Million-dollar donation for Bracebridge hospital

CTV Barrie: Million-dollar donation in Bracebridge A new donation could help Bracebridge's hospital cope with its summer patient population. Courtney Heels explains who it's coming from.

The South Muskoka Memorial Hospital in Bracebridge received a big boost to its fundraising campaign today.

The $1-million donation from a cottager is the single largest private donation the hospital has ever received.

Empty chairs are a rare sight in the hospital’s emergency department, especially when it's nice outside and even more so in the summer months when the patient population doubles thanks to cottagers.

“That really is a challenge for us - how to deal with that surge in volume,” says ER physician Dr. Tony Shearing. “

When those patients are seen by staff, the paperwork begins. Physical charts are less efficient. But they could soon disappear.

“What happens with the paper chart system is only one person can access the patient record at a time,” says Colin Miller, with the South Muskoka Memorial Hospital Foundation. “So by having everything available electronically, any authorized health representative in the hospital will be able to gain instant access to that record.”

To make that upgrade, and others, the hospital is raising money. And the million-dollar donation from Peter Gilgan, the CEO of Mattamy Homes and a cottager in the area, is going to help the hospital get that new equipment.

“We just thought if there was something we could do to help them upgrade the facilities, it would be even more helpful to the people that need the services,” he says. “And it would make a big contribution to the community.”

The money will also help pay for a new CT scanner for the hospital. The existing machine is about 10 years old, and it takes 28 seconds for a patient to be scanned from head to toe. A newer version of the machine would only take about seven seconds.

“To hold your breath for 28 seconds when you’re feeling healthy is really not a big ask,” says Mary Ann Wilk, a CT technologist. “But to do it when you're not feeling well is sometimes a bit of a challenge. So the faster scanner makes it so the pictures won't have motion.”

George Morrison's wife was getting a CT scan today and knowing his local hospital is getting a big boost gives him some reassurance.

“Our fear is that this hospital will shut down because of lack of proper equipment and for someone to give of that magnitude really must come from their heart,” he says.

And to help recognize Gilgan's generous donation, the ER has been re-named in his honour.