KGH Foundation announces massive fundraising effort

The KGH Foundation is launching its largest fundraising campaign in history with a massive, $40 million commitment to advance health care at Kelowna General Hospital and more broadly in the community.

“Today, we stand with patients, families and our partners in health care to launch what will be the future of care in our community,” said Allison Young, CEO of the KGH Foundation. “We all want the same thing. What matters most to all of us is the health care that is being delivered right here, where we live.”

The campaign is significantly different from the foundation’s recent fundraising efforts. Rather than focus solely on the acquisition of equipment or expansion of services in one single area of care, the $40 million includes a novel commitment to innovation funding.

“As part of our commitment to advancing clinical and surgical excellence, we will be raising the funds needed to acquire a 3T MRI machine, one of the gold standards in medical imaging, for KGH,” highlighted Young. “The addition of the 3T MRI will not only impact waitlists but will improve patient care on many levels thanks to its capacity to deliver faster scans, clearer images and more accurate diagnosis.”

A number of physician/clinician colleagues from a variety of medical specialties and community care, have actively participated in the campaign’s advisory cabinet, helping to inform priorities and re-imagine what is possible in delivery of care locally.

“Success is keeping Interior patients close to home for advanced, specialized care. It’s reducing waitlists and enabling access. It’s establishing the conditions that will attract and keep our brilliant physicians and clinicians right here in our community,” Young explained.

“Success is an investment in innovation that will help build the accessible, inclusive, sustainable system of care that we all deserve. The future of health care is closer to home than you think. It starts today.”