The Sunshine Coast Hospice Society will be focusing on the upcoming build of additional hospice beds in 2019.
President of the Society, Denis Fafard said now that Vancouver Coastal Health has resolved the issue of finding a location for the new Trellis facility and reached an agreement on the labour side the two sides can sit down and discuss where a new hospice facility should be located.
“In the meantime, we are getting ready. We will be visiting other hospice societies. There are two pieces that we really have to take a look at. We have to take a look at the funding model, like what kind of funding relationship we will establish with Vancouver Coastal Health and then the second part is, of course, what the nature of that facility would be and what our community needs are.”
Fafard said the choices for a location up to now are to build hospice into the new Trellis facility or in a refurbished Shornecliffe facility.
The plan is to sit down with VCH next month to discuss the way forward.
In the meantime, Fafard said plans are underway for the annual Hike for Hospice event that’s been a great fundraiser for the Hospice Society.
“It’s been a fabulous fundraiser because of the support of the community. Businesses every year contribute maybe 20,000 to 25,000 dollars and then with money from the community, we raised around 50,000 dollars. For an organization of our size that’s a huge gift from the community.”
That event will be held May 5th.
