Philanthropists Robert and Greta Ho have donated $2.5 million over five years to establish the new Robert H.N. Ho Enhancing Patient Care Fund. The Ho’s visionary gift to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation will enable Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) to:
• Invest in education and professional development for nurses and allied health professionals across VCH
• Support recruitment and retention of skilled health professionals
• Improve outcomes for thousands of patients treated at VCH every year
Matching funds from VCH, the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation, the VCH Research Institute and the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation will increase the program’s impact. The fund has five pillars of activity:
1) Releasing Time to Care: Enhancing the Patient Experience: Unit-based program teaching frontline staff how to initiate positive change and improve patient outcomes/satisfaction
2) Quality Academy Sponsorship: Innovative professional development program for leaders who direct Quality Improvement Initiatives
3) Annual VCH-sponsored Conferences: Cost-effective continuing education forums for nursing and allied health professionals
4) Specialty Education: Scholarship and Bursary Fund to advance nurses and allied health professionals’ education in specialized areas, overseen by a Regional Scholarship Advisory Committee
5) Innovation through Quality Improvement and Research: Support for VCH Research Challenge teams, where point-of-care staff bring forward research ideas, learn research methods, and are paired with mentors to conduct research, with knowledge translation support
“The Robert H.N. Ho Enhancing Patient Care Fund will enable us to fill our facilities with talented, committed professionals,” says Mary Ackenhusen, VCH President & Chief Executive Officer. “Robert and Greta’s gift is a meaningful investment in lifelong learning for our people as a way to improve patient outcomes. VCH is committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of this program.”
“The Ho’s extraordinary generosity is a powerful example of how philanthropy can engender excellence in health care,” adds Barbara Grantham, President and CEO of VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. “Their philanthropic legacy supports clinicians on the frontline, leading edge facilities to advance medical expertise, and care for countless patients in BC.”
Robert and Greta Ho are distinguished community leaders who also invested $25 million to create the Robert H.N. Ho Research Centre at VGH, the Robert and Greta Ho Cardiac Investigation Centre, and the HOpe Centre for Mental Health. Robert Ho’s philanthropic spirit comes from his family’s belief that “you must first give, before you receive.”
“With Robert and Greta Ho’s contribution, the Foundation is making great progress in our mission to harness the power of philanthropy to significantly improve specialized health care and research for British Columbian’s,” Grantham adds.
