Kelowna General Hospital Foundation calls for public support

The Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) Foundation is asking people to show their support for health care workers and hospital staff.

The foundation says people can show their support by displaying a ‘white heart’ in their windows.

The ‘White Heart Project‘ was originally launched by the KGH Foundation at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for the community to demonstrate their support for local health care workers.

The renewed call for support comes following what KGH Foundation CEO Doug Rankmore calls “a huge blow to morale” after an anti-vaccine demonstration was held outside the hospital Wednesday.

“We are working directly with KGH administration, department managers and our Spiritual Care Lead to ensure all funds go directly to care and comforts that help relieve some of their stress and brighten their day, even just a little,” said Rankmore in a release.

Derek Koch, a Spiritual Health Practitioner and Patient and Family Centre Care Lead at KGH, also notes that after dealing with the pandemic for 19 months, more and more health care workers are speaking out about the heavy toll it has had on them.

“Our teams continue to deal with their own fears, loss, disappointment and personal risk, digging deep to give of themselves through each and every shift. And then they come back and do it again the next day,” said Koch.

“They are tired, they are demoralized and they need our support.”

In addition to showing support through ‘white heart’ window displays, the KGH Foundation is accepting monetary donations online.

The money raised through donations will be used to purchase care and comfort items like coffee, baked goods, lunches, mental health supports and respite opportunities. These supports will be offered to both the workers at the KGH and to health care workers in the community, most notable those working in long-term care facilities.

“Supporting health care workers in this way has tremendous impact,” said Rankmore.

“Not only does it boost morale but it will also positively affect the patient care experience by relieving some of the emotional burden staff are carrying. And maybe renewing their faith in humanity. For folks that got into these professions because they genuinely want to help people, this is so important.”

The foundation also notes that people have tried to deliver gifts such as food and flowers to hospital staff in the past few months, but while being grateful to those individuals for their displays of support, the KGH Foundation asks them to find alternatives, as increased COVID control measures have been put in place to protect both staff and patients.