BC billionaire Jim Pattison has donated $5 million to the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, the largest donation in the foundation's history.
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November 01, 2023 - 11:44 AM
BC billionaire Jim Pattison has donated $5 million to the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, the largest donation in the foundation's history.
The money from the Jim Pattison Foundation will pay for a new Centre for Health System Learning and Innovation, according to a KGH Foundation media release issued today, Nov. 1.
“I want to say how much we appreciate the opportunity to support the community of Kelowna and its surrounding areas. Congratulations, Kelowna General Hospital," Pattison said in a record message.
In collaboration with Interior Health, the foundation will build the new centre which will be the first of its kind with regards to the focus on rural, remote, Indigenous and community healthcare, the foundation said.
“Today is a truly historic day for the future of health care in the communities we passionately serve across BC’s Interior,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, in the release. “This gift represents a transformational step forward in reimagining front-line patient care in Indigenous, rural and remote communities through innovation based on research done right here at home.”
The centre will focus on addressing healthcare challenges that communities in the BC Interior face through innovative, research-based solutions. This innovation will do so by working as a virtual network connecting innovators, clinical teams, researchers, patients and families, students, partners and investors to collaborate on new innovative healthcare solutions for all the communities of the Interior.
“This generous donation marks the culmination of years of work, planning and consultation alongside our partners. It is the beginning of an exciting new chapter and a bold step forward into the future,” said Susan Brown, Interior Health president and CEO in the release. “In order to continue to innovate, re-think, and re-design care delivery to provide patients with the highest quality and most effective care possible, we need research that is planned, curated and delivered right here, in our own backyard. That is the vision of the Centre for Health System Learning & Innovation.”
The centre will aim at bringing innovations to healthcare in order to make it more accessible to all communities. This goes in line with the Interior Health Research Network that was started by seven people in 2014. The network now has 2,245 members and is expected to grow with the establishment of the Centre.
“The Centre will focus on health systems transformation, aiming at unique targets,” said Dr. Deanne Taylor, corporate director of research at Interior Health. “This includes advancing equity, accessibility, and the sustainability of healthcare, and enabling physicians, clinicians and community care providers with resources to not only provide world-class care but to explore what an optimal system could look like.”
The Jim Pattison Foundation was created by the BC business leader and healthcare philanthropist. This donation is the first of this size received by a BC Interior hospital as well as the first to target innovation.
“While we have seen the shift in urban centres, such as Vancouver and Toronto, we are thrilled to have received such a significant gift specifically aimed at innovation in regional healthcare," said Allison Young, CEO of the KGH Foundation in the release. “In recognizing the importance of this type of investment, the Pattison Foundation demonstrates invaluable leadership.”
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