$1 million left to go in $5 million campaign
(OTTAWA, ONTARIO) – In the final phase of its fundraising campaign, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation honoured the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and The Stephen Greenberg Family Foundation for their contributions of $1 million each toward the purchase of the da Vinci surgical system.
The da Vinci surgical system, which provides the surgeon with increased precision, vision and control, will revolutionize treatment for many prostate cancer patients. This critical piece of equipment will mean less blood loss and pain, shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times.
These gifts, combined with $2 million The Ottawa Hospital Foundation has already raised, bring the campaign within $1 million of its $5 million goal. The Ottawa Hospital Foundation will reach out to the community to raise the remaining $1 million.
“The Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation has made it a priority to ensure local residents have access to the best possible care close to home," said Linda Eagen, President and CEO of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. “By investing in this essential piece of equipment we are helping to provide state-of-the-art treatment options for local cancer patients."
“The Ottawa Hospital is a world-class facility that requires state-of-the-art equipment such as the da Vinci surgical system,” said Ottawa businessman Stephen Greenberg. Several years ago, Greenberg travelled to the United States to gain access to a da Vinci for his own prostate cancer surgery.
“Having the robot at The Ottawa Hospital will mean that patients living in Ottawa and the surrounding area can be treated here with the best technology currently available,” said Greenberg.
“Robotic-assisted surgery means better quality of life and better outcomes following surgery – a faster return to normal life, which is what every patient wants,” said Dr. Rodney Breau, a surgical oncologist at The Ottawa Hospital, who is trained on the da Vinci surgical system.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men, and most of these patients are treated with surgery. But the reach is even bigger than that – while the da Vinci has been used mostly for urology, it is being used more and more for gynecological, cardiac and general surgeries.
The addition of the da Vinci surgical system will make The Ottawa Hospital only the 12th facility in Canada to have this remarkable piece of equipment.
“We are thrilled to celebrate these two generous gifts to our Hospital,” said Tim Kluke, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital Foundation. “We are so fortunate to have such strong philanthropic leaders in our community.”
For more information on the da Vinci surgical system, visit www.ohfoundation.ca.
The Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s mission is to inspire and enable people to support the highest quality health care at The Ottawa Hospital and life-saving research at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute. For more information, visit The Ottawa Hospital Foundation website at www.ohfoundation.ca.
The Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation is the voice for cancer survivorship in our community. Partnering with healthcare organizations across Eastern Ontario, the Cancer Foundation is working to ensure local residents have the best care close to home; shorter wait times for diagnosis and treatment; access to the latest research and new therapies and overall improved quality of life – which includes the opening of the Maplesoft Centre – Canada’s first centre for cancer survivorship. For more information about the Cancer Foundation, please visit www.ottawacancer.ca.
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Media Contact:
Tracey Tong
Media Relations and Marketing Officer
The Ottawa Hospital Foundation
Tel.: 613-798-5555, ext. 19816 / Cell: 613-262-6781
trtong@toh.on.ca
Shannon Bain
Vice-President Communications and Marketing
Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation
Office: 613-247-3527 Ext. 232
Cell: 613-818-2525
sbain@ottawacancer.ca