A letter from Burnaby Hospital Foundation President & CEO, Kristy James
Being outdoors and spending time with family and friends is necessary after so many months of West Coast rain. As a mother, I know families, like mine, are more active during these long days and can come home with scrapes and bruises from fun adventures.
Now that my children are older, I still remember moments when I knew a trip to the hospital was necessary to treat a broken arm or, once or twice with my active family, much more. That’s why I’m grateful to have a hospital so close to home. I hear this relief from parents who bring their children to the Burnaby Hospital Emergency Department or to one of our other departments or clinics. Families from Burnaby and East Vancouver remain grateful to Burnaby Hospital for decades because of the patient-centered care we provide — particularly when the patient is their child!
Whether children require immediate help or have a scheduled appointment, I know they will be diagnosed faster with new X-ray and other equipment that, together, our community continues to generously fund. You can see parents’ relief as they hold their child’s hand before the short trip home — and lately, leaving the hospital means walking past construction cranes and cement trucks! Exciting changes take place daily at Burnaby Hospital as our redevelopment continues to meet the needs of our growing community.
I want to share the story of a young patient, Matthew, who has a medical condition that causes his bones to have very low bone density, so broken bones are sadly a regular occurrence. Matthew and his mom have visited our Cast Clinic several times over the past few years and always ask for LPN Ortho Tech, Dan Smith. Matthew and his mom both shared that Dan’s calming nature and positive approach makes the uncomfortable situation of getting a new cast less frightening — to quote Matthew, ‘it’s alright’.
Dan has been at Burnaby Hospital’s Cast Clinic and Emergency Department for 11 years. He recalls his busiest day when he treated 138 patients, and he remembers each Cast Clinic patient. Each one has a story to share! If you are in the Cast Clinic, you’ll see thank you cards and smiling pictures of many of his former patients. These stories, shared with such appreciation by patients and their families, happen all the time here at Burnaby Hospital. We know we have something special when so many people on our healthcare team, like Dan, provide such special care. And we also know our new facilities and new equipment will make the patient, and their family’s experience that much brighter because of your support.
We are bringing the decades long Burnaby Hospital team commitment and expertise to our soon-to-be updated facilities with new equipment and bright, welcoming spaces. This moment, this summer, you can make a vital difference to our patients and their families with a special gift today. Burnaby Hospital is our hospital. Please be as generous as you can.
A bright future is ahead.
Kristy James, CFRE
President & CEO
