Royal Columbian Hospital 50/50 News Stream

New Westminster, BC, October 12, 2021 — Help support exceptional care for BC’s most seriously ill and injured patients. Take part in Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 lottery and you could win big while giving back and supporting your healthcare heroes.

The RCH 50/50 jackpot has already reached $23,000; how high will it climb?

When your healthcare heroes win, so do you! Calvin Parsons, the June winner, took home a prize of $38,955 and Don McLaren, the September winner, took home a prize of $47,395. You could be next when they draw their final winner of 2021!

A win for you = a win for our heroes!

Tickets are 10 for $10, 50 for $20 and 200 for $40!

Buy tickets today! Tickets must be purchased on the website.

Deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday November 3, 2021 at 11:59:59pm. Enter now for a chance to win big and help Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. The lucky winner gets half the final jackpot! What will you do if you win?

About Royal Columbian Hospital

If you or a loved one has come through our doors, you know why a third of British Columbians rely on Royal Columbian Hospital for critical care.

We are the only hospital in BC with trauma, cardiac, neurosciences, high-risk maternity & neonatal intensive care on one site. We are also one of Fraser Health’s three primary COVID-19 sites. We look after some of our province’s most seriously ill and injured patients. In addition, we are a teaching hospital and a UBC Clinical Academic Campus.

For our healthcare heroes, the fight isn’t over yet, but you can help them keep fighting by entering now for your chance to win big.

Discover more about the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.

*open to BC residents only, must be 19+ to play, BCLC Licence #129087. Actual odds of winning are dependent on the number of tickets sold. Know your limit, play within it.

New Westminster, BC, October 5, 2021 — Help support exceptional care for BC’s most seriously ill and injured patients. Take part in Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 lottery and you could win big while giving back and supporting your healthcare heroes.

How high will the jackpot climb? When your healthcare heroes win, so do you! Don McLaren, our September winner, took home a prize of $47,395. You could be next when we draw on November 4^th!

Tickets are 10 for $10, 50 for $20 and 200 for $40!

Buy tickets today! Tickets must be purchased on the website.

Deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday November 3^rd, 2021 at 11:59:59pm. Enter now for a chance to win big and help Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. The lucky winner gets half the final jackpot!

About Royal Columbian Hospital

What is the greatest challenge you have ever had to overcome? Vince Li faced his in the spring of 2020, when a severe virus took hold and forced him into the toughest fight of his life.

It started with a fever that quickly spiked. After several days with no improvement, Vince made his way to the local emergency room. There, an X-ray and blood tests revealed the tell-tale signs of COVID-19. With extremely low oxygen levels, he was immediately sedated, intubated, and sent to Royal Columbian Hospital.

With shocking speed, Vince had gone from being a healthy, active 26-year-old to critically ill. A personal trainer, competing in boxing and jujitsu tournaments, Vince says, “While I never expected something like this to happen to me, I am grateful to have been brought into the care of a team that was ready and able to give me my best chance at life”. 

Already serving one-third of British Columbians, Royal Columbian Hospital’s vital role in ensuring the health of our communities has become even more significant during the global COVID-19 pandemic. But help is needed to ensure that Royal Columbian remains ready to take on life’s most critical moments, now and always.

What stood out for Vince during his time at Royal Columbian is the quality of care he received. Everyone – from the doctors, to the nurses and physiotherapists – fought tirelessly for his recovery, all while bravely facing countless challenges and pressures brought by the pandemic.

Following Vince’s hospital stay, he found he was struggling to make it up a flight of stairs without panting. Now, over a year later, Vince has successfully run a half-marathon. When we are facing our biggest fears and greatest challenges, we all deserve a team in our corner. Help our healthcare heroes to fight for patients like Vince and so many others, by purchasing your tickets to the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation 5050 Lottery today.

If you or a loved one has come through our doors, you know why a third of British Columbians rely on Royal Columbian Hospital for critical care.

We are the only hospital in BC with trauma, cardiac, neurosciences, high-risk maternity & neonatal intensive care on one site. We are also one of Fraser Health’s three primary COVID-19 sites. We look after some of our province’s most seriously ill and injured patients. In addition, we are a teaching hospital and a UBC Clinical Academic Campus.

For our healthcare heroes, the fight isn’t over yet, but you can help them keep fighting by entering now for your chance to win big.

