Well
Well
june 2 010
INTO THE FUTURE
INTO THE FUTURE
The
Heart
Beat
PM 40065475
Dr. Kevin Mcleod
and his team
deliver leadingedge heart health
and cardiac rehab
services at LGH
VISION FOR THE FUTURE • RESEARCH AT LGH • EQUIPMENT INVESTMENTS
message
from the chair
T
here’s an old saying
that tomorrow belongs to
the people who prepare for
it today. As chair of Lions
Gate Hospital Foundation’s Board
of Directors, I can tell you that our
entire team, together with Vancouver
Coastal Health (VCH), has its sights
firmly fixed on providing top-quality
health care for our community today
and ensuring we meet the health care
needs of the growing community we
will serve in the future.
Since our last report to the community, the Foundation and VCH
completed the development of a master plan for the Lions Gate Hospital
(LGH) campus covering the next 15
to 20 years. This comprehensive plan
will be implemented in phases and
provides for outstanding new facilities
on the current site, including a muchneeded new Centre for Mental Health
and Addictions as a first priority.
To realize a new Centre for Mental
Health and Addictions requires careful planning and extraordinary effort.
A fundraising feasibility study and
other feedback revealed that there was
great support for such a centre. We
established a steering committee to
map out the initial stages of our fundraising strategy in preparation for a
campaign launch in the near future.
2
WellintotheFuture • june 2010
Even as we look to the future, it’s
important to pause and reflect on our
outstanding achievements over the past
year, including the successful completion of our Angiography Campaign in
September 2009, which raised $3.5 million. In 2010, the Foundation was also
able to provide $2 million for the purchase of valuable medical equipment.
This fall we will celebrate another
major milestone – the official opening
of the North Shore’s first free-standing
hospice, designed to deliver comfort
and compassionate care in a home-like
setting to those facing the end of life.
I would like to express the sincere gratitude of the Foundation to
you, our valued supporters, for making a difference in the advancement
of health care at LGH. The ongoing
enhancement of our hospital facilities and services would not be possible
without your contributions. Despite
the economic challenges of the past
year, your generosity prevailed. Thank
you for continuing to support Lions
Gate Hospital Foundation.
Ken Rekrutiak
Board Chair
Lions Gate Hospital Foundation
Well
Well
contents
june 2010
INTO THE FUTURE
INTO THE FUTURE
Magazine of Lions Gate Hospital Foundation
june 2010 • Volume 4 • number 1
Lions Gate Hospital Foundation
Board of Directors 2010-2011
Executive Committee
Ken Rekrutiak, Chair
joanne houssian, Co-Vice Chair
Clark Quintin, Co-Vice Chair
Wendy hansson, Secretary
Paul hamilton, treasurer
Directors At Large
Lorraine Barker
Ron Barré
nancy Burke
Dr. Ken Cunningham
jon Greyell
Ken hanna
Mark hannah
Rick hastings
Barbara inglis
Pierre Lebel
Bob McGill
Maria Morellato
Rolf Paterson
Susan Robertson
President
judy Savage
Honorary Directors
Mary Downie
Don Foster
R. inez harris
George hoar
Yvonne Schmidt
Michael R. Smith
Ross Southam
Grant Spitz
Roy Spooner
Mark Stevens
judy Strongman
Carmen thériault
Peter Walton
Bob Wilds
cover story
9
Chairman, CEO
Peter Legge, LLD (hon)
President
Karen Foss
Ann Collette
Art Director
Scott Laurie
LGHF Liaison
Kristy Gill
Contributing Writers
Yolanda Brooks
helena Bryan
Ann Collette
Contributing
Photography
venturi + karpa
Senior Imaging Technician Debbie Lynn Craig
Electronic Imaging
Bernhard holzmann
Production Manager
Suzy Williamson
Studio Manager
Kristina Borys
Well into the Future is published by Canada Wide Media
Limited for Lions Gate hospital Foundation. no part of this
magazine may be reproduced without written permission
of the publisher. Send change of address notices and
covers of undeliverable copies to: Lions Gate hospital
Foundation, 231 east 15th Street, north Vancouver, BC
V7L 2L7. Publication Sales Agreement #40065475. For
questions or concerns regarding any of the publication’s
content please direct enquiries to 604-984-5785.
Post-consumer Recycled Content 10%
<1 ton trees preserved for the future,
1,663 gallons wastewater flow saved,
276 pounds solid waste not generated,
509 pounds greenhouse gases prevented,
3 million Btus energy not consumed
Cover photography: venturi + karpa
innovative heart disease prevention and rehab programs
are putting lions gate hospital at the forefront of
community-based cardiac care.
by Ann Collette
features
Executive Vice-President heather Parker
Editor
The Heart Beat
Printed on recycled paper
10
Vision for the Future
12
Tools of Good Medicine
lions gate hospital unveils its ambitious plans
for new facilities to meet the health care needs
of a growing community.
by Helena Bryan
lions gate hospital Foundation has invested $2 million in
cutting-edge medical technology and equipment at lgh.
