Duane Hicks
The Riverside Foundation for Health Care will be looking for a new director in the new year.
Former director Samantha Manty has accepted a new position with the Northwestern Health Unit here in Fort Frances, Foundation board chair Bill Gushulak noted.
“Samantha had been employed with the Foundation for the past three years, and during that time helped maintain and improve its success in a variety of areas,” he remarked.
“Sam’s energy to complete all the various projects, and her concern for detailed record-keeping, was appreciated and will be missed,” Gushulak added.
A search has begun to fill the vacancy, he said, with a new full-time director expected to be hired by the end of February.
Having a director is crucial to the ongoing success of the Foundation, which raises funds for Riverside Health Care to purchase medical equipment, support patient/client services, and improve district health-care facilities, including La Verendrye Hospital and Rainycrest Long-term Care here in Fort Frances, as well as the health centres in Emo and Rainy River.
The Foundation director provides the public with “a face that they can identify with,” Gushulak said.
“They should feel free to ask them any questions that they have regarding contributions they wish to make to the foundation, and to explain what the Foundation stands for,” he explained.
“It somebody they can build a trust with,” he added.
“That’s the advantage of having somebody on board all of the time; so the public can deal with one individual.”
Gushulak noted the Foundation has its own board of directors, who are volunteers drawn from across the district, and they always are working for the betterment of health care in the district.
But having a designated employee who is in an office on a day-to-day basis is absolutely necessary.
“We need to have somebody in place who can follow up on different ideas and things that the board will come up with and work together with the board to accomplish our wishes,” Gushulak remarked.
“If you don’t have somebody in place, it’s quite a stress on the volunteers to step up,” he conceded.
“We’re willing to do it but in the long-term, obviously we need to have somebody in place.”
Until a new Foundation director is hired, all Foundation-related enquiries can be directed through www.riversidefoundation.ca
You also can contact Gushulak at 274-3891 or 275-9252, or via e-mail to wegushulak@gmail.com
“The Foundation appreciates everyone’s patience and understanding during this employment change,” Gushulak said.
