If you have ever stood in line at a grocery store (and if you have not, please tell me your secret), you will know how tabloid headlines work — the louder they scream at you, the harder it is to look away.
So, what is the purpose of the blaring headline at the top of this story? Are we resorting to techniques used by tabloid news publications to get your attention?
Playfully, the answer is yes. We want your attention to share with you this “breaking news” story — our donors have done it again!
The irony, of course, is that this is not breaking news at all. Donors to the University Hospital Foundation have been advancing patient care, research and innovation at the University of Alberta Hospital (UAH) site for over 60 years.
We just want to make sure you know that.
In fact, your incredible, ongoing generosity has played a pivotal role in developing the UAH, along with our research and teaching partners at the University of Alberta, into one of the leading academic medical centres in all of Canada.
Looking forward, our bold vision to transform and redefine health, also known as Ignite 2030, which you can read at givetouhf.ca/ignite, would not be even remotely possible without your continued support. It is as vital to our work as diagnostic imaging is to our world-leading healthcare teams. (By the way, the advanced technology and equipment used in diagnostic imaging across the University of Alberta Hospital site is here thanks to the support of people like you.)
The Foundation’s 2023/24 Annual Report shares more stories, facts and figures that speak to the impact of your support. I hope you take a look and appreciate the fact that every gift we received last year helped to fund critical advancements in research and patient care that save lives.
While we hold such immense gratitude for your support, year after year, we do not, nor will we ever, take it for granted.
In that regard, the headline is warranted. Stop the presses! Breaking news! Our donors have done it again! If I saw that headline at the grocery store, I would read the story.
Dr. Jodi Abbott, C.M., ICD.D,
President and CEO
I would like to take this opportunity to thank our volunteer board of trustees for their leadership, commitment and the vast amount of expertise that they provide to the University Hospital Foundation.
Our organization has set a bold vision for itself – to transform and re-define health. Without the guiding hand and support of board members, that vision would be unattainable.
We are on track with our vision for the future, as laid out in our strategic plan, Ignite 2030. It has been a very exciting year! Thanks to our generous donors and world-renowned clinicians and researchers, we have made significant advances in health – particularly in the areas of neurology and cardiac sciences.
To retiring Board Trustees Paul Verhesen and Daniel Hanna, I bid you a fond farewell. Your contributions over the years have been greatly appreciated.
I am delighted to welcome our newest board members, Peggy Garritty, Chuck Sanders and Harry Sunner. We look forward to working with you as we continue our journey to improving health for all Albertans.
To our donors, sponsors, partners and the entire team at the University Hospital Foundation, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, please accept our heart-felt gratitude.
Dr. Shelley Scott
Current Board Chair of the University Hospital Foundation
“
Despite continued challenges in our economy due to high interest rates and inflation pressures, donors to the University Hospital Foundation stepped up again in 2023/24 in record numbers. For the sixth straight year, gift volumes reached a new high as donors connected to the transformational projects that the Foundation is funding with our partners. By offering a variety of giving opportunities, a wide range of donors were empowered to contribute to health innovation, allowing the Foundation to activate $14.7 million into the health system in 2023/24. The importance of strong health systems and empowered communities has never been clearer. Thanks to our generous donors, we can keep pushing boundaries to fund innovations for a healthier future.
Chris Burrows, FCA, FCPA,
Chair, Finance & Investment Committee, University Hospital Foundation
Gift volume
2023/24 – 42,148
2022/23 – 37,957
Improving health care now and into the future is what we do, and the only way we can do it is because of donors like you. Your generosity empowers healthcare professionals to realize the critical treatments, cures and possibilities that exist beyond the bedside.
Join us in celebrating the fabulous contributions of our donors by downloading our full donor list.
Twelve years ago, Don Hunter’s wife of more than 60 years, Sophie Hunter, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. The family noticed how she increasingly grew confused, losing her way to familiar locations and behaving strangely with friends and family.
Faced with Sophie’s reality, Don made a transformational pledge of $4 million to the University Hospital Foundation to support the research of Dr. Jack Jhamandas, Dr. Lorne Tyrell and their team at the University of Alberta who are working on a potential treatment, even cure, for Alzheimer’s disease.