by Ann Collette
departments
2
4
8
13
14
15
Message from the Chair
Health Beat
Leading Edge
Donor Profile
Chairman's Circle
2009-2010 Financial Summary
june 2010 • WellintotheFuture
3
health
beat
A Gift T
To Last
he sTory oF eriC and gWyneTh sMiTh is
Eric and Gwyneth Smith – circa 1948.
a love story – love not only for each other, but
also for their community. it was this caring that
prompted them to make lions gate hospital
Foundation the beneficiary of their estate.
eric met gwyneth while serving with the Canadian
armed Forces in Britain during World War ii. after the
war, he returned to Britain to marry gwyneth and bring
her home to Canada. They settled in West Vancouver in
the 1950s.
over the years the smiths witnessed many changes on the
north shore as well as one constant presence – lions gate
hospital – a place that would play a major role in their lives
by helping them through numerous health challenges.
When it came time for the couple to make plans for
their estate, their thoughts turned naturally to lgh. They
had been generous supporters of lgh Foundation throughout their lifetimes and wanted to ensure that their legacy
would continue to do the same. Their wish would come to
light after gwyneth passed away at lgh in december 2008,
followed by eric just two weeks later.
The size of the smiths’ legacy gift to lgh Foundation
came as a surprise to all who knew them. lgh Foundation worked with the estate’s executors to determine how
the couple’s significant donation would be used and recognized. Part of their gift has already been used to help fulfil a
wish list for hospital equipment, while another portion has
been invested in the eric and gwyneth smith endowment
– the income earmarked for future equipment purchases.
For information on legacy giving, please contact
Joanne Mclellan, director, gift Planning, at 604-904-3553
or joanne.mclellan@vch.ca.
2010 aWard Winners
IN JANUARY, Lions Gate Hospital Foundation recognized the remarkable
contributions of three outstanding local health care professionals at the
3rd Annual North Shore Health Care Awards.
Thirty-two exceptional individuals were nominated by their peers for
awards in three categories: workplace inspiration, leadership and
clinical practice. The Foundation is pleased to recognize this year’s
outstanding award winners:
WORKPLACE INSPIRATION – Dr. Peter Edmunds – General
practitioner in private practice and medical director of the
Palliative Care program at Lions Gate Hospital (LGH).
LEADERSHIP – Carol Hird – Patient services co-ordinator
for the Perinatal Unit at LGH.
CLINICAL PRACTICE – Dr. Paul Sabiston – Orthopedic
surgeon at LGH for more than 20 years.
4
WellintotheFuture • june 2010
Dr. Peter Edmunds
(left), Carol Hird and
Dr. Paul Sabiston.
celebrating
success IN
THE EMERGENCY
DEPARTMENT
IT WAS A CHANGE that was six years in the making,
but all would say that the wait was well worth it.
A year after the completion of its $22.2-million
renovation, Lions Gate Hospital’s (LGH) Emergency
Department (ED) is more than living up to its promise
of delivering timely and exemplary emergency care
for the community it serves.
design, is allowing staff to use their expertise to its
full potential. LGH has also hired upwards of 30 new
staff over the past few years thanks, in part, to the
improved facilities.
The Emergency Department has undergone a monumental transformation, creating not only a more
efficient, comfortable, comprehensive ED, but also a
superior working environment for staff. The facility,
with its state-of-the-art equipment and updated
The addition of a designated first aid area has expedited discharge times. Before the renovation, 30 per
cent of first aid patients were treated within two
hours; now 75 per cent of patients are treated within
the same time frame.
Children account for almost 30 per cent of ED visits.
Through the creation of private pediatric rooms, staff
has the equipment and the resources needed to support
children and parents and provide more timely care.
Fall opening
for hospice
The norTh shore community’s first
free-standing hospice is slated to open its
doors in fall 2010. The north shore hospice
will deliver compassionate care and comfort
in a home-like setting for patients with
terminal illness who are in the final stages
of life. it will also act as a valuable resource
centre for families, with information on
hospice programs and services. For an
update on the hospice project, please visit
our website at www.lghfoundation.com.
neW looK on the Web
A GREAT WEBSITE is like a beautiful home – it needs to be updated
once in a while to keep it current and looking good. That’s why Lions
Gate Hospital Foundation decided to give its website a makeover.
The newly refreshed site
is easier to navigate, with
punches of colour to add
visual interest. A new “tribute
page” feature allows donors to
create their own fundraising
pages. Supporters can
make contributions online,
and volunteers who are
raising money can track
their progress. We’ve also
introduced interactive features
like video clips and links to our
Facebook fan page.
Please visit us online at www.lghfoundation.com.
Courtesy of LGHF
june 2010 • WellintotheFuture
5
health
beat
Not every urgent case that comes
through the doors of Lions Gate Hospital’s (LGH) Emergency Department
(ED) involves broken bones, chest
pain, respiratory distress or other
obvious medical emergencies. In fact,
many emergencies involve people desperately seeking relief from the often
hidden but equally acute symptoms of
a mental health disorder. It is for this
group of patients that LGH has created its new Rapid Access Psychiatric
Services (RAPS) Clinic, which features
two mental health clinical areas – one
in the ED and the other an outpatient
area accessed from 13th Street.
