At Hearts for Healthcare we strive to improve healthcare in Cold Lake with the unwavering help of our community. Our aim is to ensure that everyone has access to proper care by purchasing state of the art equipment, providing upgrades to our local healthcare facilities and offering support to our healthcare professionals and the public through awareness and advocacy. Right now that is more important than ever. Together, you have helped H4H raise more than $2.2 million dollars in support of local healthcare. It has helped us prepare our healthcare professionals to properly care for us during this incredibly trying time. We hope to continue our efforts even though we made the difficult decision to cancel our main fundraiser, the 11th Annual H4H Gala. Therefore, we have launched this Support of Our Community Healthcare Professionals fundraiser to keep providing additional much needed equipment, including a Hamilton VENTILATOR a very important piece to have during this pandemic.

We are also focusing on offering support through awareness and advocacy by creating a bridge between healthcare facilities and the public; making sure that everyone is up to date on such aspects as: how/where to access appointments with a medical professional (attached and unattached patients), what to do if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, where/how you can access emergency services for eyecare, dentistry, physio etc. We are also wanting to provide support to our community businesses that are offering essential services at this time. We keep in constant contact with the Cold Lake Healthcare Centre, Cold Lake PCN, Cold Lake Community Health Services (Health Unit), the medical clinics and also other healthcare facilities (Eye Care, Dentists, Physiotherapy etc) to ask where we can help the most, to ensure that funding is going to where it counts. We want to express our gratitude to you and your teams for prioritizing the health and safety of our community. Please know that we will do our best to support your efforts in the best way possible by consulting with our healthcare professionals and listening to the needs of our community.

Our goal is to work together to encourage best practices during this time...stay home, practise social distancing and know who to contact for information and help; to lift spirits and focus on positivity. Here is a list of some of the emergent funding needs required in preparation for what is to come:-Hamilton Ventilator for Emergency Department-Tenor Lift for Long term Care-P500 Therapy Surface for Long Term Care-Sit/Stand Lift for Long Term Care-Emergency Department alterations to prepare for treatment of COVID-19 patients (adding temp. walls for COVID-19 patient care)-Hand sanitizer for essential service providers, including restaurants, pharmacies, etc-Healthcare professional support and well-wishes-Other requests as they arise Remember, we can best help our healthcare professionals by reciprocating their kindness and continuing to follow best practices...by properly protecting yourselves, your family and your neighbours by staying home, social distancing and self-isolating.

Let's all say a huge thank you to the men and women tasked with caring for us. We are better together, even apart. #bettertogether #flattenthecurve