A wise person once said, “patience is a virtue.”

I am thinking about patience a lot this week because it feels like it’s been a long time since we have been able to give you an update on the new hospital plans.

Patience is critical when it comes to walking the path towards our dream of building our new hospital, and we want you to know the ball is still rolling, and plans are falling into place.

Recently, the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation (PECMHF) sent out a Request for Proposal for an agency to create, build, and install our donor recognition wall and room naming signage for the new hospital.

With the doors to our new hospital set to open in 2027, you may be thinking, “why now? There is so much time between now and then to worry about that.”

There isn’t.

With the hospital redevelopment project in the fourth stage of a five-stage project, paving the way to go to tender, now is the time to be forward thinking about how we will recognize and celebrate our donors in the new facility.

Four companies responded, bringing forth their ideas of how our new donor recognition system could speak to the hearts of our donors and resonate with residents of and visitors to The County, as well as fit into the design of the new hospital. It was an interesting process and I learned a lot.

PECMHF engaged BrookGlobal to help bring our new hospital's donor recognition system to life. BrookGlobal is North America’s leading philanthropic engagement firm. They partner with non-profit organizations and have over 40 years of experience building donor engagement systems.

Between now and the spring, our team will be working to develop the concept for our new hospital's donor wall so it can be included with Quinte Health Care’s (QHC) Stage 4 submission to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

That’s not all that is new.

Our team is also participating in meetings, facilitated by HDR Architecture Associates to provide input on how the inside of the hospital will look. HDR is the firm QHC has contracted to design our new hospital.

If you have not seen HDR’s exterior renderings of the hospital, they can be viewed at https://backthebuild.ca/the-project/.

HDR are now working on the interior renderings, drilling down to the finest detail. Our team has seen preliminary layouts of how clinical and administrative spaces will look, including where every electrical outlet will be placed. We are providing input on things like wall and floor finishes, window coverings and acoustics as well as the general layout of an area. The list of spaces to review is extensive, but QHC has assembled a great crew to ensure that patient and visitor comfort is at the forefront of every decision.

The PECMHF team is also involved so we can oversee how your donor dollars will be spent as we move towards putting shovels in the ground.

These processes take time and lots of patience. I am learning that patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.

While we wait for further developments to share regarding our new hospital, below are some upcoming events which support the project that you won’t have to wait much longer for.

If you’re attending the Picton Fair and want to put your baking skills to the test, consider joining us at the Bake Off Challenge on Saturday, September 10 in the Prince Edward Curling Club. Entries will be received beginning at 9:00 a.m. with the auction getting underway at 10:30 a.m.

Speaking of baked goods…Tim Hortons Smile Cookie week is set to launch on Monday, September 19 at both the Picton and Wellington restaurants. For one week, 100 per cent of everyone’s favourite chocolate chunk cookie will be donated to PECMHF.

If sweet treats aren’t your thing, Women, Worth and Wellness is proud to present Part Two of their Oscar Peterson celebration on Saturday, September 17 at Redtail Vineyards. This ticketed event is filled with live jazz music and will support the purchase of a mammography machine at our hospital. Tickets are $75.00 by visiting  https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/jazz-at-the-vineyard-tickets-408335521537?aff=efbeventtix.

For information about our hospital, or to make a donation call 613 476 1008 ext. 4502, or visit the Foundation’s website at www.pecmhf.ca.