From the front cover, Island Health staff and care team members: (top row from left) Nikki Bourgeois, Dr. Karan Shetty,
Tammy Parkinson, Dr. Wei-Yi Song, (bottom row from left) Gillian Orr, Dr. Iain McAuley, Zenaida Coombes, and William Harvey.
We acknowledge and raise our hands to the ləkʷəŋən People, also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt First
Nations, whose relationship with this land continues to this day. We recognize that our office and the three hospitals
we serve—Royal Jubilee, Victoria General, and Gorge Road—are situated within this territory.
Your generosity has made a powerful impact on how care was delivered in our hospitals over the last year. Your philanthropy strengthened the foundation our hospitals depend on, and your gifts continue to send undeniable messages of solidarity and support for our care teams and their work.
Thank you for your partnership, leadership, and, above all, your compassion for the community members among us who selflessly serve thousands of patients in our hospitals each year. You championed giving when it mattered most, and this annual report serves as a tribute to you, our donors.
In 2021-22, your philanthropy showed inspiring commitment to our hospitals. This report spans our fiscal year, from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. In that time, you helped raise a record-breaking $17.9 million to support Island Health’s highest priority needs across every area of care within our hospitals.
I offer my sincere gratitude to you for elevating and equipping our hospitals, and for ensuring they remain world-class healthcare facilities, even as they continue to face considerable challenges and stress. This is an enormous achievement, and clearly demonstrates what community support can accomplish for us all.
I would also like to congratulate Avery Brohman and the Foundation team for another remarkable year of innovative philanthropy—a vision that was only possible with the support of generous donors like you. Avery has continued to provide exceptional and inspiring leadership during another critical year for healthcare, and I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate her for earning the title of Chief Executive Officer.
As the Foundation continues to navigate new uncertainties in the months ahead, as well as the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in our hospitals, the Foundation’s Board and team remain committed to our shared values and mission. We will continue to respond, and we look forward to our ongoing partnership with you as we move forward to champion our local hospitals, care teams, and the patients they selflessly serve.
With my sincere gratitude,
Chair, Board of Directors, Victoria Hospitals Foundation*
*(Please Note: This information is no longer current. You can find an up-to-date listing of VHF’s Board of Directors here.)
2021-22 was a year of considerable challenges for our local hospitals. But, with your support, it was also a time of inspiring adaptation, innovation, and resilience.
Through wave after wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, you never stopped reminding our care teams that you stood with them. In fact, there were many times when our caregivers and Island Health colleagues called on us—and you as our donors—to step up and support them with the tools they needed. They asked for more resources, space, and technology. And you responded.
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You made the choice to make a difference for local caregivers and for over 860,000 Vancouver Islanders. We are so proud to call you a member of our donor family.
As we look to the future, knowing that the pandemic will continue to affect our community for years to come, we thank you for being here with us and for our hospitals.
We look forward to continuing to transform healthcare with you. Together, we will strive to create healthier Island communities, and equip them for the challenges of tomorrow.
As Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, I am pleased to mark the publication of the Victoria Hospitals Foundation’s Annual Report for 2021-22.
The hard work and care of our frontline care providers has been a beacon of service to communities across British Columbia throughout the pandemic. Even while facing some of the most challenging and uncertain conditions, our hospital heroes bring selfless determination to provide the best in care and healing to those most vulnerable.
While we might share our gratitude freely, it cannot be denied that any other help goes a long way in supporting the administrators, healthcare providers, and all other heroes who ensure hospitals continue to operate smoothly, so that residents of our province can continue to seek care when needed.
Thus, on behalf of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I wish to share my gratitude to the donors who support our hospitals through the most difficult of times and beyond. Your generosity and your attention to these vital services contributes to the betterment of our province in many ways, and is graciously appreciated.
Sincerely,
OBC
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
Your Impact
Your unwavering support has played a significant role in enabling our hospitals to adapt and transform the ways in which they provide care.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our hospitals immensely, it has also been a time of profound innovation. Our care teams have showed incredible resilience, and you have showed incredible commitment to championing their work.
Your inspiring giving expanded mental health care and critical care capacity, enabling more Vancouver Islanders to receive specialized care right here at home, and funded urgent equipment needs that helped our caregivers navigate times of great stress. We also received and shared hundreds of messages of gratitude for our care teams. You recognized and uplifted them when they truly needed it most, and we thank you.
Our Foundation team has also been innovative and nimble, meeting considerable demands during an unprecedented time. Together, we have ensured that the support of our colleagues and the mission we champion remains top priority. I am proud to work with a team and Board of Directors who care so much, and I thank them for leading this important work with me.
