Record-breaking profits from its retail operations have allowed the Kingston General Hospital Auxiliary to make good on its five-year redevelopment pledge one year early.

 

Sales from its café, gift and tuck shops as well as money raised through its lottery booth and annual Teddy Bear campaign resulted in a donation of more than $822,000 to KGH. The funds will allow the Auxiliary to pay off its $2.5-million pledge to support the redevelopment of the new renal unit and the expanded central processing services (CPS) area – a surgical support that provides cleaning and sterilization of equipment and instruments used in operating rooms and procedure areas – in four years instead of five.

 

“We’re pleased to have made such a significant contribution this year and one we know will make a real difference in the lives of patients,” says outgoing KGH Auxiliary President Sandra Fletcher. “Our members are proud to play a role in ensuring the hospital facilities are upgraded and expanded to best meet the needs of patients who rely on KGH for care.”

 

In addition to supporting KGH’s multi-year, multi-million dollar redevelopment project, the Auxiliary’s donation provides for the purchase of two inverted microscopes for examining tissue cultures in the blood bank and six arthroscopy telescopes for use in minimally-invasive surgeries. This is in addition to two IV infusion pumps and two breast pumps for the neonatal intensive care unit and new treatment chairs for the new chemotherapy suite now under construction.

 

KGH President and CEO Leslee Thompson and KGH Board Chair Chris Cunningham accepted the funds at the Auxiliary’s Annual General Meeting earlier this month. “We value the long history of support the Auxiliary has provided to KGH,” says Thompson. “We are thankful for their generous donations to help enhance our facilities and provide much-needed equipment to provide our patients with the best environment in which to receive care.”

 

In 2010, the KGH Auxiliary contributed $756,886 to the hospital.