Newsletter: Inside SickKids
This is a column in SickKids Cares, an e-newsletter published jointly by The Hospital for Sick Children and SickKids Foundation and emailed to our stakeholders and donors six times a year.
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APRIL 2012
It is difficult to match the excitement of spring with its growth and renewed sense of purpose. However, at SickKids we did just that on March 7 when we celebrated a landmark gift for our Centre for Research and Learning.
Ever since the shovel hit the ground in May 2010, we watched in wonder as construction of the centre moved ahead, giving physical shape to decades of dreams. On March 7 we were still more than a year away from completion, but on that beautiful spring day, when Peter Gilgan announced his extraordinary $40-million gift, we gave free rein to our excitement. What an absolute joy it was to acknowledge our progress, and what a privilege it was to pay tribute to Mr. Gilgan whose incredibly generous gift is the largest ever made to a children’s hospital in Canada.
Read more about the $40 million gift.
That same spirit of optimism will guide us as we face the opportunities of the coming months with the Ontario health-care system continuing its transformation. While we realize that we will have to manage under challenging fiscal times, we remain committed to our vision and our strategic priorities in care, research and learning.
In February we launched an idea-generation campaign to build our improvement and innovation strategies. This was a wonderful engagement initiative for our staff and the results are truly indicative of the creativity at SickKids.
The Hospital’s commercial revenue generating department, Industry Partnerships & Commercialization, will play an increasingly important role at SickKids. Every time we licence a discovery or patent an innovation, we ensure an ongoing source of funds to support innovations in child health. We did amazing things with commercial revenue 82 years ago when we licenced Pablum, and we hope to make discoveries with similar potential in years ahead.
Friends and supporters like you fuel our optimism. We are immensely grateful for the support from the thousands of individuals who give so generously year after year. The value of the leadership provided by such volunteers as Patsy Anderson, the former chair of the Foundation Board, cannot be measured in dollars, nor can words adequately describe our thanks. So it is with great pleasure we welcome the news that Jamie and Patsy Anderson have received the 2012 Award for Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser from the International Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Collaboration is a key value at SickKids and for a good reason: partnerships and teamwork lead to wonderful achievements that impact children and their families.
With gratitude,
Mary Jo Haddad | Ted Garrard |
SickKids Cares replaces the newsletter, @SickKids. Read previous messages from Mary Jo Haddad in @SickKids:
At SickKids 2011
At SickKids 2010
FEBRUARY 2012
Last year was a very special year for SickKids. Our efforts to always think outside the box were rewarded in many ways: We received one award after another; continued constructing a remarkable research and learning tower – on time and on budget; and helped our patients, who are often the sickest of the sick, get better every day. Thank you for your role in making all of this possible.
Success like this doesn’t happen overnight. It requires careful planning and total commitment each step of the way. We know there will be challenges in the coming year – there always are. Be we are convinced that our innovative thinking, dedication and commitment will continue to benefit children, families and our staff.
Indeed, two years ago the SickKids strategic plan identified innovation as a priority: “SickKids will foster a culture of innovation across the enterprise by promoting creative thinking and the adoption of new ideas. We will enhance current structures, processes and rewards to stimulate idea generation, the conversion of innovation into practice and the dissemination of new discoveries.”
Our staff’s ongoing curiosity, creativity and passion will drive our search for new ways of doing things better to help the young patients in our care. Equally important, and more than ever, we need your engagement and support to advance our work for healthier children and a better world.
We appreciate and welcome your contributions and look forward to a year of innovation and new discoveries.
DECEMBER 2011
As we head into the holiday season, we’re delighted to say that 2011 has been a fantastic year for SickKids. We thank you for your role in making SickKids world class.
Our exciting new Research & Learning Tower continues to rise, on time and on budget, and we have made inspiring progress in care, research and learning.
Emergency department wait times, for example, were improved significantly, meaning patients got the care they need faster. And patients told us that we are managing their pain better than ever – helping them recover faster, with fewer complications.
We have received lots of recognition for our work. Last month, SickKids was named one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures for 2011, which speaks volumes about our vision and performance. This followed on the heels of SickKids’ inclusion in the list of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2012 and as one of Canada's Top 40 Research Hospitals – number three to be exact. Also, we were named a platinum-level award winner of the Ontario Hospital Association’s 2011 Quality Healthcare Workplace Award. Last summer, the life-science magazine, The Scientist, named SickKids among the top 10 places to work in academia internationally, and we received a gold award from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada for innovative management for the business model behind SickKids International.
On top of it all, SickKids Foundation received record-breaking donations in 2011.
Honours, awards and donations confirm we are on the right track towards creating a healthier future for children, but we will always keep our sights high and work hard to earn our place as one of the world’s leading paediatric centres.
SickKids is a special place with a devoted circle of friends. We are deeply grateful for the support we receive from individuals, families and organizations who share our wish for a healthier future. Our patients and families deserve it.
Thank you for making their dreams come true.
OCTOBER 2011
SickKids cares and shares
Welcome to “SickKids Cares,” a new joint e-newsletter from The Hospital for Sick Children and SickKids Foundation. The publication will be emailed to you every two months to tell you what’s happening at SickKids and how your involvement is making a difference for children everywhere. In this issue, we highlight some of our exciting developments in genetics and give you tips on child health.
Since you last heard from us, our Research & Learning Tower has grown. Construction is moving ahead on schedule and on budget, and we look forward to completing the 21-storey building in 2013.
Watch our building grow
Read about who is supporting its construction
Our scientists continue to make highly promising discoveries. In August for example, Dr. Russell Schachar and Dr. Stephen Scherer published a paper about genetic similarities in autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The discovery means there may be a connection between the two conditions.
See how SickKids is helping two brothers with autism
This and other dramatic advances in our knowledge of genetics present SickKids with an historic opportunity to improve the health of children in Canada and around the world. So we are delighted to announce that SickKids is launching a new Centre for Genetics which will be led by Dr. Scherer.
The Centre will build on our long history of pioneering advances in human genetics and allow us to take full advantage of the current revolution in the field. By integrating research with educational and clinical activities, we will accelerate our discoveries into the genetics of childhood diseases and rapidly move them from the lab to the bedside.
Last week we received the good news that SickKids had been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2012. We are delighted to be recognized as an organization that cares for its staff. Read more about our designation.
Exciting times require inspired leadership, which we are privileged to have in the persons of Robert Harding and John Francis. They were named this summer as the chairs of the Hospital and Foundation Boards. Together, board members, staff, families and supporters will ensure that SickKids continues to provide excellence in innovation and patient care for healthier children and a better world.