The RAPS Clinic, located in a wing
in the original hospital, was established
to fast-track both psychiatric assessment and appropriate mental health
services for North Shore residents. The
clinic offers the services of three psychiatrists, together with a dedicated
team of psychiatric nurses and additional support staff, and is open from
7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week. This
special area serves referrals from the
ED as well as those referred by family
doctors or community agencies.
The creation of this new urgent-care
6
Big
Blooming
Success
RAPS
FastTracks
Mental
Health
Care
clinic, which opened in spring 2009,
marks another major advance in the
provision of timely mental health
services for the community says
Monica McAlduff, manager of Acute
Psychiatric Services: “By having a
dedicated team of nurses and psychiatrists, the RAPS Clinic ensures clients
receive optimal and less-restrictive
outpatient care.”
“Another goal of the clinic is to help
relieve pressure on the Emergency
Department and to help streamline
referrals to community agencies,”
adds Dr. Allan Burgmann, a psychiatrist with the RAPS program. “It’s a
great asset to the North Shore.”
The other area of the RAPS program
is located within the newly renovated
ED. This area has private psychiatric assessment space and deals with
patients seeking emergency mental
health treatment. The RAPS team,
which serves both areas, works to
ensure that those in need of "emergency care" are served in the ED, while
those seeking "urgent care" are seen
in the clinic. This ensures that clients
have easy access to the right care for
their needs.
WellintotheFuture • june 2010
Everything came up tulips
at Lions Gate Hospital this
spring – and in more ways
than one.
Lions Gate Hospital
Foundation recently
completed another successful
fundraising campaign, raising
more than $2 million for the
purchase of urgently needed
hospital equipment, including
ventilators, infant warming
centres, critical care beds, a
defibrillator and much more.
Further, thanks to a generous
donation from Garden Works,
more than 3,500 tulip bulbs
were planted as a unique way
of honouring every donor to
the campaign.
Several community
members, including John
Zaplatynsky, president
of Garden Works,
representatives of the
Kiwanis Club of Capilano and
students from Upper Lynn
School, were on site to help
plant the bulbs.
iStock ; Courtesy of LGHF
angiography
suite opens
The new Angiography Suite officially opened on April 24, 2010.
lions gaTe hosPiTal FoundaTion, with the support
of more than 4,200 donors from throughout the community,
raised an astounding $3.5 million to renovate and re-equip
lions gate hospital's (lgh) aging angiography facility.
More than 1,900 procedures are performed in the lgh
angiography suite each year. Facility upgrades include
new high-resolution imaging equipment for the medical
team as well as physical improvements to the space that
will increase the number of patients who can be seen, plus
provide greater privacy for patients undergoing procedures
and a more comfortable recovery area.
Thanks to our donors, patients will now receive the best
possible care in the most technologically advanced angiography suite in B.C.
10 TIPS
new Clinic
for Maternity Moms
lasT suMMer’s oPening of the new lions gate Maternity Clinic
(lgMC) at lions gate hospital (lgh) has transformed maternity
care for many on the north shore. The clinic’s convenient location
within lgh on the third floor next to labour and delivery and
Pediatrics, its staff of five doctors working on rotating shifts (and
supported by lgh doctors) and the large, child-friendly waiting
room have made it a big hit with new and expectant moms.
The lgMC, made possible
through a generous donation
from The djavad Mowafaghian
Foundation, offers prenatal,
postnatal and newborn care.
Dr. Alison Clarke
(left) and Djavad
Mowafaghian (right)
with a new family.
FoR A
HEALTHIER
HEART
1. Stop smoking. Smoking is the
leading cause of heart disease.
2. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
every day. Aim for seven servings
of mostly vegetables.
3. Limit your intake of salt
to 2300 mg (1 tsp.) per day,
including processed foods.
4. Eat fatty fish (e.g., salmon)
twice a week.
5. Avoid eating saturated fats
(e.g., butter, animal fat).
6. Increase your daily fibre intake.
7. Exercise 30 to 60 minutes
most days of the week.
8. Know and control
your blood pressure.
9. Maintain a healthy body weight.
10. Manage and control your
blood sugars if you are diagnosed
with diabetes. 
june 2010 • WellintotheFuture
7
leading
edge
by Yolanda Brooks
Quest For KnoWledge
Clinical research at Lions Gate hospital is supporting
advancements in pain management and medical imaging.
h
osPiTals are for healing,
but they are also important
places of discovery. That’s
why lions gate hospital
Foundation, for the first time in its history, is raising funds to support research
that could improve patient care.
neW dimension in imaging
dr. Philip Cohen, division head of
nuclear Medicine at lgh, is the first
recipient of a research grant from lgh
Foundation. he is using 3-d imaging techniques to improve diagnosis
of bone disease and injury in collaboration with the Medical imaging
research group at uBC.
“There are certain patients where the
abnormalities are almost invisible on the
Dr. Philip
Cohen
2-d scan, yet they’re unbelievably bright,
visible and easy to detect in 3-d,” explains
dr. Cohen. “We are going from 2-d to
3-d. you really can see the difference.”
