If the past little while has shown us anything, it is that change is a constant. Our community is changing by the day. The pandemic has forever changed the community in ways we’ll continue to feel for many years to come.

Whether folks have lived or cottaged here for generations or have newly moved to the region – we all love it. And, to make sure we all continue to enjoy the quality of life this beautiful region offers, we must ensure that the quality of our healthcare keeps pace.

This is the opportunity that change brings with it.

To ensure that RVH can offer the region world-class, life-saving care, RVH Foundation has been preparing for the largest capital campaign effort in the history of Simcoe Muskoka. So far, we’ve raised close to $30 million toward our $100-million grant to RVH for the expansion, with more than $10 million raised last year.

Driving that success has been the commitment of donors who have invested in RVH for years, inspired by huge progress that is building momentum. The land on which we will build a health centre satellite in Innisfil has been secured, along with approval from the Ontario Government to build on that site. We’ve also received a $2.5-million grant to continue our detailed planning of our integrated two-site expansion plan. This year, we also received approval for a PET CT scanner, so our patients have access to state-of-the-art diagnostics here at home.

But to get to the finish line of our historic $100-million goal, it will take the whole community, every last one of us, working together to have the healthcare system we all need to have the best lives possible for everyone we love and care about.

To inspire a whole community means we have to think differently and do things differently. Over the past year, we’ve been planning just how we’ll do that. And on October 31, 2022, we launched our Keep Life Wild campaign. You can learn more about the campaign and the RVH expansion plans here.

In the months ahead, you’ll see how and why RVH, your community and, most importantly, your family and friends need you to be a part of something bigger and more important than anything the region has seen.

Pamela Ross, CFRE, CMP

RVH Foundation CEO