October 4, 2023
Lynn Gaydosh, Site Manager, Peace River and Grimshaw/Berwyn, strikes a pose with Will Petluk, Board Chair of the Peace River & District Health Foundation. The Foundation is looking for community members to join their Board of Directors. Photo supplied.
Story by Amelia Schofield
PEACE RIVER — Thanks to community generosity, the Peace River & District Health Foundation is making important improvements to service delivery at the Peace River Community Health Centre. Since 2010, the Foundation has successfully raised $1.9 million for healthcare in Peace River. They’re now seeking community members to join the Foundation Board of Directors to support this valuable work.
Board members attend and participate in board meetings, act as ambassadors and advocates for the Foundation in the community, and participate in fundraising efforts.
“One of the most meaningful parts of volunteering with the Foundation is supporting the delivery of healthcare services in our region and helping residents receive the care they need close to home,” says Will Petluk, Board Chair of the Foundation. “We’re really focused on continuing existing programs that are already in place at our facility and enhancing those programs.”
“We are looking for people that care deeply about local healthcare delivery and have a passion for fundraising,” shares Petluk. “Are you a person that believes philanthropy has its place in our local society and are you passionate about making sure philanthropy is tied to the community that you live in? When you volunteer with the Foundation, you can see the impact of your work firsthand at your local hospital and make a real difference in the lives of your family, friends and neighbours.”
Through the foundation’s fundraising efforts, the organization’s impact is far-reaching throughout the departments of the Peace River Community Health Centre.
“Thanks to donations, we’ve been able to fully replace the labour and delivery beds as well as fund perinatal software,” shares Petluk.
“We’ve also made a significant investment in a new cardiac telemetry system for the emergency department and operating room, Spider Flash Event Monitor Equipment for the cardiac program, laparoscopic surgical equipment, a portable ultrasound for the emergency department as well as many other pieces of equipment that have enduring value through the facility.”
Lynn Gaydosh, Site Manager, Peace River and Grimshaw/Berwyn, Alberta Health Services, shares how new equipment like their cardiac telemetry system is boosting patient care.
“With the addition of the telemetry equipment, we can now continuously monitor patients in our trauma and observation rooms from one central location at our nursing station. We’re also able to use this equipment to monitor patients as they are transferred to acute care and throughout their convalescence and rehabilitation.
“Being a part of the foundation gives you an opportunity to improve our quality of service and care here, by providing our local healthcare providers with equipment they feel they need to provide the assessments and care we want to provide as a rural facility,” adds Gaydosh.
“We recognize that we’re not going to have everything the urban hospitals have, nor should we expect to, but this gives the public a say in supporting their local facilities and having the equipment that you feel you need in your community.”
If you’d like to join the board of the Peace River & District Health Foundation or make a donation, call Board Chair Will Petluk at 587-479-2373 or 780-322-2214.