Discover more about the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.

*open to BC residents only, must be 19+ to play, BCLC Licence #129087. Actual odds of winning are dependent on the number of tickets sold. Know your limit, play within it.

New Westminster, BC, September 1, 2021 — Support BC’s most seriously ill and injured patients by taking part in Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 lottery. You could win big while supporting your healthcare heroes!

With a jackpot that has already surpassed $80,000, how high will it climb? When your healthcare heroes win, so do you!

Deadline to purchase tickets is tonight, September 1^st, 2021 at 11:59:59pm. Enter now for a chance to win big and help Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. The lucky winner gets half the final jackpot!

Tickets are 10 for $10, 50 for $20 and 200 for $40!

Buy tickets today! Tickets must be purchased on their website.

About Royal Columbian Hospital

From the beginning, Royal Columbian Hospital has stood at the heart of health care in British Columbia. Created by visionary pioneers to provide compassionate care to those building a new province, we have participated in the social and economic changes of British Columbia since 1862. Today, we are one of British Columbia’s busiest hospitals, serving a population of more than 1.8 million people. We are a regional referral hospital for cardiac, trauma, neurosciences, high-risk maternity and neonatal intensive care. No other hospital in the province provides all of these services, at this level of care, on one site. We provide the highest level of care to the most critically ill and injured from throughout the province.

The importance of testing to confirm COVID-19 infections has drawn new attention to the role of our healthcare labs. At Royal Columbian Hospital, the lab has a long history that goes back more than 100 years. Nowadays, with more than 5-million tests performed a year and with the generous support of donors to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, the hospital’s Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Department helps in over 80-percent of medical diagnoses. And that was before the pandemic struck.

Dr. Reza Alaghehbandan

“If we don’t know what the disease is, then we won’t be able to treat the disease,” says department head Dr. Reza Alaghehbandan, who explains how the lab can provide answers when basic physical exams or radiographic images don’t identify what ails a patient. “One of our main goals as lab professionals has always been supporting and serving public health. When the pandemic came, our role became much more pronounced, both at the hospital and the community levels.”

In the early months of the pandemic in 2020, with Royal Columbian designated as one of the province’s primary COVID-19 sites, the hospital’s lab worked with the region’s medical microbiology centre and with the BC Centre for Disease Control to handle and transfer COVID-19 tests and relay the results back to medical teams.

“During that first phase of the disease, we immediately developed a very efficient and logistical process,” says Dr. Alaghehbandan.

A few months later, the lab obtained the technology to conduct its own on-site COVID-19 testing. By opening a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing room in the lab – complete with Dr. Bonnie Henry’s famous mantra ‘Be Kind. Be Calm. Be Safe.’ displayed on the wall, the hospital gained the ability to test inpatients at the hospital.

“The impact of that was so much that it increases our capacity, it enhances the so-called turnaround time, getting the results back into the hands of our colleagues,” says Dr. Alaghehbandan.

The lab then took on another key pandemic-related role as vaccinations started arriving in our region. With the first mRNA vaccines needing to be kept at very cold temperatures, Royal Columbian provided the infrastructure, expertise, and leadership to help manage the delivery and distribution of the vials.

“And this happened on a 24/7 basis,” says Dr. Alaghehbandan, “because sometimes the shipments would come at odd hours, and we had dedicated staff who were here days and nights to make sure that the flow, the inventory is safe and efficient.”

While the pandemic has dominated global attention, the hospital’s lab has also carried on its usual work testing for cancer, autoimmune disorders, chromosome analysis, and more. In recent years, support from donors to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation has helped bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of technology, including:

• Thinprep 5000 Processor: an essential piece of equipment to support rapid and less invasive cancer diagnosis.
• Digital Slide Scanner: converts glass slides into high-resolution digital images, allowing for timely and accurate consultations that lead to patient diagnoses.
• FISH Analyzer: used to detect subtle specific chromosome abnormalities.
• Optilite Protein Analyzer: helps to provide protein testing, including for patients on chemotherapy.
• Coverslip: helps in the safe transport of cancer-related tests for a specialized area called immunohistochemistry (IHC).
• Multi-head microscope: allows multiple pathologists to simultaneously view each sample, enabling them to pool their collective knowledge and expertise.

“Thank you donors for honouring us with your support,” remarks Dr. Alaghehbandan.