By using lgh’s existing gamma
cameras, together with software that
enhances the images, the imaging
department can produce good-quality 3-d images of the skeleton using a
technique called single Photon emission Computed Tomography (sPeCT).
8
Bone scans can also be done using
a PeT (Positron emission Tomography)
scanner, but access and costs are an
issue says dr. Cohen: “There are five or
six PeT scanners in Western Canada.
Meanwhile, every other hospital has
three or four gamma cameras and could
be doing 3-d scanning routinely.”
dr. Cohen is comparing the images
produced by the two techniques.
although the PeT scan produces
slightly superior images, dr. Cohen
believes that the 3-d images produced
by sPeCT are just as effective for use in
the diagnosis of hard-to-spot cancers,
infections and fractures.
The results of dr. Cohen’s research
will be of interest to hospitals looking
to improve access while maximizing
existing resources: “We are one of the
few places in the world that is doing
this [research] and we are very grateful
to lgh Foundation for funding us.”
procedures Without pain
lions gate hospital’s (lgh) emergency department may seem like a
strange place to carry out methodical
medical research, but it is the best place
to try and solve a problem facing emergency room doctors everywhere – the
lack of fast-acting, problem-free sedatives and analgesics (pain relief drugs).
emergency patients often require
analgesics and sedatives to allow doctors to perform painful but necessary
medical procedures. however, there is
no perfect drug for the job.
The commonly used sedative
propofol is fast acting, but it can lower
blood pressure, inhibit breathing and
does not relieve pain. The anesthetic
ketamine on the other hand, stimulates respiration and tends to increase
heart rate and blood pressure.
dr. gary andolfatto, an emergency physician at lgh and a lead
WellintotheFuture • june 2010
contributor to the development of the
emergency department Procedural
sedation guidelines for Vancouver
Coastal health, is studying the effects
of ketofol – a mixture of the two drugs
– for sedation and pain management,
termed Procedural sedation and
analgesia (Psa).
he believes the drug combination
can provide a safer and more comfortable experience for patients being
Dr. Gary Andolfatto
treated in the emergency department. however, dr. andolfatto knows
that he needs more than a professional
hunch to influence future procedure:
“We need randomized trials and that
can be a gargantuan amount of work.”
dr. andolfatto’s study on Psa
impressed Vancouver Coastal health
research institute and lgh Foundation,
which provided the required funding:
“The grant allows me to put together a
research team to set about answering
our questions in the best way possible.”
With these two research grants, lgh
Foundation has ensured that senior
physicians at lgh have the resources
and support they need to improve practice and share their discoveries with the
wider medical community. 
venturi + karpa
the
Heartbeat
Visionary leadership and innovative prevention
and rehab programs have put Lions Gate Hospital
at the forefront of cardiac care.
by Ann Collette
G
ood health begins with a strong, healthy
heart. The size of two hands clasped together,
a heart beats about 100,000 times a day, pumping 5.6 litres of blood through the body every
three minutes. Unfortunately, the health of the heart is
too often neglected, which can lead to early heart disease.
Known risk factors like smoking, high blood pressure, high
cholesterol levels, obesity, diabetes and stress can strain and
even damage the heart, potentially leading to an irregular
heartbeat, angina, heart attack and even death. It’s a major
community health concern, which is why Lions Gate Hospital (LGH) has chosen to become a province-wide leader in
heart disease prevention and cardiac rehab programs.
Leading the charge
Dr. Kevin Mcleod, an internal medicine specialist at LGH,
understands the critical importance of early intervention to
the prevention of heart disease. He is the medical director of
LGH’s Cardiac Rehab and Cardio-metabolic Program – a role
that’s allowed him to directly influence the heart health of
North Shore residents by helping them identify and manage
their individual risk factors.
LGH’s heart health services, which now include the
Cardiac Home Follow-up Program, have grown exponentially under Dr. Mcleod’s leadership (he joined the team in
2007). In addition to contributing to the program’s growth
and development, counselling patients and leading health
seminars, Dr. Mcleod has actively lobbied all levels of government for financial support for the heart programs.
"I've seen first-hand how our initiatives at LGH change
lives,” says Dr. Mcleod. “We can put 100 patients through
a prevention program for less than the cost of one patient
ending up in hospital with a heart attack. It’s great to see a
focus on preventative health in a hospital-based program."
The program currently sees more than 350 patients per
year and the participation rate continues to grow. It’s a
trend that promises to pay dividends both in healthier heart
patients and dramatically reduced medical costs.
Home-based care
When you’re on the mend from bypass surgery or recovering from a heart attack, nothing speeds healing like being
at home. That’s part of the impetus behind the creation of
the LGH Cardiac Home Follow-up Program, which allows
heart patients (without other complicating health factors)
to be discharged early for home-based follow-up care by
cardiac clinician Jennifer Krzyczkowski.
venturi + karpa
Dr. Kevin Mcleod and
Jennifer Krzyczkowski
With this program Krzyczkowski visits heart patients in
their homes the week they are discharged, and then follows
up with weekly visits until their heart health is stable (usually within four to five weeks).