And, the impacts of the pandemic will have a long-lasting effect on every area of care within our hospitals. As a Foundation, I can tell you that we have an incredibly ambitious future ahead of us—a future that includes bold, strategic initiatives, projects, and priority equipment needs. This will be a journey, and we stand ready to respond as our hospitals strive to do the same. It is my sincere hope that you will embark on this meaningful journey with us, too.
On behalf of the Foundation, whether you have been a part of our donor family for a long time, or you have recently joined us, we are so deeply grateful for your ongoing commitment to our hospitals.
Together, we can do so much.
Chief Executive Officer, Victoria Hospitals Foundation
On behalf of Island Health, our care teams, and those we are privileged to serve, we offer our deepest gratitude to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation and its donors for this impactful year of giving.
As COVID-19 continued to challenge Vancouver Island hospitals, your support through the Recovery phase of the Emerge Stronger campaign made a profound difference for those who deliver and receive care. The community also raised $1 million for Mental Health and Substance Use services at Royal Jubilee Hospital through the Equipped to Heal campaign. The toxic drug crisis touches us all, and we thank you for helping us strengthen our response.
Your donations impact every area of care, and show incredible support for our care teams and the services they provide each and every day. Your giving is tangible evidence of your care for our caregivers at Island Health. Once again, we thank you for your generosity,
President & CEO, Island Health
, CM, LLD (Hon)
Board Chair, Island Health
Your Impact
As the Victoria Hospitals Foundation celebrates another successful year, I would like to express my appreciation for the Foundation, and its donors, for their incredible work to support healthcare in our communities. I also want to recognize the frontline healthcare workers who continue to be our heroes while we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The dedication of our healthcare workers has not wavered. Each day, they go above and beyond to care for us and our loved ones. It is an honour to witness their dedication, courage, and compassion as they save lives every day.
For those who donate to the Foundation, I sincerely thank you and want you to know that your generosity is helping. Another important way that we can help our frontline healthcare workers is to get immunized against COVID-19 and continue to keep our vaccinations up to date. By protecting yourself from COVID-19, you are also protecting your family, friends, communities, and the healthcare professionals who have been there for us every step of the way. To the more than 8,400 caregivers and staff at Royal Jubilee, Victoria General, and Gorge Road hospitals, I want to thank you for your dedication, and for helping to keep our communities safer and healthier through these challenging times. And to the donors who are supporting local healthcare, thank you for continuing to make a very real impact for our communities.
Thank you for your generosity and commitment to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation; and remember, it is as important as ever to be kind, be calm, and be safe.
Provincial Health Officer for the Province of British Columbia
Throughout the year, our community ensured local care teams felt valued. Thanks to your generosity, we disbursed $35,662 for care worker recognition. You sent our hospital teams heartfelt messages of encouragement, created your own fundraisers, and truly embodied what it means to be a community united.
Above: Paula Blazina (right), Area Manager of Coastal Community Credit Union, gives a coffee voucher to a caregiver at Royal Jubilee Hospital
In November 2021, local businesses came together during Hospital Heroes Week to acknowledge and support our dedicated and talented care teams.
Thank you to each business that donated gift cards, sponsored food trucks and coffee vouchers, sent gifts, and shared messages of support. We are humbled by the kind and passionate community members we have here in Greater Victoria.
The importance of mental health and substance use services became increasingly essential over
the course of the pandemic—especially in our hospitals.
In just four months, you raised $1 million for Equipped to Heal, equipping a newly-opened Sub-Acute Unit at Royal Jubilee Hospital. This unit is the first of its kind for Island Health, allowing for much-needed increased bed capacity for Mental Health and Substance Use patients, as well as equipment needs to enhance local mental heath care.
This new unit focuses on recovery-oriented practice through psychosocial rehabilitative programming to support the recovery of each patient. Thanks to your support, patients now have access to a new level of care—bringing them closer to achieving their recovery goals and connecting them to community services.
How your gifts supported the Sub-Acute Unit and local mental health care:
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Thank you to Island Savings – A Division of First West Credit Union for generously kick-starting Equipped to Heal with a $120,000 gift—the largest corporate donation we received in support of Equipped to Heal.
Learn more about Equipped to Heal: victoriahf.ca/equipped
– Dr. Wei-Yi Song, Executive Medical Director, Mental Health and Substance
Use, and Head, Department of Psychiatry
“Cancer” is an ugly word. You hear about other people, but you never expect to hear that word for yourself.
Leading up to my bladder cancer diagnosis three years ago, I was an active golfer and I woke up at 5:00 a.m. each day to exercise with my wife, Colette. I had no symptoms.
