The nephrologists at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) have generously given nearly $300,000 out of their own pockets to VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation since the Pacific Nephrology Group began donating collectively in 2001. “It improves our working environment when we can see ourselves as contributors to the greater good,” says Dr. Jacek Jastrzebski – known to most as Dr. JJ, Director of the VGH Renal program and head of the VGH Hemodialysis program.

The nephrologists were one of the first physician groups to donate together and they are the only doctors to split their donation between their own departments and the Foundation’s Urgent Needs fund. While the group wants to acknowledge the critical work done throughout the hospital, they contribute to their own development fund in order to support pilot programs that will produce better outcomes for their patients, Dr. Jastrzebski says.

The donation to the Renal Unit is well spent, supporting staff education and funding a triage nurse who focusses on assisting patients new to nephrology clinics. Donated funds have also gone towards the purchase of equipment such as the Transonic, a device that has helped pioneer vascular access monitoring for detection and prevention of dialysis problems before they occur. “It is a major improvement in terms of quality of care and quality of life for our patients,” says Dr. Jastrzebski.

When procedures like vascular access monitoring are shown to be beneficial and cost-saving, they become the standard of care. “The trend in utilization of this funding has been to create positions or patient monitoring programs and these prove to be really very essential and money-saving,” explains Dr. Jastrzebski. “Then, we can put together business cases and secure ongoing funding, and we don’t have to rely on Foundation money any more.”

The Foundation does rely on the generosity of donors like VGH’s nephrologists, however, and thanks them for their years of giving.