The services Krzyczkowski provides through the Cardiac Home Follow-up Program include medication reviews,
physical assessments, walking programs, psychological
support and referrals to occupational or physical therapy.
She also acts as a liaison between patients and their doctors.
Outpatient care
Once heart patients are stable, they are referred to LGH for
the next phase of their care – the Cardiac Rehab Program
(CRP), led by Dr. Mcleod and served by a team of experts
including lead exercise specialist Min van Velzen and community program nurse Monique Bazille. CRP provides
recovering patients with access to medical assessments
by Dr. Mcleod and his team, counselling on effective risk
factor management, education seminars, personalized
exercise plans and supervised fitness sessions.
Another focus of the CRP is heart disease prevention. The
CRP’s Primary Prevention Program provides at-risk individuals with a complete health assessment, together with specific
advice on how to reduce their risk factors, a personalized
exercise plan and a membership to North Shore Recreation
facilities – just the thing to support healthier hearts. 
For more information about LGH’s Cardiac Rehab and Cardiometabolic Program, please call 604-904-0810.
june 2010 • WellintotheFuture
9
An exciting facilities redevelopment plan promises
to vault Lions Gate hospital into the 21st century.
N
eW MediCal TeChnology, advances in
knowledge and a more patient-centred approach
to treatment have completely transformed health
care in the modern age, with proven benefits to
both patients and care providers. however, it takes more
than good equipment and good people to deliver quality
care. it needs to be supported by modern facilities. That’s
why lions gate hospital (lgh) has decided to embark on
an ambitious redevelopment plan that promises to completely transform virtually all of its current facilities.
aging inFrastructure
Few would argue that much of lgh’s existing infrastructure is in need of modernization. Many of the hospital’s
buildings were built decades ago; the oldest structure, which
houses mental health services, was built in 1929.
“The buildings are actually getting in the way of providing best-practices health care in the year 2010,” says
outgoing Coo Mary ackenhusen, “which, in turn, is an
obstacle to attracting and retaining the best staff.”
But that’s about to change due to a comprehensive new
multi-stage site redevelopment plan for the lgh campus.
The multi-million-dollar plan, developed in 2009, calls for
the progressive replacement of seven buildings, beginning
with the oldest (the Mental health unit), followed by the
acute Care Tower (see below).
“We looked at renovating,“ says ackenhusen, “but it wasn’t
economically or logistically plausible.” The answer clearly lay
in building from the ground up.
by Helena Bryan
Many of the facilities at lgh simply no longer work
within the context of modern health care practice. apart
from the general deterioration that comes with age, many
of these buildings are now outmoded and inefficient, a situation exacerbated by a local population that is growing and
aging at the same time.
The hospital’s surgical suites, dating from 1958, are too
small to accommodate current equipment, and electrical
load capacities are maxed out. elsewhere, the majority
of the patient rooms, which house two to four patients,
are without individual washrooms and sinks, and storage is minimal, leading to clutter in the halls, rooms and
nurses’ stations.
given the multi-patient rooms and lack of individual
sink and washroom facilities, it’s not surprising that infection outbreaks at lgh in 2008 and 2009 shut down units in
the acute Tower for 53 days, in the evergreen buildings for
51 days and in the Mental health unit for 13 days.
on top of the risk of outbreaks, cramped conditions create an increase in fall hazards for both patients and staff.
and the lack of privacy and space for visiting family, combined with the noise, tend to extend patient stays. nurses,
too, are faced with a lack of privacy for breaks as well as
an increase in workload stemming from factors such as
managing infectious outbreaks and the frequent patient
transfers currently required to ensure the right “mix” of
patients in the multiple-patient rooms. What’s more, without air conditioning, the buildings can be uncomfortably
stuff y for five months of the year.
campus redevelopment
Redevelopment of the Lions Gate
campus will be implemented
in phases (scheduled
to commence in 2011).
Components of the key
phases include:
Phase l – New Centre for
Mental Health
& Addictions
Phase ll – Construction of new
15-storey In-Patient Tower
Phase lll – New Outpatient Programs
facility and Extended Care facility
10
WellintotheFuture • june 2010
Phase II
Phase III
Phase I
Phase III
Healthy Investments
In April 2007, the staff vacancy
rate at LGH peaked at 23 per cent;
today it is 5.1%. The new LGH
campus, with its improved comfort,
efficiency and safety, is expected to
further reduce turnover, sick time
and overtime, ultimately leading to
significant cost savings.
Pictured are
Lab staff:
Sandra Smeds
and Cathi Carr
modern conVeniences
in stark contrast to its existing facilities, the new structures
planned for lgh will feature air conditioning and wireless
technology throughout, and spacious, well-designed private
rooms, which will not only boost capacity five to 10 per cent,
but also maximize efficiency and safety. Private rooms will
reduce patient transfers by 80 per cent (a potential savings
of $4.8 million).
“More importantly,” says ackenhusen, “they [the new
facilities] will reduce the inherent risk of error when [at each
point of transfer] a different nurse is assigned. in modern
$500,000 – Annual savings from a
30 per cent drop in staff turnover.
