Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Valley Regional Hospital Foundation (VRHF)

Valley Regional Hospital Foundation is a charitable foundation created in 1985 to mobilize community financial support for Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville, Nova Scotia. Originally formed to raise $8 million toward the construction of the regional hospital, it has since provided more than $21 million to improve healthcare in the Annapolis Valley. The Foundation channels donations from individuals, businesses, service clubs and events into priority equipment purchases, hospital programs and direct supports for patients.

The Foundation plays a central role in funding capital equipment such as CT and MRI scanners, portable digital X‑ray and ultrasound machines, ventilators, anesthetic machines, surgical navigation systems, patient lifts, fetal monitors and mammography equipment. Many large items are co‑funded in partnership with other health foundations and auxiliaries across Nova Scotia’s western zone, allowing regional projects to move ahead more quickly than core public funding alone would permit.

Beyond equipment, Valley Regional Hospital Foundation supports a range of hospital and community‑based programs. An ongoing example is the annual $50,000 grant to the Chaplaincy Program, which provides spiritual and emotional support for patients and families. The Foundation has also funded initiatives such as mental health and addictions programming, the Kings County Senior Safety Society, and community‑oriented projects like Holly Carr’s “Light in the Forest”.

The organization manages several designated funds that provide direct financial assistance to patients facing barriers to care. The Cancer Care for Patients fund helps families with financial challenges work with a Patient Navigator to access oncology treatment at Valley Regional Hospital. The Renal Care Fund, established in 2022, supports dialysis patients by providing gas and grocery cards, travel assistance and incidental medical coverage so they can attend frequent treatments. The Sheila McKay Cancer Care Legacy Fund, created in partnership with the Rotary Club of Wolfville – Mud Creek, sustains and expands these supports, including complimentary parking for eligible cancer patients, with matched donations up to a set annual amount.

Since its inception, the Foundation has led a series of major campaigns aligned with hospital and regional needs. These include early capital campaigns for the hospital’s construction and medical equipment, an endowment for Chaplaincy Services, a mobile mammography program, and the “Our Community, Our Health” campaign with Valley Hospice Foundation to develop hospice and palliative care capacity, expand the emergency department, and enhance ambulatory and inpatient services. Year after year, the Foundation identifies pressing clinical and infrastructure priorities and raises funds to address them.

The primary beneficiaries of the Foundation’s grants and investments are patients and families served by Valley Regional Hospital and the broader Annapolis Valley community. Funding decisions support departments such as diagnostic imaging, surgery, women and children’s health, intensive care, emergency services, and mental health and addictions. Patient‑centred funds ensure that financial hardship does not prevent individuals from accessing life‑saving care. By convening donors, sponsors, and community partners, Valley Regional Hospital Foundation strengthens local healthcare, shortens wait times for new technologies, and improves comfort, safety and outcomes for thousands of residents each year.