Get your tickets today. Stand by our healthcare heroes and help to fund crucial equipment needed for life saving care. Not only are you supporting healthcare in BC, but you can win big too!

Discover more about the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.

*open to BC residents only, must be 19+ to play, BCLC Licence #128587. Actual odds of winning are dependent on the number of tickets sold. Know your limit, play within it.

New Westminster, BC, August 30, 2021 — Support BC’s most seriously ill and injured patients by taking part in Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 lottery. You could win big while supporting your healthcare heroes!

$61,000 and growing! How high will the jackpot climb? When your healthcare heroes win, so do you!

Tickets are 10 for $10, 50 for $20 and 200 for $40!

Deadline to purchase tickets is this Wednesday, September 1^st, 2021 at 11:59:59pm. Enter now for a chance to win big and help Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. The lucky winner gets half the final jackpot!

Buy tickets today! Tickets must be purchased on their website.

About Royal Columbian Hospital

From the beginning, Royal Columbian Hospital has stood at the heart of health care in British Columbia. Created by visionary pioneers to provide compassionate care to those building a new province, we have participated in the social and economic changes of British Columbia since 1862. Today, we are one of British Columbia’s busiest hospitals, serving a population of more than 1.8 million people. We are a regional referral hospital for cardiac, trauma, neurosciences, high-risk maternity and neonatal intensive care. No other hospital in the province provides all of these services, at this level of care, on one site. We provide the highest level of care to the most critically ill and injured from throughout the province.

Mental Health and the Pandemic

Even if you allow yourself permission to imagine a return to pre-pandemic life, the complete story of COVID-19’s toll on society will likely not emerge for a while still. This includes the full effect on our mental health stemming from the anxiety, fear, isolation, financial hardship, and other stressors felt by many since early 2020.

Dr. Janel Casey

“Based on other epidemics or natural disasters, it usually took a few years for those mental health presentations to go back to a normal level after the end of those crises,” observes Dr. Janel Casey, Royal Columbian Hospital’s Head of the Department of Psychiatry. “I do think it will gradually get better over time.”

Not surprisingly, the pandemic has been at the forefront of the care Dr. Casey and other mental health providers have delivered in the last year and a half. A significant number of patients that Dr. Casey has seen have been associating their current mental health challenges with COVID-19.

“It comes up very frequently when you are getting their history,” says Dr. Casey.

Mental health dialogue

While the pandemic has been a global preoccupation, and there has been an increased dialogue about mental health throughout this crisis, the number of psychiatric admissions to the Fraser Health region’s hospitals has not changed substantially during the first year.

Between March 2020 and January 2021, bed occupancy remained relatively stable with 9,111 admissions to Mental Health and Substance Use inpatient psychiatric beds, compared to 9,164 admissions during the same period the previous year.

But this includes notable decreases in visits to hospitals during the first months of 2020, when people were self-isolating.

“Same as all areas of medicine, we saw a lack of referrals for a few months at the very beginning of the pandemic,” recalls Dr. Casey. “Since then, the numbers have gradually continued to increase. We are seeing a lot more referrals coming through the hospital and our outpatient department. We are providing many of our outpatient assessments via videoconferencing during the pandemic.”

And the range of mental health concerns is broad.

“We see more depression and anxiety, but also crisis situations where people are struggling with school, isolation, family and inter-personal difficulties, and the consequences of trying to cope in unhealthy ways like drinking more alcohol or using drugs,” says Dr. Casey.

She notes a concerning rise in depression and suicidal thoughts in children and teenagers.

“They are not going into class in person as much, and they don’t have the same extracurricular activities,” says Dr. Casey. “Then of course they are just not getting social activities in general, such as going out with friends, birthday parties, and other celebrations.”

Once someone is admitted to hospital for mental health care, the challenge becomes how to help them return to their communities when the usual supports may no longer be readily accessible.

“It’s hard to discharge them back to their same socially isolated housing situation,” she notes. “And it’s also hard because a lot of the services have changed the way in which they work, understandably.”

Moving day

One welcome development in 2020 was the psychiatry department’s move from the now-demolished Sherbrooke Centre building to the new Mental Health and Substance Use Wellness Centre, which donors to Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation have supported.

