ROTARY MOMENT
PDG Ted Morrison outlined a campaign the District is having to honour and pay thanks to PDG Bill Patchett . Bill raised our level of giving to the Rotary Foundation and to polio eradication. He was responsible for raising our District to the number 1 District in Canada and in the top three in Canada for giving to the Foundation_ This gives our District more funds with which we can give clubs as GRANTS to do projects
In this campaign, Rotarians are asked to give what they normally give to The Rotary Foundation (the Annual Programs Fund, The Polio Fund, and the Endowment or Permanent Fund) and then” GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR BILL” .Also this is the year that you may wish to become a major donor, or an Arch Klumph Society member, or perhaps a Paul Harris Society member. Clubs are asked to consider giving a donation from their club Foundation and to consider having an even where the proceeds go to the The Rotary Foundation. Bill Patchett deserves this tribute we should all get behind this campaign.
GUEST SPEAKERS
Name of Speaker: Matt Anderson, CEO of Lakeridge Health
Matt Anderson gave an overview of Lakeridge Health and its five hospitals in Oshawa, Bowmanville, Port Perry, Whitby and Ajax/Pickering, plus the 13 mental health clinics which are the finest in the world. These five hospitals get about 205,000 visits to the ER per year, with 100,000 at OGH alone, making it a very busy hospital.
Durham is a fast growing community and the population is shifting from young to old so there is lots to do to help accommodate this shift in population. People are not only living longer but the hospital is seeing more chronic illness.
Hallway healthcare is a focus for Lakeridge as it has about a 111 per cent occupancy rate and people are stuck in ER which drives wait times for patients. He says most patients don’t need to be at hospital so more effort will be focused on developing community care programs and social services.
Anderson says Lakeridge is trying to expand its mental health care programs as mental health is the #1 growing disease today. In terms of expansion, Bowmanville will double its size and a new general hospital will be added in an area along the Hwy. 407 corridor (potentially in Whitby).
He added that Oshawa has one of the best cancer systems in the province and he’s proud of that.
Name of Speaker: Yves Gadler, CEO of Lakeridge Health Foundation
Yves Gadler spoke of his position within Lakeridge, which is to provide financial support to the hospital for projects and equipment. He says the province doesn’t provide money for extra items in the budget so fundraising from the private sector is a big priority.
Currently, there are a number of areas of focus for the foundation, including making the cancer treatment center the top cancer care center with in-patient care the best in Ontario; diagnostic imaging; surgery; palliative care; research and education; and innovation.
The foundation is now raising money to purchase Smart Pumps which regulate IV’s. They are $5,000 each and the Lakeridge Health Foundation has committed to raise $1 million through private donations in order to equip all the hospitals.
IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT, MAKE UP : Go online at www.rotary.org go to the club locator and find a club or clubs near your destination. Or you can add the free App Rotary Club Locator to your phone for instant look up of any club in the world. Please mail or fax your make-ups to Secretary Robbie Larocque, or give your make-up card to the attendance/registration officer at the next club meeting.