BGH Foundation receives $1.2m pledge from City Council

Mayor Mitch Panciuk, on behalf of the City of Belleville, proudly presented hospital representatives with the first installment of a seven figure pledge at City Hall yesterday. The $125,000 cheque forms part of an ongoing commitment by the City to ensure the community has access to the latest state of the art equipment at Quinte Health Care Belleville General Hospital.

A deputation from the BGH Foundation approached City Council in February to discuss a number of critically important projects identified by Quinte Health Care. These included a new 3D Mammography Unit within the advanced diagnostics department and replacement anesthesia machines to help support the hospital’s regional maternal child program.

The City of Belleville has a long and supportive relationship with the Belleville General Hospital Foundation, spanning more than 27 years. Within that time previous councils have pledged more than $6.3m to sustaining the healthcare needs of the community. “With the population expanding and pressure on healthcare services increasing, City Council wanted to address several areas for investment to improve both cancer detection and neonatal practices at the hospital. ‘We believe these services are crucial and that this investment will be of great value to our community as a whole,” commented Mayor Panciuk.

The formal presentation comes at a crucial time as the hospital strives to address a backlog of patients requiring mammography exams, delayed by the pandemic. Partial funds will also be directed towards new fetal monitoring systems in a maternal department that delivers over 1,400 babies annually.

Responding to the City’s generosity, Foundation Executive Director Steven Cook explained, “The importance of keeping up to date with new equipment at the hospital cannot be overstated. The support received by City Council will not only help save the lives of our older residents, it will also provide the best start to life for our youngest patients.”

The donation comes as momentum builds for the Foundation’s ‘Be Well’ campaign, with the organization hoping to raise more than $20m over the next 5 years.

Key Information:

Mammography

• The existing mammography machine was installed in 2010 and is 13 years’ old
• New machinery offers 3D capability and up to 40% greater invasive detection
• Quinte Health Care Belleville General Hospital screens over 3,500 patients per year

Maternal Child/Neonatal

• Over 1,400 babies are delivered per year from across the entire QHC catchment
• BGH provides state of the art obstetrical, postpartum, pediatric and neonatal inpatient care
• The new machines assist in the prevention of fetal distress.

Pictured are: Heather Smith (BGHF Board), Stacey Daub (President & CEO QHC), Mayor Mitch Panciuk & Steven Cook (BGHF Executive Director).