NORTH BATTLEFORD - Saskatchewan Hospital New Beginnings is excited to launch its fundraising campaign with announcement of Rueben Mayes as honourary chair.
“This is great news,” said Corinne Delainey, fundraising lead for the campaign aimed at raising $8 million to furnish and equip the new Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford that is now under construction.
“Our campaign is just getting off the ground and having Rueben step up to support us is an incredible opportunity,” stated Delainey. “Originally from North Battleford, well-known across Saskatchewan and a professional football superstar, Rueben also brings a wealth of knowledge to our campaign.”
As Chief Development Officer with Pullman Regional Hospital in Pullman, Washington, Mayes works closely with department medical directors, physicians, hospital executive staff, foundation boards and committees to grow system-wide philanthropic/ investment support for his hospital’s key priorities.
“Saskatchewan Hospital is an important part of my life because my mom was an employee, and it was a place of healing for some of the Mayes family many years ago,” Mayes stated. “This is an important facility for The Battlefords and for the province I grew up in. The new hospital will provide vital services that heal people where they live. I believe in this vision and encourage everyone to stand up and make a difference.”
The funds raised by the Saskatchewan Hospital New Beginnings campaign will be used to purchase items that will treat, protect, comfort, and nurture its patients. The new furnishings and equipment will provide a home-like atmosphere and quality care for those who come to the new Saskatchewan Hospital for help – items including beds and nightstands, educational and recreational equipment, tables and chairs, equipment for a medical centre and a dental office – items and services that most of us take for granted and to which most of us have ready access.
“In consultation with our patients, we have found that what they most desire in life is a little privacy, more natural light and more bathrooms,” said Linda Shynkaruk, Director of SHNB. “The current Saskatchewan Hospital offers patients very few of these amenities that most of us take for granted.”
Shynkaruk added, “Our new facility will support integration, normalization, care, advocacy, research and education for our patients. It will help more people and transform more lives. The bottom line is we are committed to our patients and they come first.”
The majority of the patients at SHNB spend between 12 and 18 months in care. The hospital receives an average of 180 admissions each year and the average age of our patients is 34. During the 2015-16 fiscal year, we admitted 28% of our clients from the northern half of the province; 46% from central Saskatchewan; and 26% from southern Saskatchewan.
“Providing our patients with a welcoming atmosphere and some of the basic comforts of home is an integral part of patients’ recovery,” Shynkaruk stated.
Mental health issues are likely to affect all Canadians at some point in our lives. Shynkaruk went on to explain that “it might be ourselves personally or it might be our spouse, child, parent, sibling, or friend: the fact of the matter is that one in five Canadians is affected by mental health issues.”
One quarter of all deaths in people ages 15-24 are suicides and suicide is among the leading causes of death in both men and women from adolescence to middle-age. Mental health issues affect people of all ages, education income levels and cultures.
Construction costs for the new Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford are fully funded by the Provincial Government since this is a specialized provincial facility that serves all of Saskatchewan. As with all new health capital projects in Saskatchewan, fundraising is necessary to cover the costs of all furnishings and equipment.
In 1913, the government of Saskatchewan established the Saskatchewan Hospital to look after mentally ill people. At the time, state of the art technologies and methods were implemented. Doctors travelled the globe looking for best practices and brought back the ‘best of the best’ to North Battleford. Unfortunately what was cutting edge 100 years ago is not sufficient today.
“Saskatchewan has a tremendous opportunity right now to make a difference,” said David Fan, CEO, Prairie North Regional Health Authority (PNRHA). “Saskatchewan Hospital is undertaking to change the way people dealing with mental health issues are treated. Your gift will create a better quality of life for our patients.”
The new 284-bed Saskatchewan Hospital will have 188 psychiatric rehabilitation beds replacing the existing 156-bed facility, and a 96-room secure unit for male and female offenders living with mental health issues. This is an innovative approach for delivering mental health care and supports to two separate groups of people with significant psychiatric rehabilitation needs.
Construction of the new facility began in September 2015 with completion expected by June 2018. Saskatchewan Hospital is the only psychiatric rehabilitation hospital in the province.
For more information:
Corinne Delainey
Corinne.delainey@pnrha.ca
306.446.8428
306.441.0592
http:\\SaskatchewanHospitalNewBeginnings.pnrha.ca
BIO - Rueben Mayes, MBA, CFRE – Chief Development Officer, Pullman Regional Hospital
Rueben Mayes leverages his passion for people and philanthropy to deliver the necessary resources in support of the Pullman Regional Hospital Mission. His success a
s a college two-time consensus All-American, National College Hall of Fame Inductee, NFL Rookie of the Year and multi-year Pro Bowl selectee opens many doors and builds rapport beyond his 22 year fundraising career. He went on to earn an MBA in 2000 and recently the re-designation of Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credentials. As Chief Development Officer, Rueben works closely with Department Medical Directors, physicians, hospital executive staff, foundation boards and committees to grow system-wide philanthropic/investment support for key priorities Rueben has been married for over 28 years to Marie Mayes (both WSU Alumni) and they have two sons, Logan and Kellen. Volunteer community involvement activities include volunteer non-profit fundraising consulting. His hobbies are fishing, reading, cooking, and is also an avid, golfer, skier and swimmer.