Originally scheduled to open in April 2020, the $258.9 million facility was instead one of two buildings identified by the province as being available should our healthcare system become overwhelmed by a surge in COVID-19 cases.

As BC successfully flattened the curve that spring, the mental health centre finally opened to patients in July 2020. Dr. Casey says the feedback has been largely positive.

“They really like the large private rooms with en suite bathroom. They like having more common space, and they also really love the outdoor balconies,” she notes.

For caregivers, it’s already hard to imagine how they managed in their former facilities. As they continue to adjust to their new homes, they also wonder what the next year will bring as the pandemic moves into whatever its next phase will be.

“For all of us who are alive now, this is a completely new situation that we have never experienced before, so we will learn a lot.”

People of all ages can call the 24/7 Fraser Health Crisis Line (604-951-8855 or toll-free at 1-877-820–7444) if they are experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings, mental health problems, substance use issues, family violence, abuse, relationship conflicts, or loss.

Get your tickets today. Stand by our healthcare heroes and help to provide care to those in need. Not only are you supporting healthcare in BC, but you can win big too!

Discover more about the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.

*open to BC residents only, must be 19+ to play, BCLC Licence #128587. Actual odds of winning are dependent on the number of tickets sold. Know your limit, play within it.

New Westminster, BC, August 24, 2021 — Take part in Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 lottery and you could win big while supporting your healthcare heroes care for BC’s most seriously ill and injured patients.

$45,000 and growing! How high will the jackpot climb? When your healthcare heroes win, so do you!

Tickets are 10 for $10, 50 for $20 and 200 for $40!

Deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, September 1, 2021 at 11:59:59pm. Enter now for a chance to win big and help Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. The lucky winner gets half the final jackpot!

Buy tickets today! Tickets must be purchased on their website.

About Royal Columbian Hospital

From the beginning, Royal Columbian Hospital has stood at the heart of health care in British Columbia. Created by visionary pioneers to provide compassionate care to those building a new province, we have participated in the social and economic changes of British Columbia since 1862. Today, we are one of British Columbia’s busiest hospitals, serving a population of more than 1.8 million people. We are a regional referral hospital for cardiac, trauma, neurosciences, high-risk maternity and neonatal intensive care. No other hospital in the province provides all of these services, at this level of care, on one site. We provide the highest level of care to the most critically ill and injured from throughout the province.

Revolutionizing Patient Care

Royal Columbian Hospital is undergoing one of the most ambitious hospital redevelopments in Canadian history. This redevelopment goes beyond rebuilding a hospital. It is transformational. This multi-year, multi-phase $1.49 billion redevelopment will revolutionize the way we deliver care to our patients by creating a world-class, state-of-the-art hospital that provides uncompromising care.

The cornerstone of the project – a new Acute Care Tower – will elevate lifesaving care that serves one third of our province’s population in the largest and fastest growing health region in BC.

Our vision is to create a world-class hospital: a state-of-the art facility that provides uncompromising care and remarkable patient experiences. With a larger footprint and the introduction of cutting-edge technology, we will continue to respond to the needs of patients in their most urgent, life-altering moments.

A Transformation in Interventional Care

Intervention is at the core of modern health care. Every day, interventional specialists at Royal Columbian Hospital step forward to turn the tide for their patients – often with minimally-invasive procedures including heart and stroke emergencies.

Our world-class medical teams perform more open-heart surgeries and treat more emergency heart attacks than any other hospital in BC. For this reason, RCH is often considered the region’s emergency room for the heart. Royal Columbian is home to the busiest cardiac intervention unit in Canada, performing more angioplasties than any other hospital in the country. We are also our region’s only site performing open-heart surgery, with more than 1,000 cases annually. This is the most of any hospital in BC. RCH also has the province’s only mobile ECLS (extracorporeal life support) team, ready to respond at a moment’s notice to retrieve from other hospitals patients whose heart and/or lungs are failing. Often, this is a patient’s very last chance at life.

Meanwhile, the Interventional Radiology (IR) department at RCH provides some of the most complex image-guided procedures in the Fraser Health region and the province. These procedures are utilized for patients experiencing challenging medical conditions with origins in the vascular, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, musculoskeletal and nervous systems, among others. Royal Columbian plays an integral role in stroke care in our region, as the cornerstone of a 24/7 Acute Stroke Team, including comprehensive stroke care by our interventional radiologists. RCH has also led the implementation of innovative image-guided cancer treatments in the region.

