by Heather Edward, CEO, Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation –
At some point in our lives, all of us need our local hospital. Visits to the Saanich Peninsula Hospital (SPH) could be for low acuity emergencies such as a minor accident like a fractured ankle, or a major medical crisis such as a cardiac arrest or a stroke, and for situations that affect family members, friends or the whole community. Unlike other hospitals on Southern Vancouver Island, SPH is a rural hospital with a unique approach to serving the community with both minor and major medical events. In my time with the Saanich Peninsula Hospital & Healthcare Foundation, I have experienced many engagements in the halls of SPH where patients and staff are also neighbours, teammates, former classmates, old friends and most importantly donors who support the Foundation to provide SPH with equipment, education, renovations, staff recognition and retention and recruitment.
From my experience in healthcare since 1999, I can honestly state SPH stands out as an outstanding hospital filled with warmth, empathy, innovation and character. Considering it is a small site, an impressive number of surgeries, interventions and procedures occur at Saanich Peninsula Hospital. In 2023 to 2024, our surgical department performed 6,423 surgeries. Our surgeries include cataract, dentistry (pediatric and adult), gastroenterology, gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, otolaryngology, plastics, urology and general practice surgery. Last year as of September 8, 2023, SPH had completed 1,551 surgical procedures. In comparison, this year as of September 8, 2024, SPH has performed 1,801 surgical procedures; we have continuously increased the number of surgical procedures since 2022.
At the heart of the hospital, connected to all the other departments, is the Acute Care Unit (ACU). Our 65-bed ACU supports adult community members providing care at various stages of illness and recovery. Examples include post-operative care and monitoring after minor or moderate surgeries, caring for patients after sustaining minor and major medical emergencies, and transitioning geriatrics patients awaiting care in our 143 bed Long-term Care facilities on site. In addition, at SPH we have the honour of caring for people in their last weeks of life in our 10-bed Palliative
Care Unit, providing both the patient and family with a respectful, thoughtful and caring experience.
The care of people at SPH is supported by a team of over 600 staff members. It takes a team of pharmacists, lab technicians, care aides, porters, social workers, physiotherapists, dieticians, environmental services, food services, facilities maintenance, nurses, physicians and health care leaders to ensure the hospital can support the community. What you may not see on your visit to SPH is all the donors who have also contributed to the Saanich Peninsula Hospital through their generous donations. It is with their donations that the Foundation is able to fund and support programs that ensure continuous growth, support and ability to care for each other.