$500,000 – Annual savings from a
one per cent drop in sick time.
$1 Million – Annual savings from
a one per cent drop in overtime due
to vacancies.
multiple beneFits
The potential savings that will flow from building new structures for lgh are substantial. Private rooms should reduce
infections by 40 per cent and patient falls by 80 per cent for
a savings of $5.3 million in nursing
costs. a more patient-friendly conhoW old is old?
figuration, more space for family and
New plans for LGH will see the replacement of seven aging
less noise could help reduce medicaand outmoded buildings, the newest of which is 28 years old.
tion usage among patients by five per
cent or $3 million.
Activation Building (Mental Health Unit)
Built in 1929
From a staffing and care perspecAcute Tower
Built in 1961
tive, the creation of a state-of-the-art
Plant Building
Built in 1961
work environment has been shown
Evergreen South
Built in 1969
in other modern facilities to reduce
Northern Expansion
Built in 1972
the number of nurses needed by up
Parkade
Built in 1977
Evergreen North
Built in 1982
to 20 per cent, and it will also help
attract the best and brightest, plus
retain them at a time when nurses
health care, the ideal is to have the care and equipment come are scarce and getting scarcer.
to the patient, not the other way around.”
With clear benefits to patients, staff and the broader
a “lean” design, based on the idea that the staff travel north shore community, all that’s left is to hammer
paths used most frequently should be as short as possible, out a start date for phase one of the plan, which is the
will increase the functionality of the wards as well.
replacement of the mental health building. Whatever the
“Currently, halls are long and narrow, with clean linen commencement date, it will signal a move toward a new
at one end and dirty linen at the other end,” observes ack- era in lions gate hospital’s history, in which the physical
enhusen. “it’s inefficient. ideally, 80 per cent of the supplies environment is finally equal to the challenge of providing
nurses need should be no more than 10 steps away.”
best-practices care in 2010 and beyond. 
Courtesy of LGHF
june 2010 • WellintotheFuture
11
Tools of
Good M edici ne
Investments in state-of-the-art equipment are giving LGH staff
just what’s needed to continue to deliver first-class care.
By Ann Collette
A
ll through the ages , the practice of med-
icine has involved three pivotal ingredients
– knowledge of nature, an inquisitive mind
and a compassionate heart. It’s these timeless
qualities, coupled with state-of-the-art medical technology, that are helping Lions Gate Hospital (LGH) deliver
top-quality health care in the modern age.
Lions Gate Hospital Foundation has devoted much of its
fundraising effort to ensuring LGH staff has the equipment
needed to provide first-class care to the North Shore community. In fact, in the last six months alone the Foundation
has raised more than $2 million for the acquisition of new
or upgraded medical equipment.
Karin Olson, director for Acute Services at LGH, knows
the importance of keeping pace with technological innovations in medicine.
“Every piece of equipment on our Capital list has been
identified as critical to maintaining or improving the
quality of care at LGH,” observes Olson. “It’s through the
support of donors to the Foundation that we are able to offer
our patients access to state-of-the-art care and procedures.”
The Foundation’s most recent campaigns have funded
the purchase of 18 vital new pieces of equipment – from
neurosurgery instruments ($7,000) to a sophisticated patient
physiologic monitoring system ($300,000). Other purchases include two TotalCare® beds, nine Panda® Warmers,
and a CellaVision® analyzer:
TotalCare Bed System
Patients with acute heart problems require beds that offer
comfort, total flexibility and ease of access for staff. Thanks
to LGH Foundation, LGH’s Cardiac Critical Care unit was
recently able to acquire two TotalCare bed systems.
What makes these TotalCare beds so valuable is the
sheer range of features they offer, allowing them to meet
the full spectrum of positioning and care needs of cardiac
(and critical care) patients. Special adaptations include a
complete range of fully motorized positioning options
(e.g., lowering or elevating the head or legs and even a
fully seated position),
adjustable bed height,
pressure-relieving mattress, permanent IV
poles, casters for easy
movement and easily
accessiblecontrols,among
TotalCare bed
other innovations.
12
WellintotheFuture • june 2010
Panda Warmer
One of the newest additions
to LGH Labour and Delivery is the Panda warming
Panda
system. This portable unit
Warmer
keeps newborns warm and
comfortable with minimal
stress, while allowing attending staff easy access for evaluation and medical procedures – from basic assessment to
X-rays. The Panda’s non-invasive technology automatically
measures and displays heart rate and blood oxygen levels on
a full-colour control panel, and it also features an integrated
scale for easy birth-weight checks. The Panda’s fast set-up
and special emergency-care features (including an instrument shelf, integrated X-ray cassette and IV poles) make it a
tremendous asset in attending high-risk deliveries.
CellaVision DM1200
For the better part of a century, blood or body fluid analysis
has involved having a highly trained laboratory technician
or physician look through a microscope – a process that
uses up valuable time and resources. LGH’s acquisition of
a new CellaVision DM1200 analyzer promises to give back
some of that time by automating routine blood analysis.
