The Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) Foundation is grateful to be chosen as the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Community Partner for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open scheduled to take place on August 21 – 27, 2023, at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver. Through matching initiatives made possible with the support of CPKC’s 2023 Community Partnership, the RIH Foundation’s goal is to raise over $500,000 in support of cardiac care. This valuable partnership will help the RIH Foundation purchase priority equipment that will greatly benefit patients needing timely diagnosis and assessment.
“It is a privilege and honour to be CPKC’s Community Partner once again. CPKC has made an immense impact on the health and well-being of cardiac patients across the region and will continue to do so as we enter another year in partnership. The RIH Foundation is deeply grateful for CPKC’s generous support and commitment to healthcare in our community.” – Heidi Coleman, RIH Foundation CEO
The money raised will be used to purchase equipment, including a 4D echocardiogram machine which will assist the cardiology teams in accurately diagnosing critically ill patients, a cardiograph machine to trace the electrical activity of patient’s heart, a life-saving defibrillator, and automated blood pressure monitors to reliably monitor the blood pressure of patients during stress tests. Each valuable piece of equipment plays an integral role in efficiently diagnosing and treating a patient and could make all the difference when saving a life. CPKC’s Community Partnership will also support phase II renovations at Royal Inland Hospital with the development of new vascular and echo procedure rooms slotted to be directly adjacent to the Teck Emergency Department recovery areas.
“The team at Royal Inland Hospital provides critical care and support for people in B.C.’s interior, including many CPKC employees and their families,” said Chad Becker, CPKC Chief of Administration & Corporate Events. “CPKC is grateful to have another opportunity to contribute to the critical work they do and we are proud to again work with the Royal Inland Hospital Foundation for the 2023 CPKC Women’s Open.”
Through the valued partnership in 2020 and 2021, the RIH Foundation and CPKC raised $557,000 in support of regional cardiac care. Being the only tertiary referral hospital in the Thompson Cariboo Shuswap health service area, patients and families from across the region rely on the high-level specialty medical care available at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH).
Prior to the development of RIH’s specialized Coronary Care Unit (CCU), offering inpatient cardiac care and on-call service, patients would have to travel to the Cardiac Care Centre in Kelowna. Today, Interior Health recognizes that due to the size and aging population of Kamloops, a local cardiology program is essential to provide patients with timely access to cardiac care. As the need for this program grows, RIH’s healthcare teams know that it is imperative to evolve with it. “This is accomplished by providing our healthcare professionals with the most up-to-date equipment they need to do their jobs efficiently and effectively. Through donor support and incredible community partnerships such as this, the RIH Foundation is able to identify emerging needs within our hospital and forge ahead with innovative solutions to complex challenges. When specialists have the tools and technology they need to be successful, we all benefit,” says Shawn Pun, RIH Chief of Cardiology.
About CP Has Heart
At CP, we know that a railroad may serve as the arteries of a nation, but at its heart is community. That’s why, through CP Has Heart, we’ve already helped raise more than $33 million to help improve the heart health of adults and children across North America. And along the way, we’re showing heart whenever we can. Find out more on www.CPHasHeart.ca.
