Current Affairs

 

 

2023 Board of Directors

From left to right…Paul Edwards – President, Linda Rankine – Treasurer, Kellie Chadwick – Vice-President, Kathleen Hepburn – Director, Helen Fowler- Director, Hiram Beaubier – Secretary, Pauline Havelock – Director, Shane Tallio – Director, Bill Cleary – Director

 

Update on Foundation Activities

February 16, 2024

We are still emerging from the damage done by the pandemic.  Relationships with our stakeholders are still being re-established and health care staff turnover and shortages remain.  The need for health care workers is growing and the Foundation’s funding of several human health education awards will help to address this serious issue.

The Board approved the 2024 budget in December and $60,000 has been allocated to needs at the Chemainus Health Care Centre.  Among the items funded is a much needed replacement ECG machine for Urgent Care at a cost of $21,000.  Funding has again been allocated to Residential Care (including the Palliative Care Suite) and to the Adult Day Program.  The Foundation has also provided support to the Cowichan Hospice ($5000).  Finally, the Cowichan Family Caregivers Support Society, who provides a variety of supports for a growing number of family caregivers of all ages, has been granted $6500.

The Foundation currently has a nine-member volunteer Board of Directors and some current members have graciously given advance notice that they will not be seeking another term.  This means that there will be Board positions needing to be filled during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) that will be held in May.  If you, or perhaps someone you know, would like more information on what it takes to be a Board member please contact me or any Board member.  Everyone will be sent AGM details and we hope you will attend!

Finally, we heard that potential donors wanted some flexibility on how they make a  donation.  So, now in addition to cheques, donations can now be made by e-transfer or by credit card.  You can find all the details on our website at: http://chemainushealthcarefoundation.ca/donation-information/ .

Finally, thank you for your interest and support for health care in Chemainus and area!

Sincerely,

Paul Edwards, President

 

 

 

 

Foundation Goes Bananas at the Giant Street Market

In July, the Foundation participated in the Giant Street Market in Chemainus and asked people for their “Healthy Habit” and provided bananas as a healthy snack.

Foundation Board members, Pauline, Helen, Shane, Kellie, Hiram and Kathleen seeking “Healthy Habits” at the Giant Street Market.  The “Healthy Habits” that we received were then posted in the Foundation’s showcase at the entrance to Chemainus Long Term Care.

 

Donation from Chemainus Legion, Branch 191

In June 2023, the Legion donated funds to the Foundation that were used to purchase slings for the Long Term Care Centre at the Chemainus Health Care Centre.  Slings are used to move residents making moves safer for both residents and health care providers.  The Foundation thanks all members of the Chemainus Legion for their support of health care in our community.

Janet Mitchell, Legion Treasurer, makes the donation announcement with Foundation President, Paul Edwards and Vice-President Kellie Chadwick at the Legion’s June meeting.

 

 

Fundraising with the Rotary Club of Chemainus

In May 2023, the Foundation’s Board of Directors volunteered to raise funds with Rotary’s support at the Rotary Bottle Drop.  In addition to accepting donations of refundables, Foundation information was conveyed to customers.   In addition to increased awareness of the Foundation, $1117 was raised for the Foundation.

                                 Thank you to the Rotary Club of Chemainus for your huge support!

Left to Right: Helen, Shannon, Shari, Joanne, Kathy, Paul, Kellie & Derek at the Rotary Bottle Depot.  Helen and Kellie are Foundation Directors and everyone else is a Rotary volunteer – thanks for the outstanding support Rotary!             

                

                   

Board Report to the Annual General Meeting – May 15, 2023 

Welcome to the Annual General Meeting of the Chemainus Health Care Foundation on our 35th Anniversary!

This report covers activities from June, 2022 to May, 2023 and the financial information provided is based on the fiscal period January 1st, 2022 to December 31st, 2022.

Right away you may notice that the format of this report is like last year’s report.  This is because I’m following the template that Kathleen Hepburn, our previous President, created.  She is always so thorough and thoughtful and there is no reason for me to try to reinvent the great work she has done – more about Kathleen a bit later.

So much help – so many to thank!

