The West Island Palliative Care Residence’s Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks the Beginning of a New Era in Palliative Care
Friday, June 15th was a defining moment in the West Island Palliative Care Residence’s (the Residence) future as dignitaries, board members, employees, volunteers, donors and special guests gathered to celebrate the start of construction to consolidate its two separate locations into a single, expanded facility housing all of its 23 beds. The 30,000 square foot extension of its original building on André-Brunet Street onto an adjacent tract of land represents a transformation of the Residence that will also be the home of its new branch, the recently launched Montreal Institute for Palliative Care (MIPC).
A team of medical, nursing, and supportive care staff together with volunteers collaborated in the planning of the new consolidated building which will see annual operational cost savings of approximately $400,000 for the Residence. Designed with the goal of maintaining a home-like environment, the new building will offer a more efficient, medically relevant floorplan. Importantly, the new building will bring all staff and volunteers together so that patients and families will benefit from the consistent and seamless approach to care and services. A centrepiece of the new building will be an Education and Training Centre for the MIPC’s programs and activities.
The Residence publically launched its Caring & Sharing – Under One Roof capital campaign in April to raise the $12.5 million necessary to consolidate its two facilities in order to optimize its provision of care and to share best practices with the creation of the MIPC. With the generosity of its donors and the hard work of its staff and volunteers, the Campaign has raised just over $7.5 million to date!
This new facility is the beginning of a new era for the West Island Palliative Care Residence and for palliative care in Canada. Over the years, we have grown and evolved to meet the changing needs of the community. To now consolidate our beds under one roof allows us to assure continuity of care and that in turn allows us to share our best practices and expertise, now that we launched the Montreal Institute for Palliative Care last month. I would like to express our deepest gratitude to our lead donors whose confidence in our plans enabled this dream to become a reality (in alphabetical order): Anne Myles Brown, the Doggone Foundation, Elsie Watson, Eric T. Webster Foundation, Fondation Famille Bertrand, the Molson Foundation, National Bank of Canada and the Rossy Family Foundation.” – Teresa Dellar, Executive Director and Co-Founder, West Island Palliative Care Residence
About the West Island Palliative Care Residence
The West Island Palliative Care Residence is an independent, non-profit organization that provides services free of charge to patients and their families. The Residence receives one-third of its annual operational budget from the Quebec government and relies on community support and fundraising activities to raise the balance of more than 3.5 million dollars each year. With its 23 beds, the Residence is the largest freestanding palliative care facility in Canada and is recognized as a leader in its field. For more information, go to www.residencesoinspalliatifs.com/en.