The creation of an interventional superfloor in the Acute Care Tower with multiple interventional suites will equip us with advanced, state-of-the art imaging technology that allows for absolute precision. This floor will house eight interventional suites that will be universal, meaning that if needed, any suite could be used for either interventional cardiology or radiology. At opening, four suites will be used exclusively for interventional cardiac procedures and four suites for interventional radiology. These new suites will have increased functionality. Unlike our current catheterization labs, they will be equipped and designed for procedures like trans-aortic valve implantation (TAVI), to replace failing heart valves, and cardiac ablation to correct arrhythmias.

Without question, cutting-edge technology is an essential component of interventional procedures. Specialists rely on monitoring and real-time imaging technology to complete critical procedures. Each interventional suite will be equipped with advanced, state-of-the-art technology that allows for absolute precision – and the best possible outcomes for patients.

As well as supporting interventional care, Royal Columbian’s redevelopment will include a new, larger Emergency department with a medical imaging unit strategically placed within the ER, new and larger maternity, pediatric, and neonatal intensive care units, and multiple floors for acute and critical care patients. 

This transformation is one example of how you can help by purchasing your tickets.

Get your tickets today. Support our healthcare heroes and help to provide care to those in need. Not only are you supporting healthcare in BC, but you can win big too!

Discover more about the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.

*open to BC residents only, must be 19+ to play, BCLC Licence #128587. Actual odds of winning are dependent on the number of tickets sold. Know your limit, play within it.

New Westminster, BC, August 16, 2021 — Support BC’s most seriously ill and injured patients by taking part in Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 lottery. You could win big while supporting your healthcare heroes!

The jackpot is nearing $40,000, how high will the jackpot climb? When your healthcare heroes win, so do you!

Tickets are 10 for $10, 50 for $20 and 200 for $40!

Deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday, September 1^st, 2021 at 11:59:59pm. Enter now for a chance to win big and help Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. The lucky winner gets half the final jackpot!

Buy tickets today! Tickets must be purchased on their website.

About Royal Columbian Hospital

From the beginning, Royal Columbian Hospital has stood at the heart of health care in British Columbia. Created by visionary pioneers to provide compassionate care to those building a new province, we have participated in the social and economic changes of British Columbia since 1862. Today, we are one of British Columbia’s busiest hospitals, serving a population of more than 1.8 million people. We are a regional referral hospital for cardiac, trauma, neurosciences, high-risk maternity and neonatal intensive care. No other hospital in the province provides all of these services, at this level of care, on one site. We provide the highest level of care to the most critically ill and injured from throughout the province.

The Impact of Royal Columbian Hospital

After Kulwant Samra tested positive for COVID-19, the 51-year-old Abbotsford man isolated himself from his family in a room in his home. He was tired and short of breath in the first half of June 2020, as businesses and schools in the province were re-opening following the initial protective measures taken during the start of the pandemic. Kulwant was initially still able to work remotely for his trucking company, dispatching a driver by phone the day he truly became alarmed by how he felt. His last memory was leaving his home by ambulance, before waking up eight weeks later at Royal Columbian Hospital.

“I called 911, because I know my body,” Kulwant says. “I wasn’t able to stand up. I was not able to take a breath.”

Feeling dizzy, Kulwant fell to the ground outside his home as the ambulance arrived.

“I said, ‘Give me oxygen’. I was taking my breaths very heavy,” he recalls. After being placed in an ambulance, Kulwant remembers nothing until mid-summer.

“The day I opened my eyes, it was August 6th, about afternoon,” he says. The nurse was sitting in front of me. I had tubes in my mouth, nose, and everywhere.”

During the time in between, Kulwant was initially brought to his local hospital. His family grew increasingly worried that his condition was not improving. Eventually, he was transferred to Royal Columbian’s Intensive Care Unit.

“Mr. Samra was very sick with COVID19, and he required the full spectrum of care that an ICU can offer,” says Royal Columbian Hospital Medical Director and critical care physician Dr. Steve Reynolds. “Thankfully he responded well.”

After regaining consciousness in August, Kulwant connected with his daughter by video call from the ICU. Unable to speak because of the tubes in his mouth, Kulwant took pen to paper and wrote a brief message: 1-4-3, shorthand for ‘I love you.’