“Alzheimer’s affects more people than you think. That’s why I’m donating. Everyone knows someone impacted by the disease and we can do something, now, if we get behind these researchers,” shares Don.
When he was 43, Michael Lifeso had a heart attack. Eventually, his lungs failed, and he required a double lung transplant. Today, Michael is alive because of the care he received at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute – care that wouldn’t have been possible without the generous donations to the University Hospital Foundation which equipped the Maz with the advanced life support equipment and supported the expansion of the cardiovascular intensive care unit.
Michael’s parents, Clayton and Betty, decided to leave a gift in their will in honour of the care Michael received. “We want to make sure that the level of care that saved Michael is still there for our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren, and for everyone else in the community who may need it.”
“The decision to leave a gift in our wills to the University Hospital Foundation was easy when we saw the impact we could have,” said Clayton. “Because it’s in our will, we can give more than we normally could and have an even greater impact.”
Monthly giving is a way to make an impact a little at a time. Not everyone can give in lump sums, but even the smallest monthly donation can build over time to make a huge impact on Albertans. Below are the stories of two of our monthly donors, whose names have been changed to protect their anonymity:
Jane has been giving for 14 amazing years, including nine consecutive years as a monthly donor. With her monthly donation of $25, she has given over $3,250 to the University Hospital Foundation.
Shauna gives what she can in $7 monthly increments. Over the 26 years she’s been donating to the Foundation, her gifts have exceeded $1,300. Shauna may never have believed herself possible of giving over a thousand dollars to this special cause, but over time her dollars have made a difference.
We recognize the amazing impact of our dedicated monthly donors like Jane and Shauna. You might feel like you aren’t able to give much, but the value of your dollars injects real change into the healthcare system over time.
Anyone can plan a third-party event to support the University Hospital Foundation. No idea is too small to make a difference, whether you sell unique items or organize a walk for a cause close to your heart – your support is vital to achieving health transformation. Here are a few of the many meaningful community events that help the Foundation change lives.
The Heart Open Golf Classic presented by Esposito Advisory Team celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023. The event supports and promotes the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, raising funds for medical equipment and care advancements.
This year, the event raised a stunning $215,000 for the Maz, bringing their total raised over the years to $2.3 million.
In its inaugural year, the Fairways Invitational Golf Tournament, organized by MLC Group in partnership with the Foundation, raised an astounding $100,000. This tournament raises funds for pulmonary care at the University of Alberta Hospital, a cause close to the hearts of the family and friends to the MLC Group.
Despite overcoming a potential evacuation order and various fire bans, the Atmore Hoof-A-Thon raised $8,5000 with their annual trail ride, dance and dinner.
Over the last 16 years, the Hoof-A-Thon raised $264,000 for the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, an amazing legacy of community advocacy and care.
Staples for the University Hospital Foundation, our signature events and other fundraising such as Heart Month have a long history of raising substantial funds for our cause. This year, Festival of Trees and the Full House Lottery continued that tradition of excellence, contributing 21% of the Foundations annual revenue.
Presented by Landmark Homes, 2023’s Festival of Trees hit its $2.4 million goal thanks to the continued support of sponsors, volunteers, partners and donors. Among those donations was a $1 million lead gift by Court and Kristin Carruthers in support of the Fourth Floor Atrium project, and a $100,000 gift by an anonymous donor.
Our Festival of Trees events – Gala, presented by Kim & Don Wheaton, Shelley & Guy Scott Family Foundation and Sharon & Jim Brown, Silver Bell Soirée presented by Cantiro and Santa’s Breakfast – sold out in 2023. A testament to the immense support for Festival of Trees and for furthering health care. The funds will support innovation at the University of Alberta Hospital including renovations for the fourth floor atrium.
Every February, the Foundation embarks on a month-long campaign to raise funds for cardiac research and care in Alberta. In a remarkable display of community spirit, donors rallied to contribute more than $498,000 during Heart Month in 2024. The Heart Month campaign was presented by Freson Bros. and culminated in Heart Pledge Day on up! 99.3 as presented by Popeye’s Supplements Canada.
