March 05, 2007

Saku Koivu, Captain of the Montreal Canadiens, today announced that his Foundation is committed to raising $750,000 in support of Cancer & Trauma initiatives at The Montreal General Hospital of the MUHC, in collaboration with The Montreal General Hospital Foundation.

Cancer Care

Two years ago, the Saku Koivu Foundation helped raise $2.5 million to acquire the first PET/CT in Montreal, located at the General. This new equipment has contributed greatly to patient care and the continued leadership of the MUHC as a Comprehensive Cancer Centre.

“I remain more appreciative than ever of the excellent cancer care I have received over the past five years from all the doctors, nurses and support staff at The General, especially Drs. Mulder and Whittemore” said Koivu.

The Saku Koivu Foundation is committed to raising $300,000 to make possible a significant enhancement to the PET/CT: the Discovery Dimension console.

“The new console will provide sharper image quality and reduce scan duration”, said Dr. Robert Lisbona, MUHC Chief of Medical Imaging. He noted that it would also set the stage for other enhancements of the PET/CT technology in the future.

The Saku Koivu Foundation has also committed $150,000 to the creation of a Cancer Community Outreach Program which will help make it possible for those most in need to have access to cancer services by, for example, assisting with transportation costs to and from chemotherapy or radiation treatments.

Trauma Centre

The Saku Koivu Foundation also plans to raise $300,000 for Trauma in support of the important future mission of The Montreal General Hospital as a Level I Trauma Centre, specifically the Injury Prevention Initiative and the Trauma Special Care Unit.

Most injuries are preventable and it is the goal of the Injury Prevention Initiative to engage the community in reducing injuries. The Injury Prevention Initiative engages the community at all levels through proven programs targeting high school students and their parents addressing risky behaviours such as driving under the influence, pedestrian safety, and helmet use on ski hills. It also addresses issues for the elderly to decrease the risk of falls. All these programs integrate police, pre-hospital teams and the Trauma Centre teams in educational prevention initiatives.

“Unfortunately, injuries still occur frequently and improving our capabilities to manage these events and improve outcomes is a high priority for our Trauma Centre,” said Dr. Tarek Razek, Director of the Trauma Program. The Trauma Special Care Unit represents a crucial physical environment where patients with significant injuries can be more carefully monitored. This intermediate monitoring and nursing care environment complements our ICU and Emergency Department, providing excellent supervision of patients with serious injuries.

“I know through personal experience, as do so many others, of the superb care being provided by the Trauma Team at the MUHC,” said Koivu.

The Saku Koivu Foundation will raise funds from individuals, corporations, foundations and organizations. Donations may be made
c/o The Montreal General Hospital Foundation,
1650 Cedar Avenue, Room E6 129,
Montreal QC H3G 1A4
(514) 934-8230 (Ronald W. Collett – President)

About the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University––the Montreal Children’s, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of the founding hospitals, the goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge.

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