Page 4 - GBGH Foundation Newsletter - Winter 2026

HONOURING INNOVATION & HEART

At the GBGH Foundation’s Annual General Meeting on June 23, we proudly
presented the 2025 Robbert Hartog Health Innovation Award to two outstanding
team members: Alex Rawn and Alanna Bouffard. Established in 2009, this award
honours the legacy of longtime GBGH champion Robbert Hartog and includes a
shared $5,000 professional development grant.

Alanna, a Registered Nurse in the Emergency Department, brings exceptional
skill and compassion to the front lines. She is also a passionate advocate for
diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), helping lead initiatives like
Bell Let’s Talk Day, the #ItStarts campaign, and new learning modules for staff.

Alex has served in many roles — from Registered Nurse to Clinical Supervisor
— and in each, her calm leadership and commitment to teamwork shine. She ALANNA AND ALEX RECEIVE THE 2025 HARTOG
has played a key role in launching new programs and integrating innovative AWARD FOR THEIR INNOVATION AND HEART.
technology across Obstetrics, Surgical Services, and Ambulatory Care.

We proudly celebrate Alanna and Alex, who remind us that excellent care begins
with people.

CAMPAIGN PROGRESS

In September 2025, the Foundation officially launched the We See You: Inside and Out
campaign, a bold $20-million initiative to build an acute mental health wing at GBGH and
invest in priority medical equipment & technology across every department of the hospital.

Your response has been incredible! Prior to September, more than $14-million had been pledged to the campaign. And
since then, an additional $5.5-million! We are thrilled to share that because of this overwhelming generosity, we are
working with GBGH to identify additional services and capital needs so we can expand the impact of We See You and
stretch our fundraising goal to $25-million!

This campaign is already impacting our hospital, our teams and the thousands of patients we treat every year. From the
very beginning, this campaign has been about people, about the power of community and not just numbers.

The new goal of $25-million will continue to be a game changer, but its true impact lies in what it represents: a
community united in meeting the needs of health care close to home.

Stay tuned for more info by signing up for our emails (if you haven’t already): gbghf.ca/subscribe

From diagnosis to recovery, your generosity is part of every patient journey. Thank you!

“THE ‘WE SEE YOU’ CAMPAIGN AT GBGH IS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO SHINE A LIGHT ON HUMAN GOODNESS IN OUR
COMMUNITY. IT WILL ENSURE THE VOICES OF PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES WILL HELP SHAPE THE STANDARDS
OF CARE. BECAUSE OF THE SUPPORT OF DONORS TO THIS CAMPAIGN, MY DAUGHTER LINDSAY AND SO MANY OTHERS
WILL HAVE ACCESS TO CARE THAT MEETS THEM WHERE THEY ARE, RESPECTS THEIR NEEDS AND HELPS THEM HEAL.”

JOANNE BYRICK WE SEE YOU CAMPAIGN ADVOCATE & VOLUNTEER

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