“She couldn’t understand what the 1-4-3 means,” he laughs.

Kulwant has developed a special affinity for those who cared for him, the nursing team in particular.

“They were so friendly that I cannot forget their service in my life at all,” he says. “Me, my wife and my daughter, we chat every day about them. And I do remember all of their names.”

Two weeks after his first memory of the ICU, Kulwant left Royal Columbian, going straight from the ICU to his home, 48 pounds lighter than before.

“We were all delighted to see him head home,” says Dr. Reynolds. “I cared for him early on in his illness when he was on life support. I came back a few weeks later, and you can imagine my surprise and pleasure at seeing him sitting up, waving and waiting to go home.”

Stand by our healthcare heroes and our patients, like Kulwant, by getting your tickets today. Not only are you supporting healthcare in BC, but you can win big too!

Discover more about the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.

*open to BC residents only, must be 19+ to play, BCLC Licence #128587. Actual odds of winning are dependent on the number of tickets sold. Know your limit, play within it.

New Westminster, BC, August 11, 2021 — Help support exceptional care for BC’s most seriously ill and injured patients. Take part in Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 lottery and you could win big while supporting your healthcare heroes.

How high will the jackpot climb? When your healthcare heroes win, so do you!

Tickets are 10 for $10, 50 for $20 and 200 for $40!

Buy tickets today! Tickets must be purchased on the website.

Deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday September 1^st, 2021 at 11:59:59pm. Enter now for a chance to win big and help Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. The lucky winner gets half the final jackpot!

About Royal Columbian Hospital

If you or a loved one has come through our doors, you know why a third of British Columbians rely on Royal Columbian Hospital for critical care.

We are the only hospital in BC with trauma, cardiac, neurosciences, high-risk maternity & neonatal intensive care on one site. We are also one of Fraser Health’s three primary COVID-19 sites. We look after some of our province’s most seriously ill and injured patients. In addition, we are a teaching hospital and a UBC Clinical Academic Campus.

A Transformation in care for infants, children and their families

As a high-risk maternity centre, Royal Columbian is the only facility in BC with surgical and interventional services to treat pregnant patients with certain complex issues involving trauma or cardiology. The hospital provides comprehensive services for infants, children and their families, all of which will see major change with expanded facilities as part of redevelopment plans. With an entire floor devoted to both maternity and neonatal intensive care, along with a new pediatric department, there will be a significant emphasis on family-centered care.

As a referral centre for high-risk maternity, RCH delivers 3,000 babies annually – and with the Fraser Health region’s projected population growth, this number is sure to climb. These include pregnancies with co-existing health conditions, those at risk of delivering prematurely, and those diagnosed with severe obstetric complications. The new Acute Care Tower will house a new 48-bed Maternity department, with most rooms slated to be single-patient rooms to allow families the opportunity to bond in a private and dignified setting. In addition, inpatient and outpatient services for maternity care will be located together, allowing for a more connected health network and less stress for patients.

Our Variety Neonatal Intensive Care Unit cares for hundreds of critically ill babies each year. Born as young as 23 weeks, these babies come to us facing a number of life-threatening medical challenges. Since 1997, the Canadian Neonatal Network has recognized RCH’s NICU as consistently ranking among the top in the country for achieving excellent survival rates for babies who are born before their due date and very low rates of complications related to prematurity. To support babies in a precarious state of health, it’s essential that we have both the facilities and access to comprehensive technology. We envision a new NICU with the technology to care for our most fragile patients in a setting that allows families to bond in uncertain and overwhelming moments. The NICU will feature 24 single-patient rooms designed to support babies who require specialized one-to-one care. Most notably, these private rooms, with direct access to natural light, will provide the space and furnishings for families to stay with their baby overnight and develop long-term bonds. The NICU will also include respite space for families to gather, prepare snacks and participate in education sessions. In addition to offering cutting-edge technology, our goal is to create an environment that promotes healing, growth, and encourages bonding – which will give premature babies the best possible start in life. 