Blood analysis is a critical aid to determining a diagnosis,
such as the presence of
infection. The CellaVision uses robotics and
other state-of-the-art
technology to quickly,
efficiently and accurately deliver blood
analysis results. The
CellaVision DM1200
impact of this device
is multifold: improved
workflows in the laboratory, faster results for doctors and
quicker treatment for patients.
Lions Gate Hospital Foundation is dedicated to providing the funding needed to keep LGH at the forefront
of health care. The Foundation is currently completing
funding for a new microscope for neurosurgery, valued at
$350,000, and various instruments and equipment for the
operating rooms. 
For more information on how you can help invest in health
care at LGH, please contact LGH Foundation at 604-984-5785
or go to our website at www.lghfoundation.com.
Courtesy of LGHF
donor
profile by Ann Collette
A Builder’s Story
How Fred Russell and friends helped create
LGH Foundation.
F
red Russell has always
loved to build things. In fact,
for as long as he can remember, Fred, now 87, has been
drawn to “projects that make a difference.” His efforts have taken many
forms over the past 60-plus years, from
developing new North Shore neighbourhoods to helping to establish Lions
Gate Hospital Foundation.
Born and raised in East Vancouver, Fred first came to the North Shore
in 1924, where he spent many happy
summers at his family’s vacation home
in Eagle Harbour. He joined the Canadian Navy in 1942, returning to West
Vancouver in 1946 to marry, raise
two children and begin a successful
career as a local land developer. West
Vancouver remains home to Fred
and his devoted spouse of the past 13
years, Roberta.
Fred started his building career
with Capilano Highlands Ltd., where
he was instrumental in the development of the Edgemont and Delbrook
communities. In 1960, he formed his
own real estate development company – Fred/K E. Russell Ltd. Among
his six West Vancouver-based projects are Eagleridge, Caulfeild Plateau
and Panorama Village, together with
Broadmead in Saanich.
Called to service
As a successful businessman, Fred has
never been a stranger to being asked
to serve on local business and community boards (he spent more than
35 years with the Real Estate Council
and the Real Estate Board of Greater
Vancouver, where he was awarded an
Honorary Life Designation). However,
it was a personal call from then Lions
Gate Hospital Society chairman Ken
Bruce in 1980 that persuaded him to
join the Society’s board.
venturi + karpa
“I had done a lot of board and committee work, but I always felt that
being involved with the hospital was
special,” says Fred. “It was work that
was going to serve the community, and
that really appealed to me. So, I agreed
to join.”
During his seven-year tenure with
the LGH Society, Fred served with
distinction on both the long-range
planning and building committees, but
committee work wasn’t his only talent.
The soft-spoken developer had both the
contacts and the powers of persuasion
to get other business leaders to support
LGH initiatives. It’s a gift that came into
focus when he was asked to help with
the expansion of Evergreen House –
LGH’s onsite extended care facility.
“We didn’t have a landscape budget for the project and were looking
for a possible donor, so I decided to
approach the head of British Pacific
Properties at the time.
“I told him about the project, and
when I finished he asked me, ‘So what
do you need?’ I said, ‘$30,000,’ and he
immediately answered, ‘Consider it
done, sir.’ That’s a real highlight for me
– getting that donation from British
Pacific Properties.”
Founding the Foundation
While serving with the LGH Society,
Fred and five other members formed an
ad hoc committee to sound out potential community support for the creation
of a foundation at LGH: “We each called
12 people and the responses were more
than 70 per cent in favour of a foundation. In fact, as soon as any of us
mentioned the words ‘Lions Gate Hospital’, there was immediate interest.”
Thanks to the foresight of visionaries
like Fred Russell, Lions Gate Hospital
Foundation became a reality in 1986.
It has since gone on to raise more
than $90 million for LGH and funded
countless enhancements to health services for the North Shore community.
Fred’s contributions to LGH have
not been limited to the countless
hours he spent serving with the Society. This tireless advocate has given
generously to every major LGH Foundation fundraising campaign for the
past 20 years.
“Fred has played a very significant
role in the success of the Foundation,” says Judy Savage, president of
LGH Foundation. “His enthusiasm for
our efforts continues today, where he
is active member of our prestigious
Chairman’s Circle.”
“I think we all have a responsibility to support community services,”
says Fred, reflecting on more than 20
years of involvement at LGH. “Lions
Gate Hospital is probably the most
important service on the North Shore.
It’s well run and a highly regarded
facility. I am dedicated to supporting
it and I’m happy to encourage others
to do the same.” 
june 2010 • WellintotheFuture
13
chairman
s
’
circle
2010 Chairman’s Circle Membership
E
very donation makes a
difference to health care on
the North Shore. That’s why
Lions Gate Hospital Foundation wishes to extend its heartfelt
thanks to everyone who supported our
efforts over the past year. Our achievements in 2009/2010 are a tribute to
your generosity.
LGH Foundation would also like to take
this opportunity to extend special appreciation to the members of the Chairman’s
Circle, created in recognition of donors
who have contributed (cumulatively)
$50,000 or more towards improving
health care on the North Shore. We are
inspired by your example.
