Those of us who work and volunteer with Grey Bruce Health Services are reminded every day of the generosity and thoughtfulness of the communities we serve. Permanent and part-time residents, service organizations, large companies and family-run businesses, and visitors to our wonderful corner of Ontario have come together time after time to support our hospitals, enabling them to meet the goal of quality health care, right here in Grey and Bruce counties.

When the five hospital foundations that support Grey Bruce Health Services began planning for The Hospital Campaign we were frankly a bit concerned. We knew that the community would recognize and support the need for enhanced oncology, cardiology, surgical, and the new ER/Lab in Southampton but a goal of $8.6 million seemed ambitious - perhaps too ambitious. We should have known better than to worry. Thanks to you, our donors and volunteers, the campaign reached its goal sooner than anticipated.

You then made the journey with us as we increased the goal to $11.4 million in order to respond to an urgent need to upgrade the interventional radiology unit in the Owen Sound Hospital. Thanks to you, we can say that the campaign met its goal – twice! Successful campaigns such as this are invaluable in positioning our hospitals to keep pace with rapid medical developments, rising patient expectations, and the future health-care needs of our communities.

Locally our target in Saugeen Shores was $1.866m and this was increased to $3.2m to help meet both the growing regional needs and new demands from the Southampton Hospital site. It is therefore with great delight that we can confirm that the new ER in Southampton has become operational and that work will now commence on refurbishing the old ER to form a new Laboratory ready for a grand opening later in 2018.

In closing we want to say that for us, personally, it was a privilege to participate in the campaign. The opportunity to meet and work with such wonderful donors, volunteers, physicians, and staff was, as they say, the experience of a lifetime. Though the words don’t seem adequate, we offer them sincerely: Thank you on behalf of the campaign team. Best wishes and a healthy new year.

Tony Sheard,
Chair of the Hospital Campaign and Director of the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation

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