White Pine Electric Family Shows it Cares With Family CARE Donation
Published Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Getting new equipment is like getting toys at Christmas for frontline professionals at the Health Sciences Centre, according to Ally Agnew, who is a nurse in the 1A Medical/Oncology unit.
The everyday tools the professionals need to do their job can often be in short supply, she says, because they are the kinds of things people don't think about when considering supporting the hospital. “I think people assume the hospital has these everyday tools, which we do, but they are used 24/7 every week of every year, so they need to replaced more often and sometimes we just don't have the funding to do that.”
Ally has had this conversation with her family, which gave her parents Kathy & Rick Ball an idea.
Kathy and Rick, who is President and CEO of White Pine Electric, decided to make a donation to the Foundation's Family CARE grant program, which funds smaller equipment needs throughout the hospital. Applications for these grants come from front line hospital staff who deal directly with patients and see the ins and outs of what is needed to improve patient care.
They are donating $100,000 to the program - $25,000 in each of the next four years. Their first-year donation is being dedicated to the 1A unit. “Cancer has made its way through our family, so we think this unit is very important,” says Kathy. “We really value what's done on that floor and want the staff to have the best equipment available for them to do their job.”
This family history is what attracted Ally to work with cancer patients, which she has done since the day she began nursing in 2017. It was something that pulled at her heart strings. “We do a lot of one-on-one care with our patients because they have complex needs and require a lot more care,” says Ally. “The patients are very vulnerable. It is a scary time for them and their family members. So, being able to do our jobs more efficiently – in a way that makes them feel they are being well cared for – is important to us.”
The types of equipment the 1A unit could use, according to Ally, are items they never seem to have enough of such as vitals machines, bedside commodes, thermometers and manual blood pressure cuffs, as oncology patients need their bp taken this way, rather than automatically, to avoid bruising because of low blood platelet levels. “It would be great to have one for every patient.”
Ally's father has a saying – ‘White Pine Electric makes its money in Thunder Bay and we want to keep the money in Thunder Bay'. Contributing money locally is central to the Ball family's philanthropy. They have all needed care at the Hospital, so it is very near and dear to their hearts.
They know the importance of having an exceptional Hospital with exceptional healthcare professionals. “I'm hoping our donation makes the nurses' lives easier and helps retain the nurses we have,” says Kathy. “We want them to be happy in their jobs – by helping give them the equipment and tools they need. Electricians need tools to put up lights and nurses need tools to do their job well.”
Kathy will have the chance to do this for more than just the 1A unit. She has joined the Family CARE committee which selects the grants to be funded each year.
Daughter Ally sees the importance of what her mom will be doing. “Our Hospital serves the largest area in Ontario and it's always busy – it never stops. We just never seem to have enough day-to-day equipment. This is what we need and we always need more of it.”
If you would like to help provide this day-to-day equipment for our health professionals through the Family CARE grant program, call our donation office at 807-345-4673 or visit healthsciencesfoundation.ca/donate.