Rotary and Headwaters celebrate 30 years of giving

May 5, 2017 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

When Orangeville was laying the groundwork for what is now Headwaters Health Care Centre in 1987, Shelburne’s Rotarians stepped up to the plate, donating $1,000 to help make the new area hospital a reality.

Three decades on, it is a relationship that endures and when Headwaters launched its recent $16 million Commitment to Care Campaign raising money to expand their new Ambulatory Care Expansion, the Rotary Club of Shelburne provided the very first donation!

Over the past 30 years, the local service club has contributed an astonishing $125,000 to Headwaters, a twofold milestone which was celebrated last week with Shelburne Rotarians getting a sneak peek at just what their most recent donation will be going towards.

“We’re always looking for a leader,” says Nicole Hand, Manager of Annual Giving, at Headwaters Healthcare Foundation. “This is a small community group; they aren’t 70 – 100 members, but when those small but mighty groups come to the forefront, and particularly not one that is one of our immediate neighbours, but a very important area we serve, it means an awful lot because it really led the way for others to join them.

“They really took a risk by saying, ‘Yes, we’re going to step up and be the first ones [to contribute to Commitment to Care].’ What meant so much is at that time it really showed how Shelburne had embraced Headwaters as the community hospital.”

The new Ambulatory Care area is set to be a 8,700 square foot space that will host all of Headwaters’ ambulatory care programs, essentially patients who come in for treatment and go home the same day.

When the Shelburne Rotarians toured the construction site last Thursday, Headwaters was particularly keen to show off what will be their new chemotherapy suite, which will allow the hospital to expand existing chemo programs and increase capacity to care.

Another highlight is a “satellite pharmacy” which will provide chemotherapy drugs essential for patients.

“Those are now going to be handled right there within that space where the treatment is happening,” says Ms. Hand. “At a safety level, at a convenience level, and at an efficiency level that is huge. The Rotarians really enjoyed seeing where that space is going to be happening. It is ultimately a bigger space with bigger windows and natural light looking onto gardens. The whole idea of natural healing is very important to them because they are a community-minded people and their biggest goal is to ensure the people of the community are well cared for. I think they were excited to see that – well, we were certainly excited to take them in!”

As Ms. Hand looks back over the past 30 years since that first donation was made towards the establishment of Headwaters, she characterises their relationship with Shelburne Rotary as an “interactive and loyal” one which has covered every major campaign at the hospital.

“They have really been leaders as far as community groups and service clubs are concerned,” she says. “As we look into the opening of Ambulatory Care, we are looking to the end of July to start seeing patients. We will be handed ‘the keys’ to the building in early July and we will start seeing patients at the end of that month. We are very thankful to all of the service clubs that support us, and particularly to Shelburne Rotary for stepping up and being number one.”

Members of the Rotary Club of Shelburne celebrate their lifetime of giving (first recorded gift in 1987) with Joan Burdette, Executive Director, Headwaters Health Care Foundation, Stacey Daub, President & CEO, Headwaters Health Care Centre and Mike Bendell, Director Engineering and Facilities. Photo by Headwaters