In addition to providing support during high-risk pregnancies and for newborns requiring critical care, Royal Columbian Hospital is a regional pediatric care centre. In the redevelopment, the Pediatric department will grow by four additional beds for a total of 16. The new pediatric unit will provide every child and family with their own private room with an ensuite washroom and a sleeping area. These changes are not only designed to increase capacity and efficiency; they will also allow for increased privacy, patient dignity, and family bonding. The pediatric unit, at just over 8,600 square feet, will also feature a playroom which will be a designated ‘no treatment’ area and will be equipped with games and toys for patients to enjoy. A kitchenette and family lounge will also be included.

Your ticket purchase helps us with these redevelopment plans, helps our healthcare heroes and helps to save lives. Not only are you supporting healthcare in BC, but you can win big too!

Discover more about the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.

*open to BC residents only, must be 19+ to play, BCLC Licence #128587. Actual odds of winning are dependent on the number of tickets sold. Know your limit, play within it.

New Westminster, BC, August 3, 2021 — Help support exceptional care for BC’s most seriously ill and injured patients. Take part in Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 lottery and you could win big while giving back and supporting your healthcare heroes.

How high will the jackpot climb? When your healthcare heroes win, so do you!

Tickets are 10 for $10, 50 for $20 and 200 for $40!

Buy tickets today! Tickets must be purchased on the website.

Deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday September 1^st, 2021 at 11:59:59pm. Enter now for a chance to win big and help Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. The lucky winner gets half the final jackpot!

About Royal Columbian Hospital

What is the greatest challenge you have ever had to overcome? Vince Li faced his in the spring of 2020, when a severe virus took hold and forced him into the toughest fight of his life.

It started with a fever that quickly spiked. After several days with no improvement, Vince made his way to the local emergency room. There, an X-ray and blood tests revealed the tell-tale signs of COVID-19. With extremely low oxygen levels, he was immediately sedated, intubated, and sent to Royal Columbian Hospital.

With shocking speed, Vince had gone from being a healthy, active 26-year-old to critically ill. A personal trainer, competing in boxing and jujitsu tournaments, Vince says, “While I never expected something like this to happen to me, I am grateful to have been brought into the care of a team that was ready and able to give me my best chance at life”. 

Already serving one-third of British Columbians, Royal Columbian Hospital’s vital role in ensuring the health of our communities has become even more significant during the global COVID-19 pandemic. But help is needed to ensure that Royal Columbian remains ready to take on life’s most critical moments, now and always.

What stood out for Vince during his time at Royal Columbian is the quality of care he received. Everyone – from the doctors, to the nurses and physiotherapists – fought tirelessly for his recovery, all while bravely facing countless challenges and pressures brought by the pandemic.

Following Vince’s hospital stay, he found he was struggling to make it up a flight of stairs without panting. Now, just over a year later, Vince has successfully run a half-marathon; he was determined not to let COVID win and is able to continue to tell his story. When we are facing our biggest fears and greatest challenges, we all deserve a team in our corner. Help our healthcare heroes to fight for patients like Vince and so many others, by purchasing your tickets to the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation 5050 Lottery today.

If you or a loved one has come through our doors, you know why a third of British Columbians rely on Royal Columbian Hospital for critical care.

We are the only hospital in BC with trauma, cardiac, neurosciences, high-risk maternity & neonatal intensive care on one site. We are also one of Fraser Health’s three primary COVID-19 sites. We look after some of our province’s most seriously ill and injured patients. In addition, we are a teaching hospital and a UBC Clinical Academic Campus.

For our healthcare heroes, the fight isn’t over yet, but you can help them keep fighting by entering now for your chance to win big.

Discover more about the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.

*open to BC residents only, must be 19+ to play, BCLC Licence #128587. Actual odds of winning are dependent on the number of tickets sold. Know your limit, play within it.

New Westminster, BC, July 26, 2021 — Help support exceptional care for BC’s most seriously ill and injured patients. Take part in Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 lottery and you could win big while supporting your healthcare heroes.

How high will the jackpot climb? When your healthcare heroes win, so do you!

Tickets are 10 for $10, 50 for $20 and 200 for $40!

Buy tickets today! Tickets must be purchased on the website.

Deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday September 1^st, 2021 at 11:59:59pm. Enter now for a chance to win big and help Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. The lucky winner gets half the final jackpot!