The month-long initiative included the Maz Move-A-Thon, as well as the 12-hour live radio event sharing stories from patients, physicians, researchers and healthcare professionals at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute.
Together, the University of Alberta and Royal Alexandra Hospitals see over 1.2 million patient visits each year, serving people all over Alberta, Western Canada and the Territories.
As a joint venture with the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation, the Full House Lottery has changed lives across the province for over 30 years.
Lynn Smarsh has spent the last decade lending her invaluable leadership to the Santa’s Breakfast committee. In 2023, she was awarded the Audrey Greenough Volunteer Award of Merit for her outstanding service, personal philanthropy and donor advancement within the Foundation. The Greenough grandchildren were present to provide the award to Lynn at this year’s Volunteer Appreciation Event at Pioneer’s Cabin.
Long-time supporter and volunteer, Patricia “Paddy” Webb passed away in April 2024. Paddy was a former X-ray technician at the University of Alberta Hospital and spent four decades supporting every major fundraising campaign of the Foundation. Having lost her husband Ken to a brain tumour in 2007, she gave a transformational $1 million donation to support the Brain Centre.
Paddy also donated her time, serving on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees from 1999-2005, and with the Festival of Trees for decades. She received the Peter Lougheed Award for the Advancement of Health Sciences and the Audrey Greenough Award for outstanding service and support.
Paddy was dearly loved and will be deeply missed.
During the 2023/24 fiscal year, the Foundation distributed almost $15 million to various projects and initiatives. A notable focus area has been Digital Health and Precision Health, including projects such as:
Cardiovascular Research Institute Imaging Core – CVRI2C: Using AI/machine learning to maximize the amount of usable data extracted from cardiac images to improve diagnostic processes.
A Novel Precision Health AI Research (PHAIR) Lab for the University Hospital: Establishing a PHAIR lab at UAH to predict risk of chronic kidney disease after acute kidney injury and predicting length of patient stay.
Predicting Opioid Overdose Risk: Using machine learning models to predict opioid overdose.
Developing a Machine Learning Model to Predict Poor COVID-19 Outcomes for Diabetes
Examples of other funded projects from 2023/24 include those that will:
Learn more about this year’s revenue and distributions by downloading our full Financial Highlights below.
“The prevalence of cardiomyopathies is about one in 500 in the general population, so fairly common,” says Dr. Gavin Oudit, Director of the Heart Function and Cardiomyopathy Clinics at the Maz.
“We have created one of the world’s largest biobanks of explanted heart tissues from patients with cardiomyopathies. This has led to international collaborations with colleagues from Boston, London, Cambridge and Berlin that have led to very high impact publications in important medical journals.
“We are now starting to unravel the molecular basis of cardiomyopathies in our patients. And by doing that, we can now go back and start correcting these with things like genome editing. We’ve done it in cells and animal models. The plan is to move this into clinical trials for patients.
“This is precision medicine at its finest. We can detect exactly what’s wrong with the patient and then edit that genetic abnormality and correct the defect. In effect, we are working towards one day eliminating the disease.”
The Foundation acquired The Friends of University Hospitals (Friends) in July 2023 through the assumption of Friends’ net assets. Friends brings to the Foundation a multidisciplinary model to enhance patient experience, including delivering evidence-based art programs to enhance patient health and wellness, managing the McMullen Gallery and operating the on-site gift shop (rebranded in 2024 to the University Hospital Foundation Emporium).
The Foundation’s Arts in Health program, delivered at the University of Alberta Hospital, is a leader in Canada. Research shows that looking at visual art increases blood flow in the brain and lowers rates of stress, anxiety and depression. Arts in Health programs result in shortened hospital stays, less medication and lower healthcare costs. The University Hospital Foundation’s Arts in Health Program continues to build its legacy by undertaking research, building and expanding on the quality of its programming and demonstrating thought leadership in arts in health across Canada.
