Have a healthy, happy holiday

The holiday season is here again and on behalf of the KGH Board of Directors and the Executive Team, we are delighted to extend our warmest wishes to our patients and families, the community as well as everyone who works, learns or volunteers at our hospital.

As another year draws to a close, it’s an opportunity for us to pause and reflect on what we have accomplished together over the past 12 months. As always, there are plenty of highlights worth celebrating.

Last month, our hospital was one of 10 Canadian organizations to be named as a winner of a prestigious Canada’s Passion Capitalists Award. The national judging panel cited our patient-centred culture, courage and overall transformation over the past five years as highlights.

We also received recognition this year for our efforts to become a greener hospital, with awards for our progress on conserving water and energy. After three hard years of work, we were also able to finally say goodbye to our carpets when the last pieces were pulled up from our patient care areas.

KGH was also a beacon over the past year for visitors from across the country and overseas who were keen to learn more about our Patient- and Family-Centred Care program and how we are partnering with our patients in meaningful and evolving ways. KGH was also a leader in the international conversation about the benefits of enabling family presence instead of having restrictive visiting hours.

As an important next step, we also launched a new hospital-wide program this year called Communicating with H.E.A.R.T. that will help our staff, physicians and volunteers communicate with patients, families and each other.

We did all of this while also managing an increase in the demand for our services, with more patients than ever arriving in our Emergency Department or being admitted needing the complex and acute care that we provide for people across our region.

Thank you on behalf of everyone we serve, for your dedication to making Outstanding Care, Always a reality. We look forward to what 2015 will bring and wish you, your family and friends all the very best of the holiday season.

Leslee Thompson, President & Chief Executive Officer

Scott Carson, Chair, KGH Board of Directors