The Tom Harris Charity Classic golf tournament raised a record-breaking $1 million, and more than $400,000 is going to the Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation for cardiac care equipment.
In a press release, the Tom Harris Community Foundation noted that the donations were made after attendees viewed a video highlighting the need for new cardiology diagnostic equipment at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. This prompted "rapid individual donations," adding to money that had already been raised via sponsorships and event entries.
Tony Harris, chairperson of the Tom Harris foundation, told the News Bulletin that he found the experience humbling.
"I think it's a reflection of the philanthropic spirit of this region but also a reflection of the recognition of the need, specifically around health care," Harris said. "I think there's a lot of people here that understand we need a new patient tower at NRGH, we need a cardiac catheterization lab, we need a full tertiary hospital site and we're just really gearing up to make those demands from the province to get the job done here."
Also sponsored by the Tom Harris Community Foundation is the Fair Care Alliance, a recently formed advocacy group concerned with health care north of the Malahat. Specifically, the group is calling on the province to fund a new patient tower at NRGH and a cardiac cath lab. The community foundation has allocated more than $100,000 toward the group.
The cause is personal to Harris, who is also chairperson of the hospital foundation board.
"We want people to pay attention to the health care needs in this community," Harris said. "It is the election issue for our provincial election this fall for Nanaimo and everybody should sign the petition at the Fair Care Alliance [website] and make sure they let their MLAs know now is the time for Nanaimo to get what it needs in term of a new tertiary hospital."
The Fair Care Alliance's petition can be found online at http://weneedhealthcare.ca/sign-our-petition.
According to the hospital foundation, $400,000 raised at the golf tournament will be used for an echo cardiograph machine and transesophageal echocardiogram probe, costing about $233,000, and various other pieces of health-care equipment.
Hospital foundation CEO Barney Ellis-Perry said the machines will allow the cardiac team to be more efficient and obtain clearer results.
"We're equipping our doctors with newer, better equipment," he said. "It's like giving an athlete better sports equipment. They're happier, they're able to be more effective. We have two cardiologists here, [but] because we don't have a cath lab it's a little tricky to keep our cardiologists here, so that was part of the pressure."
Before the community can get a cath lab, Ellis-Perry said the hospital needs a minimum of six cardiologists to staff it, but attracting cardiologists without a cath lab is a challenge so every piece of cutting-edge equipment helps.
"We're trying to do everything we can to prepare a cardiology program so if we can move fast and get a cath lab we will have the proper program."