State-of-the-art equipment like ureteroscopes were key in detecting and treating my cancer. These scopes allowed for minimally-invasive surgeries and a quicker healing process.
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Dr. Polina Parizeau studied medicine in Russia and graduated from medical school in 1941. After World War II, she emigrated from Europe and became one of Canada’s first female anesthesiologists.
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In 2021-22 we received 23 estate gifts to help us advance our mission.
Start your legacy today. Learn more at: victoriahf.ca/will-and-estates
– Denyse Parizeau, Dr. Polina Parizeau’s Daughter
April 1, 2021–March 31, 2022
Lai Brothers
H. S. Buck
In Memory of Hilda Dancey
Anonymous (4)
Charlotte A. Salomon, QC & Chris Robinson
Elizabeth H. Gonnason
Estate of Anne Johanna Juranic
Estate of Douglas Hurst
Estate of Marion Joyce Woiblet
Estate of Norman M. Lewis
Firefighters Burn Fund Victoria BC
Johannes Van Stekelenburg
Lorraine & David Kelly
Peter & Helen Malcolm
The Margaret Roche-Heywood Foundation
Uplands Golf Club Annual Heart Tournaments
Allan & Eileen Gilchrist
Anne and George Millar
Canadian Tire Stores
Dr. Edward Harvey
Estate of Charles Guinzio
Estate of Dennis Arthur Raffard
Estate of Helena Balczewska
In Memory of Graeme Fletcher Bird
Mr. Steve & Mrs. Debbie Neil
Peter & Sandra Powell
Save-On-Foods
Steve & Barbara McKerrell
TB Vets Charitable Foundation
TD Bank Group
Tod-Hackett Group Ltd
Air Canada Foundation
Anonymous (3)
BC Lottery Corporation
British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund
Chemainus Health Care Auxiliary
CMLS Financial Ltd
Coast Capital
Colin Hanson & Nancy Peck
Estate of Elliot Tullius Bell
Estate of Leon Reinilde
My healthcare journey began in 2017 after a trip to Barbados with my wife, Ethel, when I suddenly fell short of breath while snorkeling. I sought medical care and learned my heart was not functioning as it should.
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Thank you to Mike and Ethel for uniting our community with a matching campaign starting in February 2022. Their generosity and the generosity of those they inspired will support cardiac care and Island patients for years to come.
– Ethel Marley, Mike’s Wife & Donor
Our Donors
This year, we received a transformational $5 million gift from the Wilson S.C. Lai Trust, dedicated to thanking care teams for their support and ensuring our hospitals stay strong. From helping to fund Victoria General Hospital’s first High Acuity Unit, to supporting advanced equipment needs, to supplementing the Lai Scholarship Fund, their outstanding generosity is inspiring.
The main concourse in the Diagnostic & Treatment Centre at Royal Jubilee Hospital has been renamed the Lai Brothers Concourse in honour of their giving and to inspire others to join the Lai family in supporting our hospitals.
To the Lai family, we thank you deeply.
Above: The Lai family motto: “Derived from Society, Giving Back to Society”
Dr. Franco & Hilary, Registered Nurse, in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit
With cardiovascular disease being the leading cause of death for Canadians, it is no surprise that our community strives to enhance research and care for Heart Health on Vancouver Island.
Through a generous donation of $50,000 from TD Bank Group, the innovative Vascular Risk & Prevention Clinic (VRPC) at Royal Jubilee Hospital officially leapt into its first phase in 2021.
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Thanks to the commitment and generosity of donors like you, the March 31, 2022 fiscal year was incredibly successful for the Foundation. You continued to step up for our hospitals, enabling an expansive year of financial success, innovation, and growth. Thank you.
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The financial highlights on this page are based on the Victoria Hospitals Foundation’s audited Financial statements for our fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. The Foundation’s statements are audited by KPMG LLP Chartered Professional Accountants. Full financial statements available online at victoriahf.ca/accountability by October 31, 2022.Click here for PDF of our annual report.
Your giving enables us to fund the highest priority needs for all 11 areas of care, supporting special projects, equipment, research, and education needs.
Your philanthropy has benefited many strategic investments, like capital projects that expanded space and resources for Island patients. Special projects are typically large, long-term construction projects that take more than one fiscal year to prudently steward, from receipt of donation to disbursement to Island Health. Construction activities often don’t begin until the Foundation’s funding commitments are achieved.
In 2021-22, donors supported over $5 million in special projects, including:
$4.66 million for permanent High Acuity Units at RJH and VGH, a much-needed investment as 1,800 critical care patients were treated at both hospitals in 2021-22.
