of education funds are
awarded, and Gilma feels lucky to have participated in a
number of them, including a Rapid Response course and
one that taught her how to deal with aggressive patients.
“One of the best courses was Humour in Nursing, which
helped me to develop a dialogue with my patients.”
You can support nursing
excellence & education
Whether it’s small or large, your donation
helps. In fiscal 2006/07, 96 nurses
received education grants ranging from
$100 to $1,500. Simply contribute to
the general fund and help a nurse share
ideas, learn new techniques and provide
better patient care.
For more information, call Ruby Campbell, Manager of
Personal Giving at 604-520-4288.
“The nurse education funding program provides nurses
with many benefits and they can share information as
well as meet others in the same field,” says Lorna. “This
was the first opportunity I’ve had to attend a conference
and I was very fortunate to get the funding,” says Lorna.
There is a wait list for nurses at RCH to attend courses
and workshops and nurses can only attend one program
a year because of limited funding.
“Without donor support, I could not get this level of extra
training,” adds Lorna. “And as a nurse educator, I am so
grateful for the support I receive because I can share new
knowledge and skills with the rest of my team.”
“I believe continuing education is so important for nurses,”
says Gilma. “The evidence-based knowledge makes a
difference in how we treat patients, lets us see things in a
different light and learn from others in our field. The
courses are expensive and the donor funding we receive
allows us to learn valuable knowledge and then share
what we’ve learned with other nurses on the floor.”

8. 8 Your Health Matters www.rchfoundation.com
On the Board:
Helen Sparkes
Yes, I want to support
Critical Care at Royal
Columbian Hospital.
Here is my gift of:
$20 $50 $100 Other
Enclosed is my cheque made payable to:
Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation
OR Charge my credit card:
VISA MasterCard
Card # Expiry Date
Signature
Name
Address
City
Province Postal Code
Phone ( )
Email
RCH Foundation respects your privacy and does not
rent, sell or share donor information to third parties.
All information relating to your donation is held in
strictest confidence.
Charitable Business #11912 8866 RR0001
Donate Online: www.rchfoundation.com
Thank you for your support!
RCH Foundation
Health Centre Lobby
330 East Columbia Street
New Westminster, BC, V3L 3W7
tel: 604-520-4438
fax: 604-520-4439
RCHF: When did you join the RCH Foundation Board of
Directors and what inspired you to support Royal
Columbian Hospital (RCH)?
HS: I’ve been a member of the RCHF Board since
September 2006. I’ve known many past and present
board members and always admired the work they’ve
done together with the Foundation. Also, with the demise
of Saint Mary’s Hospital, which many felt was our commu-
nity hospital, I feel it is important to maintain a presence at
Royal Columbian. RCH is a trauma centre and a regional
tertiary care hospital with many specialties. However, it is
also necessary for the residents of New Westminster and
adjoining municipalities to know they can rely on RCH for
their individual and community needs.
RCHF: Have you been personally touched by Royal
Columbian Hospital?
HS: We’ve lived here for thirty years and two of my
children and three of my grandsons were born at RCH.
One memory that stands out was the premature birth of
my twin grandsons at Women’s Hospital in 1995. They
required hospitalization for their first two months of life
and spent that time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at
RCH. They were transferred to RCH because my daughter
lived up north at the time and she could live with us and
be at the hospital everyday to help care for them. Today,
they are active, strong and bright 11-year olds, thanks to
the excellent care they received at RCH.
More recently, my father-in-law spent the last five weeks
of his life in RCH and was treated very well. I was particu-
larly impressed with the empathetic care nurses provided
to him and our family in the last hours of his life.
RCHF: What do you hope to achieve in this Board position?
HS: During my tenure on the Board, I hope to ensure
some aspect of the hospital be kept for community care.
I would very much like to see the Emergency Department
enlarged and upgraded, and the Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit updated with new equipment and more space.
RCHF: What are some challenges the hospital and
Foundation face that you feel are most relevant?
HS: Maintaining and enhancing sources of revenue is the
major challenge for RCH and the Foundation. With so
many other foundations and charities searching for dollars,
it is a very competitive market. I hope the annual Home
Lottery will remain popular and along with corporate and
individual donations, keep future RCHF projects attainable.
RCHF: How do you think we can increase our awareness
both inside and outside of the community?
HS: Because of its history and longevity, RCH is highly
recognized both inside and outside our community. The
Foundation is becoming more recognized as well, in part
due to the Home Lottery and the Foundation’s new brand
(logo) which should add to that recognition. And of
course word-of-mouth by patients, their families and
donors is one of best forms of advertising.
RCHF: What do you feel makes New Westminster so special?
HS: There are many reasons New Westminster is special,
but mainly I enjoy its location, size and history. Being
only seven square miles, with a relatively small population,
residents tend to know a lot about their neighbours,
government and historical aspects.There is a lot of pride
in the traditions that are specific to New Westminster, like
May Day. We raised our three children here and three of
our grandchildren are growing up here as well. New
Westminster retains a small town feel and is a safe
place to live, very family-oriented, and offers many com-
munity amenities and activities for people of all ages.
RCHF: What areas of health care are close to your heart?
HS: Public health has always been a priority with me
because of its focus on preventing illness. Early detection
and intervention is extremely important to help minimize
invasive procedures for illness. All aspects of the health
care industry are important, but I’ve lost many friends and
family to cancer and hope to live long enough to see a
cure for all types of cancer.
RCHF: While mayor of New Westminster, you played a
key role to drive many local initiatives. Are there pet proj-
ects you plan to spearhead in your role on the Board?
HS: As a member of the RCHF Board, I am hopeful that,
with my history of strong support for Saint Mary’s hospital,
I can bring some Saint Mary’s supporters over to support
RCH as our community hospital. The loss of Saint Mary’s
was very unfortunate. However, I feel it’s time to support
RCH and I hope others can do the same. There are Saint
Mary’s programs in their entirety, including their staff, in
existence at RCH, such as the Breast Imaging and Bone
Densitometry program and Orthopaedics.
RCHF: How do you suggest that people support the
Foundation and RCH more and why is it so important for
more people to get involved?
HS: People can support the Foundation and hospital by
volunteering their time and spreading the word about the
good work the Foundation does to help fund needed equip-
ment that enhances health care at the hospital. Donating
funds to the Foundation is much-needed and a wonderful
way to keep RCH at the leading edge of patient care.
Health care is a huge item in the Provincial budget. Without
the Foundation’s contribution for equipment and programs,
RCH could not maintain the high level of service and
patient care in specialized areas. Highly-trained, specialized
physicians want to work in the best facilities with upgraded
equipment. For these reasons, more people need to get
involved to support the hospital and the Foundation.
On a recent rainy day we visited
the home of Helen Sparkes, former
mayor of New Westminster, mother
of three and busy grandmother of
six. As a City Councilor from
1989 to 1997 and Mayor from
1997 to 2002, Helen is still rec-
ognized whenever she goes out
and is greeted by strangers who
stop her to chat. “Sometimes
shopping takes forever,” she
laughs. As she bounced her only
granddaughter Meya Sparkes on
her lap, Helen talked about her
family, being on the RCHF Board
of Directors and what makes New
Westminster so special.
Helen Sparkes bounces her granddaughter Meya while babysitting
at home.