In January, a donation of $500,000 was made to the Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation (SPHHF) in honour of a much-loved wife and mother, Florence Yong. This generous gift is the first of two or more installments that will create an endowment fund. Interest from the Florence Yong Endowment will finance specific projects and an educational scholarship program (The Florence Yong Scholarship) to assist those individuals who have shown a commitment to upgrading their skills to meet the needs of the Saanich Peninsula Hospital, to the long-term benefit of the hospital. This will include upgrading of professional designation (i.e. LPN to RN), new advanced techniques in surgical nursing, imaging or laboratory technology, respiratory technology, orthopedics technology or rehabilitation assistance.
Paul Hames, President of the Board of SPHHF, explains why this gift is so important: “The Saanich Peninsula is a small hospital, employing a rural medical model. Because of its size, staff recruitment and retention can be difficult. We know that programs like this will keep it modern and vibrant, while supporting its unique needs.”
Mrs. Yong came to the hospital regularly for day treatments and became well acquainted with the nurses and other staff members. In speaking with these kind and caring individuals, she came to understand the ongoing requirements of SPH. A close friend of the family says, “Florence was devoted to her family and friends, always giving of herself and it is great to see her legacy honoured with an extraordinary gift for an extraordinary purpose.”
The SPHHF has been fundraising on the peninsula since 1985 to support the Saanich Peninsula Hospital in promoting healthcare excellence. With long-term gifts such as this, the Foundation will be able to continue with its mission to provide the best possible and most compassionate health care for every person in the community, and to enable access to healthcare services throughout the Saanich Peninsula and Southern Gulf Islands communities for every resident.
If you’ve thought about making a legacy gift to the Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation, please contact 250-652-7531 or karen.morgan@viha.ca.
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