If the first year of COVID-19 at The Ottawa Hospital was defined by our ability to pivot rapidly to meet the overwhelming challenges of fighting the global pandemic at its peak, the second year – the year we have just been through – has been defined by our versatility and perseverance in caring for our community through the many waves of the disease.
We are extraordinarily proud of our courageous and skilled workforce, who – true to form – stepped up again and again to battle the pandemic. And yet, each of them paid a heavy personal price for their tremendous professionalism. That is why, now more than ever, our focus is squarely on rebuilding and re-stabilizing our workforce. We are doing all we can to support the health and wellness of the great people who work here at The Ottawa Hospital and to recruit talented newcomers to bolster our teams.
One of the positive outcomes of the pandemic – and yes, there are some – has been increased cooperation and integration of services between health-care providers, both across the region and within our community. We are convinced that the future of health care lies in increased integration across the health-care continuum to provide both seamless patient experiences and the best possible care.
Our most ambitious initiative to increase integration and build capacity is the New Campus Development to be built at Preston Street and Carling Avenue. When it opens in 2028, this remarkable new 2.5-million-square-foot hospital campus will be pivotal in advancing our health-care system across the region. It will connect seamlessly with regional health partners to offer patients access to a wide range of specialized services, including a state-of-the-art trauma centre and one of the most advanced neuroscience research programs in the world. And it will offer world-class educational opportunities to the next generation of students through our longstanding partnership with the University of Ottawa and the educational institutions in our city.
We have come a long way in our journey, but we know we must continue on the path of compassionate care into the future, which will shape our next strategic plan for 2023 and beyond. We are confident that this inspiring process will lead to a bold and transformative vision for The Ottawa Hospital as we continue to serve our community by providing compassionate care inspired by leading research, innovation and education.
Katherine Cotton
Chair, Board of Directors,The Ottawa Hospital
Cameron Love
President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital
Despite another challenging year, researchers at The Ottawa Hospital continued to push the boundaries of science and medicine, resulting in new treatments and better health for people in Ottawa and around the world.
For example, Dr. Natasha Kekre and her team are pioneering the first made-in-Canada CAR-T research program, which is already saving the lives of patients like Owen Snider.
Researchers like Dr. Jason McVicar, Dr. Gonzalo Alvarez and Dr. Smita Pakhale are partnering with First Nations, Inuit and Métis to understand and remove barriers in the health system and develop better approaches for treatment and prevention.
Our research even reached the International Space Station this year, with Dr. Guy Trudel’s discovery that space travel destroys red blood cells, a finding that could also improve health for people on Earth.
Our researchers also continued to lead the way in the fight against COVID-19, contributing to important studies on vaccines, new treatments, modelling and evidence synthesis.
In addition to these advances in research, we continue to advance strategic initiatives in areas such as biotherapeutics manufacturing, patient engagement, equity, diversity and inclusion and open science.
We’re proud that we continue to rank among the top five hospitals in Canada for peer-reviewed funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and for overall research funding. We look forward to continued success and growth as we move forward with our strategic planning process and New Campus Development.
We thank all our researchers, staff, trainees, volunteers and patient partners for their dedication and hard work. We also thank our partners at the University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital Foundation as well as our many generous donors.
Katie Lafferty
Chair, Board of Directors, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Dr. Duncan Stewart
CEO and Scientific Director, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Executive Vice-President, Research, The Ottawa Hospital
Professor, University of Ottawa
The last few months have been a pivotal time for The Ottawa Hospital Foundation. On April 19, we officially launched the Campaign to Create Tomorrow. With an ambitious goal of $500 million, it’s the largest fundraising campaign in our region’s history. It will help fulfill the most ambitious vision ever for the future of The Ottawa Hospital, focused on four critical pillars:
- The New Campus Development
- World-leading Research
- Innovation and Technology
- Strengthening Critical Services
We are uniquely positioned as a hospital and as a city to transform how health care is delivered, not only here in Ottawa, but far beyond. It’s time to build a new hospital campus that will match the capabilities of our people and take our research to unprecedented heights. The last two years have taught us how important health care is to all of us and how critical it is to be ready for whatever challenges might lie ahead.
There is much to be grateful for and celebrate when looking back over the past year. The community rallied in support of our hospital in inspiring new ways and in many forms. We saw community builders make transformational gifts; others laced up their running shoes and raised money for our hospital; even a seven-year-old girl raised more than $700 by selling her artwork.
We are committed to being good stewards of this incredible generosity and to maintaining the level of excellence the community has come to expect of us. We are proud of our longstanding track record as one of the most efficient and effective hospital foundations in the country. In fact, we have received the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy high-performer status for the 9th consecutive year.
As we look ahead to a healthier future, full of big plans and an ambitious vision, we are confident we will achieve great things together as a community.
With gratitude,
Janet McKeage
Chair of the Board of Directors, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation
Tim Kluke
President and CEO, The Ottawa Hospital Foundation