Again, this year we have many people and groups to thank including:

  • Donors, who by their contributions to the Foundation, continue to support health services in our community.
  • All health care related staff throughout our communities who have met the challenges of the pandemic and continue to care for us where and when we need it.
  • The Members of the Foundation who provide their thoughts and keep a watch over the Board. We need to continue to hear from you!
  • Thank you to all the Board members who continue to volunteer their time, expertise, and speak with passion about the issues that come before us.   As we’ve been able to return to in-person meetings the opportunity to express our individual thoughts has been amplified. I’ve observed strong listening and respect being shared which makes us able to consider a variety of ideas and then come together to stand behind the one chosen.  Also, it needs to be mentioned that the work taken on by committees has increased and all hands have been needed.
  • Kathleen and Hiram, both former Foundation Presidents, the Board has leaned on you for your depth of knowledge and sage advice. The Foundation benefits from your supportive succession planning!
  • Also, thank you to Linda, our Treasurer, who has been on a mission to bring us all up to speed on the financial management of the Foundation that she oversees with precision.
  • The Chemainus Health Care Auxiliary continues to be a supportive partner in supporting the health care needs of the community. The Foundation also appreciates the cooperative spirit of the Auxiliary when we meet to discuss the spending allocation of the annual CHCC Wish List.
  • Thank you to the Steeples Housing Society for the meeting and storage space provided to us at no cost.
  • Don Bodger of the Chemainus Valley Courier has been supportive of our activities and has published articles relating to health care issues in the community.
  • A special thank you this year goes to Annette Kyndt who has completed her work as the Facility Manager at the CHCC. Annette is a long-time friend of the Foundation.  She has spoken clearly about the needs of the CHCC and facilitated the connection of the Foundation to those needs.  We thank you!

Donations

In 2022 the Foundation received $16,290 in donations up from 9,759.00 in 2021.  The Foundation did not actively pursue donations in 2022 except for the “Ice Cream Cone for Health Care Workers” project.

The Foundation can now accept on-line donations via the Canada Help website at canadahelps.org .  This provider does charge a fee for their service, yet the Board feels that the ease of use and security provided make using the service the right choice for us.

 

Investment Income

 In 2022, the Foundation earned investment income of $31,388 up from $16,581 in 2021.  Implementation of the investment strategy developed in 2021 and higher interest rates resulted in this increase.

 

 2023 Expenditures and Commitments for Community Needs

Total funding budgeted for 2023 is $71,000 compared to $31,000 spent in each of the previous 3 years.  The easing of the pandemic and strong increases in revenue from both donations and investments has allowed the Board to support this increased level of spending.

 

Chemainus Health Care Centre

The Foundation has approved $45,000 in funding for CHCC needs in Urgent Care, Lab, X-Ray, Adult Day Program and Residential Care.  Some of the items being funded include:

  • 2 Mitra reclining chairs that provide comfort for patients receiving IV fluids or meds – Urgent Care
  • Musical entertainment – Adult Day Program
  • Suction Equipment to remedy choking incidents – Residential Care
  • Broda chairs for the comfort of palliative and frail residents – Residential Care
  • Internet connectivity to provide residents with streaming entertainment and to connect virtually with family and friends – Residential Care

Cowichan Hospice

This year $5000 was provided to Cowichan Hospice to be used for volunteer training and for para-medical services required by residents and their families that are not covered by the BC Medical Services Plan.

 

Cowichan Family Caregivers Support Society (CFCSS)

The Board had the Executive Director of the CFCSS present to share the state of their operations.  We learned that the need for caregiver support is growing quickly with waiting lists now in place.  Additionally, we learned that 27% of the services offered by the society are delivered in the Foundation’s communities.  The Foundation has provided $6500 in funding this year.

 

Health Care Education

The Foundation continues to provide support for current and future providers of human health care.  In 2022, although $7300 was budgeted only $2300 was claimed.  The primary reasons for this were the small size of the graduating class at CSS and the general reluctance of graduating students to pursue health care education.  The Education Committee has been examining the issue, meeting with educators and bringing forward their ideas to the Board.

 

Community Activities

The easing of the pandemic allowed the Foundation to begin reconnecting to the community.  Our activities during this past year included:
In June, three Board members attended the All-Foundations Meeting with Island Health. In addition to hearing from Island Health we benefitted from hearing what other foundations were doing in their communities.

  • We had a booth at the Giant Street Market in July where we distributed our brochure, collected “Thank You Notes” and donations to purchase ice cream cones for our health care workers. The “Thank You Notes” were displayed at the CHCC and ice cream cone vouchers were given to all CHCC staff, Steeples staff, community pharmacists, medical clinic staff and paramedics.
  • Kellie Chadwick attended the Remembrance Day ceremony at the cenotaph and laid a wreath on our behalf. We support the Legion’s wreath program at a cost of $75 annually.
  • The Foundation made a presentation to the Chemainus Rotary Club in April and further discussions regarding larger health care projects are possible.
  • The Foundation continues to be a member of the Chemainus Chamber of Commerce for a cost of $136 annually. A strong business community is important should the need for a large fundraising campaign arise and membership provides us with the opportunity to build relationships with Chamber members now.
  • The Foundation display case at the entrance to Residential Care at the CHCC has been changed regularly and with the intention to provide a visually appealing message (Christmas, Spring etc.).
  • Ads are periodically placed in the paper for seasonal events such as Remembrance Day, Christmas and promoting the mature student education award.

