The Vaughan Health Care Foundation raised $1,030,000 at its second annual fundraising event An Enchanted Garden Gala, held on October 23. This sold-out event was presented by RBC Royal Bank and the Carpenters’ Union and hosted by CityTV Breakfast Television personalities Frank Ferragine (Frankie Flowers) and Jennifer Valentyne.

 

At the event, Vaughan Health Care Foundation Chair, Michael DeGasperis, announced the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s commitment

to support a capital planning grant to move to the next stage of planning for new hospital services in Vaughan. Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, George Smitherman, MPP brought greetings from the Premier of Ontario to guests.

 

“We are truly pleased by the generosity and commitment that our community continues to demonstrate year after year in support of bringing additional health services, including a hospital, to Vaughan,” says Mr DeGasperis, “We are also thrilled that our government has recognized the health care needs of our ever-growing community and has given approval to move forward with planning for Vaughan’s first hospital.”

 

The Vaughan Health Campus of Care hospital planning initiative has entered into the Business Case/Master Programming/Master Planning stage of development, according to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s capital planning process. The ministry will provide a capital grant for this initiative. This approval follows the submission made last spring by the Central Local Health Integration Network and the Vaughan Health Care Foundation identifying the hospital services needs of the Vaughan community.

 

The need for greater health care infrastructure in Vaughan is well known.  With a population that will soon reach 300,000, Vaughan residents face numerous challenges in accessing the care they deserve when and where they need it most.