Hotel Dieu Shaver (HDS) Foundation hosted a Strawberry Social celebrating a record year!

Thanks to our generous community, HDS foundation was able to transfer $1.5 million to Hotel Dieu Shaver for the purchase of vital patient care equipment, funding for essential rehab programs, improvements to treatment areas and supporting hospital staff education. Not only is this the most we've ever transferred to the hospital... it's double what we funded the year prior. 

Our last fiscal year that ended March 2024 was a remarkable one! 

Thanks to our community, we were able to fund:

• Nursing Care Equipment, like Sara Stedy Patient Lifts & specialty commode chairs for safe transport of our patients

• Training for staff through our Bob Bell Education fund

• HDS is a preferred location for hearing tests due to the large sound booths and audiologists with specialized training for serving the population with difficult-to-fit hearing losses and conditions.

• Wifi upgrade for the entire hospital, helping our patients stay connected with their loved ones

• The Rankin Family Cancer Rehab Program and the Parkinson's Rehab Program. These programs are unique to Niagara and offer individualized treatment from interdisciplinary teams that improve our patient's quality of life. Combines, these programs cost almost $300,000 annually. 
• 42 new patient beds and 115 specialty mattresses totaling $750,000.
• We were also able to contribute $600,000 toward an innovative system - a new state-of-the-art Hospital Information System (HIS). Launching this fall, the HIS will change how healthcare is delivered and how healthcare is received. 

Because of our generous donors, we are able to provide the incredible team at HDS with the tools they need to rebuild lives & renew hope for patients, like Byron, and countless others.

We were honoured to hear from Byron (past patient) along with his wife Josie and daughter Lesley who shared their experiences with Hotel Dieu Shaver. Byron came to HDS after suffering a devastating stroke. Over 14 weeks, six as an inpatient and eight as an outpatient, Byron underwent a transformative journey to rehabilitation.

"If it wasn't for Hotel Dieu Shaver, I wouldn't be standing here today. I really appreciate all the help that you people (donors) give them to keep this going, we need this in our community... I don't know where I'd be without Hotel Dieu Shaver." - Byron

"When we got the call to come to Hotel Dieu Shaver it was like we won the lottery. The people here, you're magicians. I couldn't believe how quickly he progressed. This is such a wonderful place and as a caregiver, not a patient, to be included to feel like I'm going through it too... I learned so much. It made the transition to home so much easier because I was included in his recovery." - Josie

"From the very first day that my dad was transferred to Hotel Dieu Shaver we couldn't help but notice the overwhelming feeling of hope that fills these halls. There is something truly special about this facility. The building itself may be old and tired but the professionals who make this place what it is are skilled, positive, passionate and encouraging. Hotel Dieu Shaver is so much more than a hospital, it has a beating heart and it has a soul. When I think back to that first day I can remember the deep feeling of relief that swept over my mom and me after we said goodnight to my dad for the first time. Standing outside in the parking lot we were able to exhale for the first time in months and go home to sleep well ourselves knowing and trusting that he was in the most competent and caring hands. Our family can confidently say that the rehabilitative programs and professionals lived up to their solid reputation of excellence and exceeded our very high expectations. The team at Hotel Dieu Shaver promotes and encourages a "you can, you will, just don't quit" attitude. Positive changes happen inside these doors. Hotel Dieu Shaver helped us get our dad, our granddad, our uncle, our brother, and our husband back and we are forever grateful." - Josie

Thank you for caring and believing in the work we do for Hotel Dieu Shaver.