Lazaridis foundation donates $8.5M to local hospitals
WATERLOO REGION — The Lazaridis Family Foundation has donated $8.5 million to local hospitals to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing the purchase of necessary equipment including beds, ventilators and personal protective equipment.
The series of gifts from the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Family Foundation went to Cambridge Memorial Hospital, Grand River Hospital, St. Mary’s General Hospital and the South Bruce Grey Health Centre early this year, even before the virus arrived in Waterloo Region.
Mike Lazaridis’ personal help also improved their ability to respond by opening doors to contacts and supply chains around the world, creating bridges to the tech and innovation sector, and providing his insight.
“We didn’t even have to ask,”
Grand River’s president and chief executive officer Ron Gagnon said in a joint statement released Monday announcing the donation.
“In late February, before any of our communities had experienced their first confirmed cases of COVID-19, Mike Lazaridis was in contact with us. He was keenly aware of the health care system challenges that were about to unfold.”
All four hospitals expanded capacity to prepare for unprecedented numbers of patients, while ensuring staff safety.
“When planning for additional space for very sick patients at our hospitals we needed to think big and creatively,” said St. Mary’s president Lee Fairclough.
The hospitals were able to buy the needed equipment early, including for laboratory testing, which Fairclough said “will serve patients and the community over the long term.”
The urgency of the COVID-19 response pushed hospitals to try new approaches to emerging challenges, such as using newly developed software for screening staff to working with local companies to develop new supply chains for protective equipment.
“Taking risks isn’t something often associated with hospitals,” said Cambridge Memorial’s president and CEO Patrick Gaskin.
“The Lazaridis family’s gift and Mike’s encouragement and connections opened up the opportunity to try new and innovative approaches to solving problems. Our communities will benefit from what we’ve been able to do long after the COVID-19 pandemic ends.”
Mike Lazaridis said he and his wife Ophelia wanted to help the community at a time of urgent need to make sure hospitals and workers could prepare early.
“We’re pleased to have this opportunity to enable, and to witness, the passion and innovative spirit of the staff and physicians at these hospitals,” he said in the release.
“I am also so proud of the entrepreneurs in the Region of Waterloo and how they have stepped forward and worked with our hospitals and health care workers to create new supply chains and solutions to keep patients and providers safe.”