Kids' mental health care gets $125,000 boost at Jim Pattison Children's Hospital in Saskatoon
Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital (JPCH) is hoping to repeat the success of a 2020 fundraising push that led to upgrades to its mental health room.
The mental health intensive care room at The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital received the upgrades after a $125,000 donation from Sobey's.
The money was raised in 2020, during the first year of its A Family of Support fundraiser which brought in over $3 million in donations.
The campaign, now its second year, will be accepting donations through the end of September.
“The funds raised within the past year have been directed to that mental health intensive care room within the emergency department at Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital,” Tanner Braaten, Community Engagement Manager with The Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital told CTV News.
Upgrades to the room included door modifications to allow crisis access, live cameras and new security processes to support and monitor patients as well as other specialized upgrades.
“There are specially designed assessment beds secured to the floor without any moving parts to reduce that risk of harm as well as new protocols for all areas and staff,” he said.
Some of the money was also used for mental health and dental care bus which travels to remote communities to ensure all Saskatchewan children get the care they need regardless of postal code, Braaten said, adding there is also a focus on early intervention when it comes to the mental health of kids.
While the idea for the campaign was initiated before the pandemic, it was very deliberately timed because of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on children and youth.
“It’s timely because through the pandemic it is no secret that children and youth bore the brunt related to mental health. They may not have been impacted by COVID directly, but they certainly were impacted by isolation and mental health challenges,” Mark Hierlihy CEO of Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundations told CTV News.
So far Hierlihy says, so far donations to the campaign indicate that more money will be raised this year which is encouraging because it shows that people realize the importance of addressing mental health concerns for children.
Have a news story? Is there something that CTV News Saskatoon should report on? Submit a news tip.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Pharmacare bill passes in the House of Commons, heads to the Senate
The Liberals' pharmacare bill is headed to the Senate after passing third reading in the House of Commons.
National Bank of Canada seizes Ont. woman’s car by mistake
A university student woke up one morning to find her car had been towed away without warning. She finally got answers - just not the ones she expected.
More Canadians are moving to the U.S. Here's one of the main reasons, according to an immigration expert
Recent data from the U.S. census revealed that more than 126,000 people moved from Canada to the U.S. in 2022. An expert said that one of the main reasons for this move is the cost of living.
MPs 'wittingly' took part in foreign interference: national security committee
Some MPs began 'wittingly assisting' foreign state actors soon after their election, says a report released Monday, including sending confidential information to Indian officials.
Her gut was producing alcohol. Doctors didn't believe her
For two years doctors told her she was an alcoholic. Then they realized her gut was making alcohol from carbohydrates, a rare condition called auto-brewery syndrome.
Bus carrying Quebec tourists crashes in Cuba, leaving 1 dead and 26 injured
One person is dead and 26 were injured after a bus carrying Quebec tourists was involved in a collision in Cuba on Sunday.
Here's how far B.C. drivers must keep from cyclists, pedestrians under new law
A new law protecting cyclists and pedestrians in British Columbia takes effect Monday, establishing minimum distances that drivers must keep from so-called vulnerable road users.
N.L. becomes latest province to eye stricter tobacco regulations
Newfoundland and Labrador has floated an eyebrow-raising trial balloon in a bid to further the public health fight against tobacco and nicotine.
Forest bathing: What it is and why some Alberta doctors recommend it
Many people are familiar with the benefits of being in nature, but forest therapy goes a step further than a simple walk in the woods.