Funds raised by the Children's Hospital Foundation provide extras to the Hospital making a good facility into a world-class health centre.

As a result of community support, CHEO has a $2 million heart-catheterization laboratory and a $6 million state-of-the-art research facility. Funds raised by the Foundation have helped CHEO researchers develop an antidote for Hamburger Disease, identify the genes responsible for Mytonic Muscular Dystrophy and Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and establish a national project to help combat teenage suicides. Each year, the Hospital identifies major areas that require funding. These have tradtionally fallen into one of the following areas:

  • Research start up grants,
  • Equipment,
  • Fellowships and staff education,
  • Family emergency needs, and
  • Enhancements to the paediatric nature of CHEO including books, toys, games, etc.
The Hospital and the Foundation Board collaborate to distribute the funds where the needs are greatest. In the past few years, priority has been given to replacing and upgrading aging equipment. The Resource Allocation Committee of the Medical Advisory Committee reviews submissions for new pieces of equipment and attempts to establish the priorities.

New operating room lights($22,576), escort monitors for taking vital signs($11,333), specialized ventillators for neonates($43,005), and infusion pumps for precise feeding and medication delivery($35,700) are examples of new equipment purchased recently for the Hospital.

The Foundation commits approximately $500,000 per year to the CHEO Research Institute for distribution to researchers starting new projects. These funds are awarded by the Research Institute's Science Committee. The CHEO Research Building houses laboratories where research into audiology, neonatology, genetics, paediatric kidney disease, pyschology, psychiatry, and orthopedics takes place.

Occasionally, the Hospital identifies a special project or piece of equipment that would require additional funding. Then, the Chair of the Hospital's Board of Trustees and the President of the Hospital may ask to make a presentation to the Foundation Board of Directors for special consideration.

Foundation funding also helps enhance the paediatric nature of the Hospital through improvements to the physical environment such as child-friendly decorations and play parks.

Some funding is also made available to the CHEO Social Work department for families who are in crisis and need short-term financial assistance to make it through a difficult period.

In summary, we provide most of the funding from the Foundation to the Hospital on a priority basis.

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