Largest employer in Richmond Hill is first hospital in York Region to participate in Trillium Gift of Life Network’s Gift of 8 Movement Workplace initiative
Richmond Hill/Vaughan – November 26, 2012 – Last week, staff, physicians and volunteers at Mackenzie Health launched the Trillium Gift of Life Network’s Gift of 8 Movement Workplace initiative by holding a registration drive with a simple ask: register to be an organ and tissue donor.
“We are very proud to participate in such an important initiative and the response of our healthcare team has been very inspiring,” said Altaf Stationwala, President and CEO, Mackenzie Health. “As the first hospital in York Region and one of the first businesses in Richmond Hill to participate, our goal is to inspire others to take on this important challenge.”
Following the week-long launch campaign, 100 Mackenzie Health staff, physicians, volunteers, friends and family have visited our dedicated campaign page, beadonor.ca/mackenziehealth to register their consent for organ and tissue donation or to check their registration status. As a participant in the York Region Gift of Life registration challenge, Mackenzie Health will continue its efforts to encourage new registrants until January 31, 2013.
Organ donation in Ontario has tremendous support; while 80 % of Ontarians say giving consent for organ and tissue donation in advance is very important to them, fewer than 25% have actually registered. In York Region, this number is even lower in communities like Richmond Hill and Vaughan which have registration rates of 11% and 9% respectively.
The Gift of 8 Movement Workplace initiative was designed to address this disconnect between intention and action. Engaging with Ontarians where they work, gives them the opportunity and inspiration to follow through on their intent.
“Encouraging more Ontarians to register as organ and tissue donors is critically important because too many Ontarians die before receiving the organ transplant they need,” said Ronnie Gavsie, President and CEO of Trillium Gift of Life Network. “When we launched beadonor.ca last year, we made it easier for Ontarians to register their consent. Now, by bringing this awareness into the workplace, we are making it even easier for companies like Mackenzie Health to engage their employees and to make a difference in the lives of Ontarians.”
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About Mackenzie Health
- Mackenzie Health is a major regional healthcare provider for Southwest York Region and will include two hospital sites –the existing Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital (formerly York Central Hospital) and the future Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital.
- Both Mackenzie Health hospitals will offer core services. Specialized services will be distributed based on community needs and most appropriate location.
- Southwest York Region is one of the fastest growing and most diverse communities in Canada.
- Includes Mackenzie Richmond Hill Hospital, a 488 bed hospital located in one of Canada’s fastest growing communities
- Over 85,000 visits annually to its Emergency Department
- Serves more than 500,000 people in Southwest York Region and beyond
About Trillium Gift of Life Network
Trillium Gift of Life Network is a not-for-profit agency of the Government of Ontario and is responsible for planning, promoting, coordinating and supporting organ and tissue donation for transplantation across Ontario and improving the system so that more lives can be saved.