Three local businesses have lent a helping hand to the Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation, donating a total of $350,000 to the Bringing Hearts Home Campaign.
The initiative aims to improve cardiac care in southern Alberta and includes the construction of a new cardiac centre at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge.
For this donation, Gas King has pledged $150,000, with both KCL Cattle Co. and Lethbridge Toyota pledging $100,000.
Officials say a new catheterization lab, electrophysiology lab, two echocardiography labs, cardiac MRI and CT scanners and other essential equipment, as well as new cardiac ICU beds will help take pressure off existing ICU wards.
READ MORE: Expanding cardiac services at Chinook Regional Hospital
“I am proud to say that we are among the earliest of the early adopters to this very important cardiac healthcare initiative” says Brent Morris of Gas King Oil Co. Ltd.
“Even before that, I was motivated to participate in the Feasibility Study for this project so it’s fair to say that Gas King has seen the Cardiac Centre’s value for the Lethbridge hospital and the patient community it serves from day one.”
Officials say mortality rates related to cardiac health issues are 26.6 per cent higher in southern Alberta compared to the rest of the province. Meanwhile, the rate of heart attack is 15.5 per cent higher in the region than the Alberta average.
“When we first heard about this initiative, we had just experienced first-hand the lack of cardiac care in southern Alberta. Like many other families, our grandmother couldn’t access the cardiac care and resources in Lethbridge that were needed to save her life. The cardiac center will save many lives and keep our loved ones close to home. We are so happy to be able to contribute to this initiative,” says Celia Shimek of KCL Cattle Co.
“My father benefited from first class cardiac healthcare as a resident of Calgary. It was fortunate he lived there and not in rural Western Canada where our dealerships are located and where we got our start. Access to top flight healthcare shouldn’t be contingent on your address, and Lethbridge and Medicine Hat are growing and dynamic Alberta cities – we need and deserve these things closer to home for our customers and employees,” adds Lethbridge Toyota CEO Andrea Ulmer.
Fundraising for the campaign is now one-third of the way finished with 22 months left on its timeline. The goal is to have the new cardiac centre operational by 2027/2028.
READ MORE: $644K raised at inaugural ‘Bringing Hearts Home’ gala
READ MORE: $500K donation going towards improved cardiac care in southern Alberta