Administration

The Board works to minimize costs to impact on donations received and investment income earned.  The Foundation does not have any paid staff and each Board Member volunteers their time.   The Steeples Housing Society continues to donate space at no cost for our meetings and filing storage needs.  The costs that we do incur are up 3.7% this year largely because of a 55% ($840) increase in the cost of Commercial Liability and Director’s Insurance.

The revision to the bylaws and financial management strategy presented at the last AGM continue to serve us well and no changes to either are required.

This year there are no Board vacancies to fill.  This is unusual as we have traditionally have terms staggered to ensure that there was continuity on the Board.  This situation was caused by the pandemic preventing us from holding an AGM in the spring of 2020.  The Board will be deciding how to re-establish a staggered Board in the coming year in a manner consistent with our by-laws.

 

Looking Forward 

We will continue to have close ties with management at CHCC in ongoing assessments of the equipment, programs and training we can provide support.  The CHCC remains the Foundation’s priority focus as we must support and preserve the health care service we have located in the community.

Recently, we have been able to re-enter the CHCC and have observed its condition.  There is reason for concern as Island Health funded renovations have not occurred as planned and there are opportunities to make the environment better for all people in the building.  We will be pursuing this with Island Health and explaining that we would be interested in partnering with them on the right project.

As reported last year, it is key that the Foundation make connections with a variety of community groups who are also interested in the state of health care in our community.  The Foundation can play a key role in putting a light on some of the health care needs that exist and facilitate partnerships with other organizations and the broader community in support of health care.

Our Health, Our Community will be conducting a health and wellness survey in Cowichan over the next few months and the survey results may help us to identify where else Foundation funding might be needed.  We need to challenge ourselves to think about other groups of people in our community whose health care needs could be better supported by the Foundation.

The Foundation will be examining how we support the new Cowichan District Hospital (projected opening in 2027).  The new hospital will be a great addition to the health care service available for our residents.  Providing funding to support the new hospital will be weighed against the opportunity to provide greater support for existing health care services located within our specific geographic community.

Finally, it must be stated that our health-care system is being stressed beyond its capacity to provide the level of health care services that we’ve known in the past.  This situation has many causes and is not unique to our community.  It is also important to state that the Foundation’s primary role is to use our resources to support the health-care system that is in place as best as we can as determined by our donors, our members and for them by the Board of Directors.

Thank you for your support of the Chemainus Health Care Foundation.

Are there any questions or comments?

Paul Edwards, President, Chemainus Health Care Foundation

 

Helen Fowler, Board member, updates the showcase at the entrance to Long-Term Care at the Chemainus Health Care Centre

 

BOARD REPORT to the AGM of the CHEMAINUS HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION

May 25, 2022

Welcome to our AGM covering the period June, 2021 to May, 2022.   This year it is wonderful to be able to offer the choice of attending this meeting in person, by Zoom, or telephone connection.   It really has widened our ability to complete our obligation to report to you, the membership.  Thank you for your assistance and understanding in achieving that goal.  The Board has continued conducting business with Zoom meetings throughout the year and our first in-person meeting was held recently in April.  There were nine (9) meetings held in 2021/2022 covering the period after the last AGM to the current AGM.

I like to start the proceedings with our Thank you, recognition and sincere appreciation of various people and organizations over this past year.

  • Thank you firstly to our generous donors who by their contributions to the Foundation, continue to support health services in our communities
  • Thank you to all health service providers throughout our communities and throughout this pandemic!
  • Thank you to all who have continued to provide necessary services and have worked hard to keep themselves and others safe
  • Thank you to all the Board members who continue to volunteer their time, expertise and heart to the Foundation efforts.   Special thanks this year goes to Linda Rankine, as Treasurer, ensuring the Foundation is on a solid financial trajectory.
  • Thank you to the CHCC management and staff for their tireless dedication to the care and safety of the residents and the public
  • Thank you to the Chemainus Health Care Auxiliary who make working together enjoyable in achieving more for this community
  • Thank you to the Steeples Housing Society supporting our meetings and governance by providing space to use at no cost
  • Thank you to Mr. Don Bodger of our local newspaper for continuing to report on our activities and successes  (eg, Mature Student Award)
  • Thank you to Mr.’s Roan and Mark McMillan for overseeing our website and to Mr. Paul Edwards for taking over that role this past year
  • Thank you to a long time member of our Board who is not standing for another three year term , Mr. John Marriott.   John was a significant part of the Foundation from the beginning, serving as President for several years.  He left the Board for a time and returned in 2013, serving as Vice-President for five years.   As a working Director, his expertise and experience enhanced our ability to complete two significant projects, the enlargement of the Adult Day Program space at CHCC and the construction of a specialty built bus for that ADP program.  We appreciated his insights and ongoing commitment to this community.  In recognition and respect for his service I have a token to present to him at this time.  (do presentation)

Again, Thank You.

