We're helping make MUHC hospitals a little more welcoming and comfortable for everyone.
Let's be honest...whether you've come to the hospital to receive treatment or sit with a loved one, your visit isn't always expected and, unfortunately, not always welcome. We get it, and we're all about easing the experience and offering a helping hand where it counts.
PO Box 23008 Vendôme, Montreal, QC H4A 3V4
Charity Registration No: 810067173 RR 0001
All about us Incorporated in 2014, the Friends of the MUHC is a registered charity supporting the McGill University Health Centre network...and even though we can’t change the reason someone comes to the hospital, we can make many things easier and thoughtfully less stressful.
We look to help wherever we can, by doing things that
we know make a real difference. It could be purchasing a specialized piece of equipment or providing a hospital-wide
in-patient service...all contributing to a more friendly
and calming environment. Our Board of Directors volunteer their time and expertise to bring the Friends’ plans to life. There is such a great camaraderie that it never seems too hard to juggle other commitments to find the time it takes to get everything done. Like they say, where there’s
a will there’s a way.
JoAnne Booth
Member At Large
I love getting to work with a great team of people who are as passionate about the MUHC as I am. I so enjoy organizing events and playing an active role in bringing our community and hospital together.
Julianne Brock
Member At Large
My grandmother founded the Helping Heart Pillow project at the MUHC and it’s an honour to follow in her footsteps. I'm excited to contribute my marketing and brand development experience towards such an important cause.
Anthea Dawson
Member At Large
With three very active kids and an accident prone husband,
the MUHC has always played
a very important role in our lives.
I am so happy to now be involved with the Friends
to help in any way I can.
Julie Hooton
Member At Large
I'm a get-involved hands-on person so the Friends' approach to volunteering for the MUHC community is right in my lane.
Laura MacFarlane
President
Having spent 20 odd years out of the rat race being a full-time mum,
I was very happy to dust off my marketing skills and put them to good use
for the Friends.
Angela Mora
Program Director / Heart Pillows
After an exciting international career in PR and logistics in many countries, I am very happy to have the chance to combine my job as a busy mom of two with putting my business skills to work for the Friends.
Joanne MacPhail
Program Director / Glen Tours
I retired from the MUHC after 45 years, and chaired the closing celebrations of the Royal Victoria.
I now organize and give tours
of the Glen, an amazing,
state-of-the-art hospital.
Ana Maria Plata
Assistant Treasurer
In the midst of bringing up three little ones, I am happy to put my business and financial skills at the service of such
a beautiful cause.
Gillian Robertson
Secretary
I'm a former software developer turned stay-at-home mum, and
I enjoy giving my time
to worthwhile causes
like the Friends.
Lori Spence
Treasurer
I am very pleased to be able to use my professional accounting background to help improve the experience of patients at the MUHC, and the dedicated health care professionals that provide such excellent care.
Mary Spencer
Vice President
I'm a big fan of our beautiful new hospital and my advertising
and graphic design background
is a fun way for me
to pitch in.
THE GAME PLAN We know that being flexible and staying open-minded about how we respond to calls for help brings us the best results. It also means that our
game plan does tend to be subject to change!
So it's a good idea to check back on a regular basis to see where the action is. For the moment, our key drives are:
THE GREAT
COFFEE GIVEAWAY
A past Giving Tuesday initiative, saw us
run a $20 for 20 coffee breaks
fundraising campaign to treat our hardworking nursing teams and patient attendants to free coffee or tea during their shift in January. It seemed our generous community had other ideas, and after we matched every dollar donated, we ended up with a total of close to $20,000 to spend. So our kickstart to the year was still being
enjoyed six months later by many
more staff than we ever imagined!
comfort
cart
The name says it all.
We make a daily visit to a patient’s bedside to say hello and see if there’s anything they need to make their stay a little easier.
At any time we have up to fifty welcoming and useful items available: from personal hygiene products to make patients feel a little more like themselves...to playing cards, magazines and headphones
to help pass the time.
And everything we stock is
complimentary: nothing to pay for and
one less thing to worry about.
​
THE HEART PILLOW PROJECT
An important part of the recovery process for heart surgery patients is clearing their airways by actively coughing or sneezing. It sounds simple enough, but it can be very painful. When we first came across the Helping Heart Pillows we saw it as great
fit for the Friends and jumped at the chance to get involved. They’re beautifully designed, in the shape of a heart, and meant to be held over the incision site to take the brunt of the force. And they work.
Patients take their pillows home to
continue to help with their recovery.
glen tours
Did you know there’s a pharmacy robot at
The Glen in charge of dispensing patients’ drugs? No? Then maybe you should take a tour with one of our amazing trained guides and let them show you the other hidden gems the hospital has to offer. They are a font of knowledge and are always happy to answer questions about the amazing art exhibits, extensive lending libraries and many state-of-the-art facilities housed
on the site. Tours are open to everyone
friends
cookie Crew
It doesn’t take much to show someone they are appreciated: a simple ‘thank you’ and a big smile works wonders. That got us thinking and gave us the idea for the Friends’ Cookie Crew: building fun pop-up stations in high-traffic
areas at the Montreal Children's,
the Royal Victoria and the Montreal General
and surprising our hard-working hospital staff
with over 5000 freshly baked cookies.
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​
student
training & education
program (step)
This is a great program aimed at high school and CEGEP students, and provides them with
a unique chance to explore different career opportunities in healthcare. Chosen applicants
volunteer in their assigned hospital twice a week and, with costs covered by the Friends, attend
a two-day conference on life skills such as leadership, effective communication, dealing with loss, managing stress, and the history
of healthcare in Canada and Quebec.
all hands
on deck
ENCHANTÉ
CHOIR
We're very lucky to have our own
choir at the MUHC and these gifted
songbirds are either members of
staff or hospital volunteers.
They tell us it feeds a really important creative need and helps melt the stresses of the day away. That gets our vote.
Take a listen to their latest
virtual performances here.
THE RBC
ART and HERITAGE centre
Over the years, we have forged a very special bond with the team at the RBC Centre. We have found them event stewards, invited project donations through our website...and most recently showcased their extraordinary work in a
Giving Tuesday zoom lecture entitled
How Art Helps Us Heal.
To enjoy this recorded event yourself
please click here.
our impact
Quite simply, we buy critical inventory and fund essential programs and services for staff and patients across all MUHC locations. With no staff costs to cover and minimal overhead expenses, we use 100% of your donation, in addition to our own, to make every dollar work harder. To date these
have included:
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Alarmed cushions
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Baby scale and trolley
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Bladder scanners
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Blood bank refrigerators
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Blood pressure monitor
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Book and pamphlet display cases
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Bronchoscopes
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Cardiac monitor
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Commode chairs
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Dental sensor
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Desktop doppler
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ECG monitors
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Fraises diamant machines
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Glidescopes and blades
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Healing Notes project
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Heart Pillows
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IMS Traceability System
equipment tracking
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Impedance meters
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Kangaroo feeding pumps
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Mobile dialysis machine
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​​Mobile ultrasound machine
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MUHC 25th anniversary
tree planting -
Neonatal cribette
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Patient monitor
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Peripheral vascular access device
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Sensors and handpieces
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Social Services Department
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Staff Christmas party
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Tour guides symposium registration
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Treatment carts
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Ultrasonic nebulizer
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Vaccine fridges and thermometers
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Vascular dopplers
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Video laryngoscopes
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Vital signs monitors and stands
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Wheelchairs