Thanks to a generous gift from Robert and Greta Ho, people planning to work in palliative, or end-of-life care, will be able to provide patients with the best care possible.

The generous Vancouver couple have donated $2 million to Vancouver Coastal Health’s (VCH) Palliative Approach to Care program, an initiative that supports professionals to be deployed across VCH, increasing expertise in palliative care and improving how palliative care is provided.

“We wanted to give a gift that would enable those taking care of patients nearing the end of their lives,” Robert explains. “This money will empower those great nurses and health care staff to provide better care their patients.”

This donation is through the Robert H. N. Ho Enhancing Patient Care Fund, which fosters a culture of excellence for front-line nurses and health professionals. The program supports education and professional development that provides a long-term learning environment for staff, improving services and patient care. The gift will help hire specialized palliative care clinical leads to educate health care colleagues in each of VCH’s Communities of Care: Vancouver, Richmond and Coastal (North Shore and coastal communities).

“Robert and Greta have a great history of generous giving,” says Barbara Grantham, President and CEO of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. “This gift will go a long way in preparing our nurses and staff better to help patients, and their families, in palliative care – those patients, especially, need special care. Robert and Greta’s passion and vision is helping us transform health care in this province.

“And these clinical leads will champion palliative care and shift VCH culture for the better,” she adds.[:zh]

慈善家何鸿毅伉俪给温哥华沿岸卫生局 (VCH) 捐赠了两百万元, 以支持创新的宁养护理计划, 这开创行动将帮助专业的医护人员改善为病者提供宁养护理的水平, 也将提升宁养服务的 模式。

“希望我们的捐赠能帮助那些临终患者” 何鸿毅先生解释说, “这善款将保证专业的医护 人员为患者提供更好的照顾” 。

这项捐赠来自何鸿毅先生的病人护理基金, 旨在培育前线医疗护理及专业人员的优秀文化 。该计划支持教育和专业发展，为员工提供长期的学习环境，以改善对病人的服务和照顾。善款将有助于雇用专业的宁养服务临床专家，以培训温哥华沿岸卫生局在温哥华，列治文及沿海（北岸和沿海地带）等社区的专业医护人员。

温哥华综合医院暨卑诗大学基金会总裁兼首席执行官姜娴表示, “何鸿毅伉俪多年来无私奉献、默默行善，贡献卓著。这善款将保证专业的医护人员能更好地帮助患者及其家属进行宁养服务 – 特别是那些病人需要特别照顾。何鸿毅伉俪的善心及愿景正在帮助我们改变卑诗省的医疗保健服务。

这些临床培训将大大改善宁养护理服务, 并帮助温哥华沿岸卫生局的工作做得更好。