Donations:

In 2021, the Foundation received $9,759.00.   This is less than the commitments approved for this past year.

However, the Foundation’s budget strategy has allowed us to continue funding to CHCC, The Steeples, community programs and special projects as follows:

2021 Expenditures and Commitments for Community Needs

For the Chemainus Health Care Centre, we approved monies for the areas of Adult Day Program, Activities and Needs for Residential Care, Residential Care and Physio and Occupational Therapy totalling:  $25,500

  • ADP IPad $480
  • ADP BBQ $500
  • 12 new Mattress covers  $1070
  • 5 cordless Fall Monitoring equipment $1592
  • TV stand – Main Lounge LTC $112
  • BTL-4710 Smart Ultrasound (OT/PT)  $1994
  • Amplifier & 5-speakers system – Main Lounge LTC  $1530
  • LTC Shaw Blue Curve for Activities for 12 months   $1620
  • Activities & Needs   $3000
  • LTC music   $4800
  • ADP music  $2400
  • recliner for Palliation Room $2620**
  • special breakfast cart for LTC  $3782**

The ** items were not able to be purchased this last year due to Covid restrictions or supply issues.

Training:

The Foundation continues to provide support for current and future providers of human health care.  The following three areas are in our budget each year.

For 2021:

  • Chemainus Secondary School.  One Scholarship and three Bursaries at $1500 each were available.  The recipients were Sian Diewart, Melanie Cheng, Jennifer Mahon and Emma Wilson.
  • Mature Student Award went to E. Pilyk
  • Chemainus Health Care Centre Staff .  There was one award to Lorraine Cinkant,  pursuing further education in Food Service and Nutrition.

Community:

  • The Cowichan Family Caregivers Support Society received $5,000 in 2021 and $6,000 in 2022, an increase of $1000.  This organization has supported families in our area for over twenty years.   The Foundation has given some support to them since 2010.
  • A representative from the Foundation attends the Remembrance Day ceremony at the cenotaph.  Support to the Legion’s wreath program is $75 annually.
  • The Foundation continues to be a member of the Chemainus Chamber of Commerce at approximately $121 annually.
  • The Foundation placed two banners of appreciation to ‘All Frontliners’ and ‘all CHCC staff’.   The larger banner was placed at the Henry Road roundabout for several months and then moved to the fencing across from the Chemainus Theatre.   The smaller banner was placed at the entrance to CHCC.
  • we have been fortunate in welcoming five new members to the Foundation, two of whom stepped forward this past year to participate on the Board

Administration:

The Board works to minimize costs and its impact on donations received.  The Foundation does not have any paid staff and each Board Member volunteers their time.   The Steeples continues to donate space at no cost for our meetings and filing storage needs.

The costs that we do incur are consistently in line with previous years and have shown a trend of approximately 1-2% increase or decrease year to year over the past five years.

As reported at last year’s AGM, we have continued to ensure proper governance by completing a full review and rewrite of the Bylaws, which will be presented for full membership approval at this AGM under item 11.0 of tonight’s Agenda.

There has been considerable work done by our Treasurer and approved by the Board, to ensure a stable and realistic financial basis for the continued work of the Foundation.   During this work, it was revealed that the membership needs to vote on a proposed change to how a portion of the funds are to be saved and used.    This will be addressed in item 8.0 of tonight’s Agenda.

At last year’s AGM we reported that the Foundation was exploring options for managing donated funds in a way that respects the wishes and expectations of donors, preserves or increases value, while remaining in control of those funds and following set principles to protect those funds.

It is reported that going forward, there is a clear plan of safe investments spread over the next 1-5 years and managed by the Board,  that will ensure the continuation of the Foundation and it’s mission.

Looking forward:

We will continue to have close ties with management at CHCC in ongoing assessments of what equipment, programs and training we can provide monetary support for.  This will remain the Foundation’s priority focus to provide health and safety and enjoyment of all residents and staff and public at CHCC.  It is important to support the communities to preserve and improve the facilities it has.

The past couple of years during the COVID pandemic have shown the importance of working together and the Foundation will expand relationships with community groups and organizations to promote better health care.  We can see possible areas of cooperation that would benefit people living in our communities and these will be explored further.  This will be done within the context of our Mission Statement:  To support excellence in health care for the residents of Chemainus and area.

The Foundation will look to the building and completion of the new Cowichan District Hospital with great anticipation and support.  This may take the form of specific equipment or program support.

This concludes the President’s report for the 2021 financial year.   Thank you.

Kathleen Hepburn, President, CHCF