Thanks to You, We Can Do More, Faster
Published Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Message from Parker Jones
Chair, Board of Directors, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation
The three years I've served as the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation Board of Directors chair have flown by. You never quite know what to expect when you step into a position like this. You walk in with plans and a vision but can't always see the challenges ahead.
My experience was better than I could have ever hoped.
That is many thanks to many people. Our incredible Board is a dedicated group of people who work together better than any board I've known. Glenn Craig, President and CEO of the Health Sciences Foundation, ensures the Board has everything we need to succeed. Indeed, all the hardworking staff at the Foundation deserve a massive shout-out for the work they do every day to help our Hospital do more for our patients.
Most importantly, though, thank you, our generous donors. Your support is crucial to making closer-to-home healthcare a reality for patients throughout Northwestern Ontario.
During my tenure, I learned firsthand just how vital closer-to-home care is. Travelling for healthcare makes a terrible situation even worse. You're uprooted from home when you need the comforts of friends, family, and familiar surroundings. My goal was – and still is – to bring all the services to Thunder Bay to make it easier for patients and families facing their own healthcare challenges.
I've seen some incredible leaps in that direction since I started as Chair in 2021. Thanks in large part to your purchase of Thunder Bay 50/50 Draw tickets, you supported even more programs at our Hospital. Our cardiac program needed a new Cath Lab to replace our aging unit, which you gave them. Our Cancer Centre needed a new LINAC and PET/CT scanner to meet growing needs, which you gave them. Our Emergency Department developed a plan to improve how we treat patients who need healthcare right now, and you are giving them the funds they need to improve patient care for everyone.
Crucially, you gave these programs and others like them the equipment they need now rather than later.
Thanks to you, closer-to-home healthcare is a reality for more patients today than when I first stepped into this position three years ago. Generous donors like you are the reason we can Do More, Faster.
I have one more meeting before the Board of Directors breaks for the summer, when I'll be stepping down as Chair of the Foundation Board. I want to thank everyone who helped us exceed our hopes and goals and improved healthcare for everyone in Northwestern Ontario. It's been an honour and a pleasure to serve this generous region.
- Parker Jones