About Royal Columbian Hospital

From the beginning, Royal Columbian Hospital has stood at the heart of health care in British Columbia. Created by visionary pioneers to provide compassionate care to those building a new province, we have participated in the social and economic changes of British Columbia since 1862. Today, we are one of British Columbia’s busiest hospitals, serving a population of more than 1.8 million people. We are a regional referral hospital for cardiac, trauma, neurosciences, high-risk maternity and neonatal intensive care. No other hospital in the province provides all of these services, at this level of care, on one site. We provide the highest level of care to the most critically ill and injured from throughout the province.

Revolutionizing Patient Care

Royal Columbian Hospital is undergoing one of the most ambitious hospital redevelopments in Canadian history. This redevelopment goes beyond rebuilding a hospital. It is transformational. This multi-year, multi-phase $1.49 billion redevelopment will revolutionize the way we deliver care to our patients by creating a world-class, state-of-the-art hospital that provides uncompromising care.

The cornerstone of the project – a new Acute Care Tower – will elevate lifesaving care that serves one third of our province’s population in the largest and fastest growing health region in BC.

Our vision is to create a world-class hospital: a state-of-the art facility that provides uncompromising care and remarkable patient experiences. With a larger footprint and the introduction of cutting-edge technology, we will continue to respond to the needs of patients in their most urgent, life-altering moments.

A Transformation in emergency and trauma care

Trauma physicians refer to the first hour after a traumatic injury as the ‘golden hour’ – they are the critical minutes for medical and surgical intervention.   When a traumatic incident occurs, the clock starts to tick. Every moment counts – and life hangs in the balance.

The Emergency Department, one of the most highly utilized in the province, is the entry point to trauma care, and both services will receive significant additions during the hospital’s redevelopment. The new Acute Care Tower will house a larger Emergency department with 75 state-of-the-art treatment bays – increasing total space by more than half.

As one of two Level 1 Trauma Centres for adults in BC, Royal Columbian is equipped, trained and certified to deal with large-scale catastrophes. It receives more Air Ambulance patients directly from accident scenes than any other hospital in the province.

In the new Acute Care Tower, the Emergency Department will include four trauma bays and a new Imaging Unit, strategically placed within the Emergency Department to drastically speed up access to diagnostic procedures.

Also, one operating room will be purpose-built and always available for trauma patients, to help avoid interrupting scheduled surgeries.

These additions and improvements will speed up admission, assessment and treatment. The hospital will have more space to accommodate all types of ER patients, and trauma patients can avoid being moved from one part of the hospital to another to get the scans they need.

As well as supporting emergency and trauma care, Royal Columbian’s redevelopment will include an interventional super floor with operating rooms and interventional radiology and cardiology suites, new and larger maternity, pediatric, and neonatal intensive care units, and multiple floors for acute and critical care patients. 

This transformation is one example of how you can help by purchasing your tickets.

Get your tickets today. Support our healthcare heroes and help to provide care to those in need.

Discover more about the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation.

*open to BC residents only, must be 19+ to play, BCLC Licence #128587. Actual odds of winning are dependent on the number of tickets sold. Know your limit, play within it.

New Westminster, BC, June 9, 2021 — Just hours left to purchase tickets for a chance to win while  supporting exceptional care for BC’s most seriously ill and injured patients. Join Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation’s 50/50 lottery and you could win big while giving back. Get your tickets now!

Tickets are 10 for $10, 50 for $20 and 200 for $40!

Ticket sale deadline is midnight tonight with the draw taking place on June 10^th! One lucky winner will receive half of a jackpot that is over $50,000. When your healthcare heroes win, so do you!

Tickets are 10 for $10, 50 for $20 and 200 for $40!

Deadline to purchase tickets is Wednesday June 9^th at 11:59:59pm. Enter now for a chance to win big and help Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. The lucky winner gets half the final jackpot!

Buy tickets today! Tickets must be purchased on the website.

About Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation:

If you or a loved one has come through our doors, you know why a third of British Columbians rely on Royal Columbian Hospital for critical care.

We are the only hospital in BC with trauma, cardiac, neurosciences, high-risk maternity & neonatal intensive care on one site. We are also one of Fraser Health’s three primary COVID-19 sites. You are invited to take a look at what is happening today in RCH’s ICU, through this CBC news story, as the staff work tirelessly to care for the sickest COVID patients in the region.  View our website.

*open to BC residents only, must be 19+ to play, BCLC Licence #128254. Actual odds of winning are dependent on the number of tickets sold. Know your limit, play within it.