The $400M Tomorrows Are Made Here campaign, just launched by the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) Foundation, is funding critical digital health solutions, research, and building upgrades to better the lives of patients at the JGH and beyond.

When the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) was built in 1934, it already had a history of defying the odds: Its first fundraising campaign to build the hospital was launched in the fall of 1929, right at the onset of the Great Depression. Despite tough conditions, dedicated donors and volunteers succeeded in raising the $1 million needed to open the hospital.

Tomorrows Are Made Here campaign

90 years later, the JGH is a top hospital in Quebec and a trend-setting institution serving the entire population. The fundraising targets have changed a little – the JGH Foundation’s new campaign aims to raise an ambitious $400 million. The Tomorrows Are Made Here campaign, which just launched publicly in mid-April, is the most audacious in the JGH’s history and will build on the more than $180 million already raised in the silent phase of the campaign.

“What we’re really talking about funding with this campaign is next-generation innovation,” said Bram Freedman, President and CEO of the JGH Foundation. “We want to be bold and ambitious.”

Healthcare solutions are made here

It takes extraordinary vision and tenacity to transform an institution, and at the JGH, the work is already well underway. Donor dollars are paving the way to upgrade the building and modernize patient rooms. Donations also fund life-saving research at the Hospital’s research arm, the Lady Davis Institute (LDI). Perhaps most importantly, gifted funds are supporting the JGH’s innovative Digital Health Initiatives, which apply the latest technology to solve many of today’s healthcare quandaries.

The digital health component of the campaign is driven by “Care Everywhere”, a phrase which encompasses the philosophy of the JGH’s health network, the CIUSSS West-Central Montreal. It emphasizes the delivery of the right care at the right time in whichever location is most appropriate, safest and most convenient for patients.

The technology will help transform how and where healthcare is accessed. For example, eligible patients can already be treated remotely at home through the JGH’s pioneering Hospital@Home program. Health records across the JGH’s health network will be integrated so that medical staff get a global view of a patient’s treatment history. The JGH’s futuristic Command Centre, an onsite digital hub with over 30 screens that uses real-time, advanced technology and predictive software, will continue to optimize patient flow across the healthcare network.

The building upgrades underway in the JGH’s original spaces are no less critical than the advanced technological innovation. This phase of upgrades has been in the planning stages for many years and was designed with technical teams in consultation with the JGH’s healthcare professionals. The aim is to elevate the quality of care and provide patients with more comfortable rooms featuring the latest infrastructure. The upgrades entail the installation of single-patient rooms, including private bathrooms, as well as the strategic placement of units and enhanced technical capabilities.

Then there is funding for the JGH’s world-class research, which is driving earlier and more precise diagnoses, personalized treatments, and new hope for many diseases. The LDI has been at the forefront of these discoveries for decades, and with an influx of funding to support current work, there is good reason to be hopeful for the future.

Finally, the JGH Foundation hopes to build a powerful endowment to support the future needs of the hospital.

The future of healthcare is made here

“This campaign is about building the future of healthcare,” said David Amiel, Chair of the JGH Foundation’s Board of Directors. “Ninety-four years ago, a group of visionary donors came together to fundraise for the building of the JGH, which has evolved into one of the leading hospitals in the world. In the same way, funds raised during the Tomorrows Are Made Here campaign will transform how healthcare is delivered at the JGH, across the province and beyond.”

The Tomorrows Are Made Here campaign is supported by the knowledge and experience of its Honorary Co-Chairs: Stephanie Azrieli, Paul Desmarais Jr., Brenda Gewurz, Lillian Vineberg-Goodman, Jonathan Wener and Edward Wiltzer. The campaign cabinet includes James Alexander, David Amiel, Anne-Marie Bélanger, Sylvie Demers, Ken Harris, Gerald Issenman, Harvey Levenson, and Alan P. Rossy.

“My hope is to inculcate others with the same degree of enthusiasm that our doctors, researchers, and administration have for the future of this great institution,” said Jonathan Wener, one of the Honorary Co-Chairs. “We have always delivered superior-quality care with great humanity.”

“We are immensely grateful for the generous support of the individuals, families, foundations and organizations who have made pledges and gotten the Tomorrows Are Made Here campaign off to a strong start,” said Freedman. “Everyone who gives becomes part of an effort to transform the way healthcare is delivered, improve patient outcomes, and save lives.”

Because the Jewish General Hospital is where tomorrows are made, and it simply wouldn’t be possible without donors.

To learn more about the Tomorrows Are Made Here campaign, or to give, visit tomorrowsaremadehere.ca.