Duane Hicks
With the Riverside Foundation for Health Care celebrating its 20th year, the local charity is requesting public feedback about how it’s doing and how it can improve moving forward.
An open house was held at the Fort Frances Public Library Technology Centre on Monday, with one to follow tonight from 6-8 p.m. at the Emo Legion and again tomorrow from 6-8 p.m. at the senior centre in Rainy River.
While the open house here Monday only drew a handful of people, it was an opportunity for consultants Jeannette Cawston and Geoff Gillon to explain what the Foundation does and how it works, as well as get input.
First and foremost, the Foundation is a separate entity from Riverside Health Care, Cawston explained.
The Foundation raises funds for Riverside to purchase medical equipment, to support patient/client services, and to 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 has its own board of directors, who are volunteers drawn from across district, and only one paid employee: director Samantha Manty, who runs it on a day-to-day basis.
The Foundation operates completely separate from Riverside Health Care, although the latter provides the Foundation with an office for the director, a part-time financial person, office administration and support, and the use of meeting rooms at no cost, noted Cawston.
A couple of people at Monday’s open house expressed confusion between Foundation and Riverside Health Care, noting their names are very similar.
As well, the Foundation office is located in the administrative wing of Riverside (La Verendrye Hospital).
“It’s a possibility that if Riverside Foundation had an office in the library, as an example, or had their own little building with an office, people may be able to keep it separate in their mind then,” Cawston reasoned.
When it comes to determining how the Foundation’s money will be spent, Riverside provides it with a “wish list” of equipment and training needs each year.
This list, made with input from staff at the various facilities, could include anything from “high-low” beds for Rainycrest to a new tub with chair for the Emo Health Centre to a rapid warmer for the Rainy River Heath Centre.
This list sets priorities for what is needed first and quickly, what can be partially funded, or whether the expenditures require a separate fundraising campaign, such as the digital mammography unit.
These items are paid for through funds raised by the Foundation through events (i.e., gala, luncheons, etc.), donations to the Foundation (general donations and memorials, corporate donations, Christmas appeal, employee contributions, payroll 505/50, etc.), funds raised by the various hospital auxiliaries, and sometimes regional grants, Cawston explained.
Donors can tell the Foundation where they want their donated funds to go, such as a specific facility like Rainycrest.
Funds then can be used to purchase equipment.
If Rainycrest needed a new lift, for instance, the Foundation director would make sure the lift is on Riverside’s approved capital list.
Rainycrest then would work with material management to choose a lift and get a quote. The director would ensure there’s enough money in the specific fund to pay for it.
The director then would bring the request to the Foundation board. If it approves, the director would give the “green light” to material management to order the lift.
Something new this year is that the Foundation is supporting the local doctor recruitment committee.
When a donation comes in to the Foundation that’s specifically for doctor recruitment, the donation will be forwarded to that committee and used to help recruits doctors here.
The donor will receive a tax receipt.
“I think a lot of people may be concerned–is the Foundation going to function any differently with the doctor recruitment having a financial line? It won’t,” noted Cawston.
“[The Foundation] won’t be soliciting donations on behalf of doctor recruitment; it’s going to continue to operate as usual by raising funds for capital projects and equipment and minor renovations to all Riverside facilities,” she added.
At the open houses this week, the Foundation is asking the public to answer four questions before they leave:
•indicate your level of awareness of the Foundation and its activities (poor/fair/very well);
•how well does the Foundation communicate how the funds are spent?
•do you believe the funds have been well spent?; and
•do you believe the Foundation supports the district facilities equally/fairly?
Cawston noted that after the open houses have wrapped up this week, it’s likely she also will be launch an online survey to allow all district residents a chance to weigh in.
For more information on the Foundation, visit riversidefoundation.ca
