A major contribution from the BMO Financial Group will provide a significant boost for Penticton Regional Hospital.
BMO is donating $50,000 to the South Okanagan Similkameen (SOS) Medical Foundation’s $20-million campaign to provide the medical equipment for the PRH expansion now underway.
Ian Teetzel, BMO’s vice-president of business banking for the South Okanagan-Kootenays, noted BMO has a track record of supporting local communities. The SOS Medical Foundation’s PRH campaign is an ideal cause for the BMO Financial Group to support.
Teetzel, who lives in Penticton, said it is also good for the local economy and the bank’s 30 employees in the community.
“It’s important that we honour the local employees and the fact that we’ve been here for over 110 years in Penticton,” he said. “We couldn’t have been here without the people of Penticton.”
John Duff, BMO’s regional vice-president of personal banking for the Southern Interior, said supporting health care is an important aspect of BMO’s corporate responsibility.
“It’s about building a stronger community. This certainly does that for health care delivery in the South Okanagan in particular,” Duff said. “A brand new facility such as this is going to attract new people to this part of the Valley, and makes it easier for our business customers to attract new employees.”
Carey Bornn, the SOS Medical Foundation’s executive director, said the BMO contribution will benefit the 90,000 residents throughout the South Okanagan-Similkameen.
“BMO’s generosity reflects the widespread support the PRH expansion project has received from the entire regional community,” Bornn said. “It is extremely gratifying to see and, of course, very welcome.”
The $312.5-million PRH expansion will include 84 new single-bed rooms in the six-storey tower, plus ambulatory care clinics, surgical operating rooms and more to be ready for patients by early 2019. Phase 2 will see a major upgrade to the hospital’s emergency department. A parkade with room for 480 vehicles will also be constructed immediately south of the new tower.