From January to March 2024, Cold Lake First Nations artist Heather Shillinglaw’s exhibition, Nokomis gizis, meaning “Grandmother Moon,” was featured at the gallery. It contained 13 quilted, beaded and painted ‘story images’ of the 13 moons of Anishinaabe culture, sharing teachings Heather learned from Elders. The exhibition, as well as five cultural events, were highly successful in contributing to a resurgence of Indigenous heritage and cultural practices and creating a sense of belonging in the hospital.
Well versed in managing the over 1800 pieces in the University of Alberta Hospital’s art collection, the Foundation’s Arts in Health team shared this unique expertise by assisting Covenant Health to enhance patient experience in the new Misericordia Emergency Department through strategic art placements. The success of this revenue-generating art consulting project in a busy Alberta health centre exemplifies the expertise, leadership and impact of the work being done by this Health team.
Artist on the Wards, Jennie Vegt’s M.Sc. research project on the program is progressing with the successful compilation of patient experience and action learning data from participating staff artists. This research will serve as a foundation for her forthcoming Ph.D. studies.
Additionally, 22 volunteers have been recruited, and two artists are currently undergoing training.
Heartway is a partnership between the Foundation, Alberta Health and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., which aims to implement a proactive, community-based population health approach to secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), treatment and care for Albertans with ASCVD.
Under Heartway, four pilot sites are implementing Lipid Optimization Pathways to identify high-risk patients and engage them with a treatment protocol based on Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines.
The Novo Nordisk Alberta Diabetes Fund (NOVAD), now in its seventh year, represents a partnership between the Foundation, Alberta Technology and Innovation and Novo Nordisk. The $2.5 million fund aims to transform diabetes and obesity interventions in Alberta and was recently renewed with an announcement of continued support from all three entities.
Boehringer Ingelheim Canada Ltd. (Boehringer Ingelheim), a family-owned research-driven pharmaceutical company, has committed to improving the lives of Canadians living with Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) with three major investments with the Foundation.
Additionally, Boehringer Ingelheim has partnered with the Foundation and Alberta Technology and Innovation to provide Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) training and support to community members in the Métis Settlements of Alberta, helping to bridge healthcare disparities for Indigenous Peoples affected by chronic illnesses.
This years’ Heart Month, presented by Freson Bros., saw new and returning corporate partners join the Foundation’s campaign, including:
Festival of Trees wouldn’t be possible without the partnership of our corporate sponsors, whose support of our cause demonstrates their dedication to healthcare every year. Festival of Trees 2023 brought together new and returning sponsors including:
In 2020, we announced our strategic plan for the next ten years – Ignite 2030. Our plan focuses on our role as agents of hope, boldly seeking solutions to the most complex challenges and making life better for Albertans, and for people around the world. In our 2024/25 fiscal year, we are building on the accomplishments that have brought us closer to our goal. From funding a potential cure for Alzheimer’s disease, to creating new pathways for people with diabetes and those at risk for heart disease – the Foundation is igniting health transformation.
We are excited to announce the launch of our “Hope is Here” campaign, designed to raise awareness of the transformative work we do at the University Hospital Foundation. Airing on television and radio, as well as billboards and online starting October 14, 2024, this campaign showcases our groundbreaking research and innovations, from potentially finding a cure for Alzheimer’s to revolutionizing cardiac care with advanced technology.
Through “Hope is Here,” we aim to inspire our community by sharing the hope and possibilities that our donors are creating for a healthier future.
The University Hospital Foundation, which resides within the University of Alberta Hospital site, is built upon lands that have been the site of natural abundance, ceremony and culture, travel and rest, relationship building, making, and trading for Indigenous peoples since time immemorial.
This is Treaty 6 Territory, within the Métis homelands and Métis Nation of Alberta Region 4. It is the unceded traditional territory of many First Nations such as the Niitsítpiis-stahkoii (Blackfoot/Niitsítapi), Nêhiyaw-Askiy (Plains Cree), Denesųłiné (Dene), Nakota Sioux (Stoney) and Anishinaabe (Saulteaux).
As settlers on these unceded lands, we are mindful and grateful for our ability to live and work in amiskwaciy-wâskahikan.
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