Incredible philanthropy helping North York General in the coronavirus fight
I wanted to share the power of a positive story that reflects on the incredible people associated with North York General Hospital’s work around COVID-19 planning. I am referring to The Globe and Mail coverage that sparked a call to me from one of our Foundation Governors minutes after the story was live.
He noted the Globe article indicated the hospital had spent $40,000 to modify the ventilation systems and convert 36 patient rooms in the Steinberg Family Acute Care Unit to negative pressure rooms for any future COVID-19 patients. He couldn’t make a difference on the front line, but he could make a difference through philanthropy — he wanted to make a donation to offset this cost. He thought of another Governor vacationing in Cape Town, South Africa, who took the time to write how proud he was of our hospital. He wondered if he too would want to help, and together this duo decided to cover the costs of the upgrades on the 8th floor.
The story doesn’t end here. I subsequently learned more of the acute care unit was slated for conversion at the same cost. At a Foundation Board meeting last night, I shared the news of the morning donation and the plans to retrofit the remaining patient rooms. Within the hour of the meeting concluding, another Governor and her family offered to fund the remaining ventilation modifications. As the family said, “Let’s stay ahead. We are pleased to assist.”
Our hospital staff, physicians and clinical leaders are working around the clock to keep our community and each other safe and healthy. Gratitude, in any form, is a tribute to their efforts and a signal of how much support we have from this community.
If you’d like to help support North York General Hospital as we strive to stay ahead of this global issue, click on the link below. We are making a world of difference, close to home.
With warm regards,
Terry Pursell
President & CEO
North York General Foundation
