If you donate to the Burnaby Hospital Foundation, Jim Pattison will match it

Burnaby Hospital is undergoing a major redevelopment to upgrade the aging building into a state-of-the-art facility that will meet the healthcare needs of the surrounding community.

Burnaby is BC’s third-largest city and the number of patients requiring hospital care there is expected to increase by almost 60% by 2036. The hospital was built in 1952 to serve a much smaller population and has not had a major upgrade in 40 years.

The hospital’s fundraising arm — Burnaby Hospital Foundation — has just received a generous $5 million matching gift from Jim Pattison for the redevelopment campaign, which means that any donation from the community will have double the impact.

Work is underway on the current phase of redevelopment which will expand the hospital’s emergency care and improve its surgery services by constructing a new Jim Pattison Surgery Centre — named in honour of the BC entrepreneur and philanthropist who has been a big supporter of improving healthcare infrastructure throughout BC. This redevelopment phase will also see the construction of a new maternity centre and mental health unit.

“I’ve always believed in giving back and supporting communities to help people get the healthcare they need,” said Jim Pattison in a press release. “I am proud to make this contribution to help Burnaby Hospital provide people with excellent medical care close to home.”

Rendering of the newly redeveloped Burnaby Hospital (Burnaby Hospital Foundation)

“As the communities of Burnaby and East Vancouver continue to expand and grow older, it is important that we keep health on the forefront of our minds,” said Kristy James, president and CEO of Burnaby Hospital Foundation in a press release.

The Proud History, Bright Future redevelopment is “a meaningful way for any individual to give back,” added James. “This generous gift [from Jim Pattison] pushes us so much closer to our shared vision of exceptional healthcare in a community where we all live, work, and find enjoyment.”

Dr. Tim Kostamo, head of orthopedic surgery at Burnaby Hospital and a Burnaby Hospital Foundation Board Member, is excited to work in the redeveloped hospital.

“[The] new and improved operating and procedure rooms will be amazing,” he said in a press release. “In the field of orthopedic surgery, Burnaby Hospital encourages innovation in new techniques and we are known to be a centre of excellence for knee and hip replacement surgeries. This is made possible by our world-class medical team and I can’t wait to have them work in a world-class facility designed to encourage even more cutting-edge innovation.”

Giving the gift of a donation — which will be matched by Jim Pattison, up to a total of $5 million — will make a huge difference to the redevelopment work currently underway to transform the community hospital into a state-of-the-art facility that will meet the growing health care needs of the region for generations to come.

To learn more about the Burnaby Hospital Foundation and donate, click here.