$282,000 for the Mental Health and Substance Use Sub-Acute Unit at RJH, which increased bed capacity by 35%. The unit focuses on recovery-oriented practice through psychosocial rehabilitation programming to support the recovery of each patient.
$74,000 for renovations of the Didar S. (Ted) Doman Cardiac Short Stay Unit at RJH. This unit supports pre- and post- care for over 21,000 minimally-invasive, life-saving procedures a year in the heart catheterization and electrophysiology laboratories—the only ones of their kind on the Island.
In 2021-22, our community created change by funding 127 pieces of priority equipment, valued at $4.48 million. This equipment has enabled 2,236,000 tests, scans, surgeries, and patient interactions.
The areas of care we supported this year with the highest equipment disbursements are: Diagnostics & Pharmacy ($1.3 million), Critical Care ($980,000), Cardiac Care ($565,000), and Surgical Services ($363,000).
See below for some of the equipment pieces you helped fund this year:
…and 69 other priority pieces.
Approximately 15,000 breast imaging procedures are performed every year
When you fund research and education priorities, you empower clinicians and researchers to advance healthcare in our Island Health communities.
In 2021-22, you supported 13 researchers and helped fund six research projects, including:
The fifth year of the Neil & Susan Manning Cognitive Health Initiative, which is transforming care for patients with dementia and other cognitive health disorders.
The Biobank supports research related to COVID-19, and is a core piece of research infrastructure for local cancer care, dementia care, and proteomics.
You also supported education needs. In 2021-22, The Helen Saunders Scholarship & Bursary Fund, The William and Ruby Horan Memorial Trust Fund, The William Pattison Nursing Fund, and The Lai Family Scholarship & Bursary Fund provided scholarships to 127 Island Health employees to advance their education.
How you choose to support our hospitals is often as personal as your decision to give. Whether your gift was evoked from experiencing excellent care, or inspired by a local initiative, or even prompted by a friend’s personal fundraiser, we thank you for your generosity. When you show how much you care, our hospitals and community benefit.
A bequest in your will, gifting annuities, or real estate is a great act of generosity. We are grateful for 23 estate gifts last year, totaling $3,779,906.
INDIVIDUALS
BUSINESSES
FOUNDATIONS &
NOT-FOR-PROFITS
8,915 Island Health employees contributed $1,322,635 (net) through PayDay Lotto. The year’s largest single jackpot was an amazing $52,815.
No gala, but much support. Thank you to 164 players of our Visions Bear Raffle, raising $21,000, and to the 59 businesses who supported Hospital Heroes Week.
12 community and corporate initiatives raised $172,517, and 14 community events contributed $166,277 to our hospitals. Thank you!
117 Caring Spirit Awards recognized our hospital teams, with donations totalling $80,605. Thank you for celebrating our care teams.
Our first Play Fore Hearts public 50/50 and prize raffle supporting cardiac care saw 1,725 players contribute $73,655 (net) to our hospitals.
318 donors gave monthly, for a total of $101,066. We thank you for your ongoing commitment to our hospitals.
28 gifts were made in honour of someone, and 186 gifts celebrated a life, for a total of $45,307. What a generous way to show you care.
Thank you to all community members who created peer-to-peer fundraisers, inspiring their networks to make 443 gifts and raising $67,622 combined for VHF.
We are grateful for our donors who give through their workplace. Island Health, VHF, and other organizations’ employees gave $15,052.
54 gifts of stock supported our fundraising efforts. Donating stock, shares, or mutual funds is a tax-efficient way to support our hospitals.
Our Victoria Hospitals Foundation team expresses our sincere gratitude to our many donors, spokespeople, volunteers, and supporters. Through every challenge our hospitals faced this year, we felt your support, and then some. Your giving, kind messages, responsiveness, and generosity uplifted our caregivers when they needed it most and empowered them with the tools they need to care for our community.
Thank you for continuing to lead our Foundation, and our hospitals, into a brighter and healthier tomorrow.
Our Board of Directors are community leaders who are dedicated to making a difference in healthcare. We thank them for their expertise and guidance.
Tom Siemens, Chair
Donnie Wing, Vice Chair
Rebecca Grant, Secretary
Ian Wong, Treasurer
Elin Bjarnason*
David Cheperdak
Wendy Everson
Ruth Mogensen
*Past Board Member
Jill Sing
Jessica Thomson
Helen Wale
Alan Winter
Copyright 2025 Victoria Hospitals Foundation
Charitable Registration #10793 5637 RR0001
