The St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation has announced a new campaign that emphasizes the value of healthcare in the community.
There’s No Place Like Home is an initiative that foundation executive director Breanne Van De Woestyne said is an opportunity to celebrate local healthcare.
“It’s a true privilege to be able to access these healthcare services that we are able to … with the help of St. Joseph’s Hospital. That’s not just Estevan, that’s all of southeast Saskatchewan. And so it’s one thing that really just affects everyone,” said Van De Woestyne.
Whether it’s having chemotherapy treatments close to home, the stroke clinic at the hospital or the helipad for the STARS Air Ambulance, or one of the many other services offered at the hospital, it’s something that draws people together.
“I know everyone’s just focusing on home,” said Van De Woestyne. “It’s become a new normal now with COVID-19, and we just thought that right now we want to celebrate that we have a home and we have a home hospital, and we’ve very lucky to have that.”
There’s No Place Like Home is a huge awareness campaign, she said. The hospital foundation has reached out to patients, staff members and donors to get their perspective on why they believe that having a hospital so close to home, with its array of services, is so special.
Those stories will be shared throughout the summer and into the fall as they endeavour to say “thank you.”
“People are willing to share their stories of how they have been affected by local health care and by the hospital, and positive stories that have come with that. We are always getting new and more people calling in and messaging us, sharing their stories and wanting to be a part of it,” she said.
The hospital foundation has also launched a new monthly donors program called Partners In Tomorrow, which is a monthly giving club.
For $8 a month through a credit card payment, the moeny can be directed towards specific pieces of equipment that people will choose.
And the foundation is teaming up with Aero Advertising for a t-shirt campaign that will be launched in the next week.
The hospital has a wish list that the foundation works towards, and last year it was able to fund more than $450,000 in new equipment purchases. She expects this year to be the same.
