At $14.5 million, the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation’s campaign now underway to raise the money for a neonatal intensive care unit at Terrace’s new Mills Memorial Hospital under construction is the largest of its kind ever to take place in northwest B.C.
Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation Co-Chair Chris Mallett admits there was a heart-stopping moment when the foundation was first asked to take on the task.
“How were the eight of us going to raise the $14.5 million?” Mallett recalls of discussions among the foundation’s board members. “But, you know, we just had to.”
A neonatal intensive care unit, which will provide an advanced level of before and after birth care not possible now in the region, was not included in the design, cost or financing formula for the new hospital.
Construction was underway when Northern Health, based on revised neonatal service guidelines, decided it wanted to add the unit.
But with a $622.6 million budget made up of more than $500 million from the province and a firm cap of $113.7 million to come from northwest taxpayers already in place, Northern Health reached out to the foundation.
There was also a clock ticking when construction contractor PCL Construction told Northern Health the window of when the infrastructure for a neonatal intensive care unit could be added without affecting a quote it provided.
What helped convince the board, Mallett said, was the support of both Northern Health and the North West Regional Hospital District, the entity which taxes northwestern residents to help finance major health care projects.
“They were very confident the foundation could do this,” he said.
One benefit is an agreement with Northern Health so that any donations made in return for having rooms or wings or services of the new hospital named after the donator will go directly to the neonatal project.
That kind of arrangement is called “naming rights” or “naming privileges” and having the money go to the neonatal project has significant potential, said Mallett.
An arrangement with the hospital district to act as a financial backstop for the foundation as it raises money is also playing a key role.
“We heard their presentation and agreed to be their partner,” said North West Regional Hospital District Chair Barry Pages of the arrangement in which the hospital district will contribute financing as needed.
Undertaking the campaign does not mean the foundation will suspend its normal practice of raising money for equipment or services at the hospital or at Terraceview Lodge.
Instead, the foundation has created a 19-member group of regional representatives, including a few foundation board members, to focus in on the neonatal campaign.
And it has hired Global Philanthropic, a company specializing in raising money for charitable and other purposes, to provide its experience and expertise.
It will be responsible for designing and managing the overall campaign.
“We’re a working board,” said Mallet of the foundation’s directors in explaining the regional group and the hiring of Global Philanthropic.
“We all have jobs of our own. Raising $14.5 million by ourselves would be a big jump.”
The campaign has already taken a huge step forward when, at its official launch on June 3 at Kitsumkalum, an Australian-based major gold and copper mining company, Newcrest Mining, announced a $2 million donation.
The company has two northwestern mines, Brucejack and Red Chris.
“They were the first to jump at the opportunity,” said Mallett of Newcrest’s donation in noting that the campaign will seek contributions from other regional corporate players.
Statistics provided by the hospital foundation point to the impact an advance neonatal unit will have on the region — in the last four years, 104 women with complicated or pre-term births were transferred from Mills Memorial Hospital to facilities elsewhere for higher care.
The ability to provide advanced care also means mothers and newborns will have the chance to return to the region earlier than might otherwise be posssible.
Adding advanced neonatal service does not mean requiring more beds to the 78 already part of the new hospital plan.
The maternity and gynecology bed count is already to rise to five from the current three and there will be four labour room beds, an increase of one. While raising $14.5 million may sound like a huge goal, Mallett says advanced neonatal care will benefit the entire northwest.
“It’s a huge addition and it will help so many children,” he said.