Our Hospital has been battling the pandemic for months now, and your response has been tremendous! Thanks to our donors, Humber River Hospital Foundation has raised over $1.4 million and counting for COVID-19 response and over 433,000 pieces of personal protective equipment so far. We couldn’t do this without you. Here’s how your donations are helping us in the fight against the coronavirus:

The COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund

Our healthcare needs during the pandemic are constantly changing and donations to this fund continue to give Humber River Hospital the ability to respond without delay, ensuring the safety of our patients and frontline healthcare workers.

Your donations, which were matched by the Krawczyk Family Foundation and the Nanji Family Foundation have helped purchase life-saving equipment like ventilators, cardiac monitors, and protective equipment for our staff. We also purchased three brand new COVID-19 rapid testing machines for Humber River Hospital, so our team can:

• Reduce wait times for patients to receive results by running up to 210 tests each day, right at the Hospital with results coming back in 75 minutes. Currently, Humber is referring tests to Toronto Public Health Labs and other labs where the turnaround time is 1-6 days.
• Prioritize “stat” patients and frontline staff testing. For frontline staff, having results in 75 minutes eliminates the need to self-isolate for days until results return. If negative, staff will be able to continue working in a healthcare system that is relying on them to care for patients.
• Increase access to care for the community by rapidly testing patients and staff when other areas such as surgery and clinics re-open for service.

The Humber Frontline Support Fund

We created the Humber Frontline Support Fund to alleviate some of the stress felt by our healthcare teams during these unprecedented times. Every Gift of Gratitude designated to COVID-19 has helped put a smile on our team’s face – and your gifts were matched by the Krawczyk Family Foundation! Over the past few months, our frontline has been showered with love in the form of special surprises including:

• 14,254 meals and treats for frontline workers
• 8,952 pieces of casual clothing and footwear helping frontline teams keep rigorous sanitization routines before and after each shift
• 850 free rides for our Humber family so they can avoid exposure on public transit and get home to their families faster than before

(Psst! We started the Humber Frontline Support Fund as a way to put a smile on the faces of our frontline, in recognition of the tremendous personal sacrifices they have made for all of us during the pandemic. When this is all over, we can’t think of a better way to carry on the spirit of the fund than to give them the gift of a brighter future. Stay tuned for details this Fall on a brand new Humber Frontline Education Fund that will be funded in part by your donation, extending your support further in a way that will help our frontline be stronger for years to come.)

Personal Protective Equipment

At the beginning of the pandemic, many Hospitals including ours had concerns about potential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shortages. To our amazement, our community donated over 433,000 pieces of PPE, including N95 masks, surgical masks, gloves, gowns, and face shields to help keep our front line workers safe as they continue to care for patients.

While we don’t know what this pandemic will bring next, we do know it will be a fair fight with you by our side. Click here to learn more about how you can help. Thank you for your continued support as we save lives and look forward to a brighter future.