It has been over a year in the making, but the day finally came July 9 to officially open two new rooms at the Wetaskiwin hospital.
The Wetaskiwin Health Foundation committed to adding the two rooms in 2014 and began fundraising with one goal in mind to make the idea a reality. The foundation along with the hospital felt that adding a palliative suite to long term care and a family room were greatly needed.
The palliative suite will serve the long term care unit in the continuing care centre at the hospital. Two palliative suites were built in the main hospital and have served the hospital and its patients very well. Adding another suite in long term care will assist the families and patients that reside there to be together during end of life care.
Also added was a family room. The family room is an area where families and residents of long term care can go to visit and enjoy each other without the noise and hustle of the hospital around them. The family room itself is named after Kathleen Hoeppner a former resident of the Wetaskiwin Hospital and Care Centre. Kathleen is the largest donor to date to the foundation and it was felt that since she was a resident in long term care it would be fitting to use her donation to help complete that project and name it after her. Both the foundation and hospital are thankful for all the donors who made both of these rooms possible.
During the opening chair of the foundation Branin Thompson expressed how the foundation felt about the completed project.
“We are proud to be a partner once again with the Wetaskiwin Hospital and long term care. Over the years we have been proud of many projects in long term care; the Mary Morrison Garden, Leonard Brezinzski Courtyard, the dining room furnishings, the bedroom furnishings, equipment such as lifts and sponsoring events such as the long term care Christmas parties and birthday parties.
“We are especially proud now to add these two rooms the palliative suite and Kathleen Hoeppner Memorial Family Room. We are grateful to all those who supported us and donated to these amazing rooms. To date we have donated over a million dollars to long term care in the Wetaskiwin Hospital and look forward to continued involvement and future projects.”