Couple donates another $1M to Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation

Philanthropists Martin and Denise Pick have provided another $1 million to support upgrades at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

On Tuesday during a private family event at the hospital, a new sign was unveiled to honour the couple’s contribution. The hospital says it was used for state-of-the art diagnostic technology and to help fund two new CT scanners to provide safer, more accurate scans to identify conditions such as cancer, stroke and traumatic injury.

The donation to the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation (PRHCF) was made through the Remembering Otto and Marie Pick Charitable Foundation, a family charitable fund named for Martin’s mother and father.

In 2019, the couple donated the majority of the $3.1 million required for a new learning centre at the regional hospital in Peterborough, Ont.

“Martin and Denise believe in the power of philanthropy to make their hospital and hometown great,” said PRHCF president and CEO Lesley Heighway.

“They have a long history of making transformational gifts and their generosity has been shaping the future of health care in this region for years. We’re beyond grateful for their continued support.”

The latest health and medical news
emailed to you every Sunday.

The couple have been longtime donors and volunteers with the hospital and say they continue to be inspired by the hospital’s commitment to innovation and excellence.

“Denise and I feel that the quality of health care available in a community is tied to its overall quality of life —  to its ability to grow and prosper,” stated Martin.

“We want to help make sure the doctors and nurses at PRHC have the tools they need to deliver the best care. To do that, we need to support them and give them the equipment that will allow them to innovate.”

Denise hopes their donation encourages others to join their cause.

“The more we can do to support PRHC, the more we can help improve health care for patients from Peterborough and our surrounding communities,” she said.

Heighway notes the Picks’ gift enabled the hospital this past winter to upgrade a general operating suite with “minimally invasive” surgical tools — one of four suites the foundation aims to upgrade.

Dr. Joslin Cheverie, PRHC general surgeon said the investment has given physicians access to new, leading-edge equipment to perform cancer surgeries and enabled the hospital to introduce fluorescence-guided imaging to general surgery.

“This new, specialized system is letting us operate with increased precision,” she said. “It’s an advancement that has tremendous potential for the treatment of bowel and other cancers.”

Dr. Lynn Mikula, PRHC’s president and CEO, says she and hospital staff are often inspired by the generosity of Foundation donors such as the Pick family.

“It’s so encouraging to have the support of people like Martin and Denise Pick, who care as much about our health care future as we do and are willing to invest in us and the technology we need to make our vision a reality,” she said.

“This is more important than ever, given the system-wide challenges we are facing. Addressing these challenges requires fresh thinking and innovative solutions. We simply can’t move forward without the partnership of individuals, families, and organizations who share our vision for the hospital and what we can achieve together.”