Visionaries
Inez Harris
George and Margaret Hoar
Joe and Joanne Houssian
Jim and Mary Pattison
Betsy Smith
Michael Smith
Benefactors
Michael and Dorine Chernoff
Dr. Philip Cohen
Bruno and Annemarie Locher
Chairman’s Circle members are gowned as Doctors of Philanthropy.
Julian and Barbara Kirstiuk
Doreen Lougheed
Paul and Shirley MacPherson
Bob and Brenda McGill
Lynne Newton
Michael and Joy Phelps
Garry and Joan Proudfoot
Azad and Yasmin Shamji
Rob Sutherland
Chuck and Pam Vidalin
The Wolverton Family
Patrons
Leaders
Robert and Barbara Atkinson
Howard and Gail Addison
Jim and Bonnie Conacher
Ryan and Cindy Beedie
Suzanne Dodson
Patricia Bice
Robert Faulkner
Roger and Sharon Brain
Dr. Robert Fingland
The Carter Foundation
Peter and Lynn Guernsey
Helen Chaston
Ken and Sigrun Hanna
Ken and Mary Downie
Mark and Carol Hannah
Nabih and Lynette Faris
Peggy Horne
Ken and Joan Fowler
Richard and Lara Irwin
Frank Giustra
Peter and Anne-Marie Kains
Bill and Iliana Hatswell
Knox
The staff of LGH (here and Thomas
above right)
appreciate
many generous
donors
Robert and Gretathe
Hoongoing support of the Clive
and Susan
Lonsdale
to Lions Gate Hospital Foundation.
Russell Isaac
Gordon and Barbara MacDougall
14
WellintotheFuture • june 2010
Stewart and Sunny Marshall
Irene McEwen
James and Carol Mercier
Axel and Dawn Rehkatsch
Ken and Judy Rekrutiak
Daniel Russell and Cynthia Dekker
cutline here please
Frederick and Roberta Russell
Dr. A. H. and Dr. Geeta Somjee
Ross and Ursula Southam
Millie Stewart
Graham and Elaine Thody
Fred and Maureen Wright
For more information on the
Chairman’s Circle, please visit
www.lghfoundation.com or
contact Kristy Gill, Director of
Donor Relations, at 604-904-3561
(kristy.gill@vch.ca).
Courtesy of LGHF
fi
nancial
summary 2009-2010
lions gate hospital Foundation is pleased to provide the following
fundraising and distribution summary for 2009-2010 (for the year ended
March 31, 2010).
REVENUES 2009-2010
Fundraising & estate Gifts
$ 9,305,961
interest, Dividends & other income
$ 2,741,462
Total
$ 12,047,423
DISTRIBUTIONS & EXPENSES 2009-2010
Distributions*
$ 6,145,280
Administrative & Fundraising expenses
$ 992,768
Total
$ 7,138,048
*The Foundation has additional commitments totalling $8M which will be distributed in 2010-2011.
FUNDING SOURCES
estates 33%
individuals 32%
interest, Dividends
& other income 23%
events 8%
organizations
& Foundations 4%
INVESTING IN QUALITY HEALTH CARE
The mission of Lions Gate Hospital Foundation is to raise funds to support top-quality health care on the North Shore. We are proud to report
that thanks to the generous support of the community, the Foundation
has been able to make substantial investments in leading-edge medical equipment and facilities, both at Lions Gate Hospital and at care
facilities throughout the North Shore. Key equipment purchases in the
2009/2010 fiscal year include:
$1,600 ea. Sleeper chairs
Pediatrics (6) neurology (1)
$6,000
opthalmoscope
Opthamology
$21,000
Glidescope
Emergency
$7,000 ea. Acute care beds
Surge capacity unit (12)
$30,000 ea. Ventilators
Respiratory (4)
$29,000
Defibrillator
ICU
$41,000
Critical care bed
CCU
the Foundation’s
Finance team
lghF appreciates the
dedicated support of both
the Finance & audit and
investment Committee
volunteers. These individuals
give generously of their time,
knowledge, and experience in
ensuring the integrity of the
Foundation’s financial and
investment management.
Finance and
audit committee
Treasurer – Paul K. hamilton,
B.B.a., C.a., CiM, FCsi
lorraine Barker, C.a.
rolf Paterson, BComm,
C.a. (retired)
Fred yada, FCa
inVestment committee
Chair – Jon greyell, BComm,
FCsi
greg Bay, CFa
doug Bell, BComm FCsi
rolf Paterson, BComm,
C.a. (retired)
Jane russell, BComm
Note: The Foundation’s audited
financial statements are available
upon request. Kindly email info@
lghfoundation.com.
$27,000 ea. Panda Infant treatment centres NICU (9)
june 2010 • WellintotheFuture
15
What will your legacy be?
You can make a difference in the lives of your loved
ones and your community by including Lions Gate
Hospital Foundation in your estate plans.
Your legacy gift, through a bequest, endowment
or insurance policy, will help ensure that Lions
Gate Hospital has the resources to deliver quality
health care well into the future.
For more information on Legacy Giving, please
contact Joanne McLellan, Director, Gift Planning,
at 604-904-3553 or joanne.mclellan@vch.ca.