History

Prior to the establishment of the Foundation, both local hospitals, the Hôtel-Dieu de St-Joseph and the Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, were served by auxiliary groups, “Les amies de l’Hôtel-Dieu” and the “Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital Aid”.

The establishment of the Campbellton Regional Hospital Foundation occurred in 1992 after the amalgamation of the two local hospitals. (The amalgamation had occurred in 1991.)

Mr. Yves Goudreau, Executive Assistant at the time, was given the responsibility to put in place a Foundation.

The Foundation’s original Terms of Reference were drafted in the fall of 1992.

Mr. Goudreau was given the responsibilities as the Managing Director and Mrs. Yvette Bourgoin was the first Chairperson of the Foundation.

The Foundation Board was made up of recruited volunteers from different communities served by the Campbellton Regional Hospital.

Fundraising activities in the early stages were based primarily on special fundraising events. The Labatt 24-Hour Relay was held in the spring/summer of 1992, 1993 and 1994.

In the spring of 1992 the Minister of Health established regionalization throughout the province. We became the Regional Hospital Corporation 5, which resulted in a name change for the Foundation and an expansion of the area served to include all communities and medical facilities between Belledune and Wyers Brook (Region 5).

In 1994, Mrs. Claudette Redstone was delegated the responsibility of Managing Director as part of her duties within the Hospital Corporation and maintained that responsibility beyond her 2003 retirement for an additional two years on a volunteer basis.

Over the years, the Foundation enjoyed a close collaboration and partnership with the Regional Health Authority. The Foundation responded with considerable financial donations on an annual basis at the request of the Health Authority’s Equipment Committee.

Fundraising efforts expanded to include private donations, memorial donations, and fundraising partnerships with other charitable organizations, local businesses and Health Authority employees.

By 2007 after a brief period without a Managing Director, the Foundation’s development reached a point where the Board had to consider employing staff. For the first time since its inception, the Foundation had to hire on a part time basis a Managing Director.

Once again in 2008 a major health reform in our province led to a Foundation name change, now known as the “Friends of Healthcare Foundation” which resulted in keeping our local autonomy and guaranteed that all monies raised would remain within our regional health facilities as mandated by our Terms of Reference.

Furthermore, in May of 2009, the Regional Health Authority A, now know as Vitalité Health Network contributed to the Foundation by hiring two additional full-time employees, a coordinator and a secretary. With this addition of personnel, the Friends of Healthcare Foundation is well under way towards reaching its full potential.