BMO Financial Group is donating $250,000, one of the largest donations of its kind, to Surrey Hospitals Foundation to help further the professional development of pediatric nurses. This is the largest grant invested for pediatric nursing professional development in Fraser Health's history, and will benefit the health care of children in the region. Surrey Memorial Hospital is the pediatric hub of BC as the largest provider of newborn and pediatric health care in the province, treating more than 50,000 babies and children annually.

By DESIBUZZCanada Staff

SURREY – BMO Financial Group is donating $250,000, one of the largest donations of it’s kind, to Surrey Hospitals Foundation to help further the professional development of pediatric nurses. This is the largest grant invested for pediatric nursing professional development in Fraser Health's history, and will benefit the health care of children in the region.

Surrey Memorial Hospital is the pediatric hub of BC as the largest provider of newborn and pediatric health care in the province, treating more than 50,000 babies and children annually.

The Maternity Clinics at Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre (JPOCSC) see over 20,000 patient visits every year, and the Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic is part of the only specialized clinic in Fraser Health that provides in-depth and ongoing care for women with complex and high-risk pregnancies.

 “This is an incredibly important investment, especially with almost half of BC’s children residing in the Fraser Health region, most of them in Surrey alone,” says Dermot Kelly, Fraser Health’s Vice President of Community Hospitals and Health Services. “Surrey Memorial Hospital is a major high risk birthing centre for the Fraser Health region and donations like these are absolutely critical in supporting development of our pediatric nursing staff who provide care for newborns, children and youth.”

 “We’re proud to support the Surrey Hospitals Foundation as their new pediatric clinical partner. While this program targets pediatric nurses, the benefits will be felt by many children and their families in the region” says James Kitamura, Regional President, Personal Banking, British Columbia and Yukon Region, BMO Bank of Montreal. “At BMO, we’re committed to Growing the Good in business and life which extends to our communities and in this case, the busiest pediatric hospital in the province.”

Surrey Memorial Hospital is a major clinical education centre where approximately 2,100 clinical learners receive training annually. BMO’s pediatric nursing education grant will help up to 25 pediatric nurses each year acquire new skills and training. The program will benefit qualified nursing staff at Surrey Memorial Hospital who work in the Children’s Health Centre, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Family Birthing Unit or Pediatric Emergency Department, to develop new skills, upgrade their diplomas to Bachelor degrees, and participate in specialized education for new medical services and treatments.

Photo: BMO Financial Group has gifted Surrey Hospitals Foundation $250,000 as new pediatric clinical partner. (From left) Tina Sangha, Surrey Memorial Hospital NICU NRP Instructor Trainer; James Kitamura, Regional President of Personal Banking at BMO Financial Group; Jane Adams, Surrey Hospitals Foundation CEO; and Dermot Kelly, Fraser Health’s Vice President, Community Hospitals & Health Services.