In the wake of the 2015 reform of the health and social services system, the Centres jeunesse de l’Outaouais (CJO) disappeared as a legal entity. As a result, the CJO Foundation lost it mandate and had to be disbanded. As Executive Director of the Centres jeunesse de l’Outaouais, I had previously been tasked with managing the CJO Foundation along with a Board of Directors. Accordingly, I had to make the decision to dissolve the CJO Foundation and join the Gatineau Health Foundation (GHF). I retired from the health and social services system on April 1,²⁰¹⁵, and after 37 years of working with youths at risk and in need of protection in our region, I decided to join the GHF Board of Directors.

At the Gatineau Health Foundation, health is envisioned through a holistic approach. This allows us to take into account the entire spectrum of needs of youths at risk and in need of protection as evidenced by recent investments in the region’s rehabilitation centres and youth protection services.

My experience and knowledge of health and social services are useful assets when it comes to identifying our population’s needs and prioritizing projects to be implemented. I am playing a very active role in our Joint Philanthropic Coordination Committee to ensure strategic integration and effective communication with the CISSS de l’Outaouais, in addition to my work on the Human Resources Committee.

I am proud to be part of the Foundation’s team of dynamic administrators and staff, and I feel privileged to be able to witness incredible donors and citizens doing their part to make a real difference towards better health and social services for everyone in the Outaouais region.

In these times of shared hardship, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the tremendous efforts and courage of all the employees at the CISSS de l’Outaouais and the Gatineau Health Foundation.

Thank you, and stay strong!

– Luc Cadieux

I have been a proud member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors for almost five years. I accepted without a moment’s hesitation. As an emergency room physician for nearly 23 years, I don’t think I have to tell you that healthcare is near and dear to my heart. My experience on the ground as a doctor has helped me truly appreciate all the great work the Foundation is doing. I have personally seen how the Foundation’s support can lead to better care, with our patients benefiting tremendously as a result. I am now putting my medical expertise to use by helping the team identify and understand the needs of our hospitals and our population.

I feel privileged to work with our region’s exceptional donors and incredible people. Among other things, your donations are making it possible to operate on patients with aortic aneurysms and send them home in record time for recovery. We are actually the first to benefit from this new technology! I am proud to be part of the Foundation’s dedicated, dynamic team, just as I am also proud of our region’s population for their great generosity and engagement.

– Dr Josée Bussières, Administrator, Doctor, Outaouais CISSS

I joined the Gatineau Health Foundation’s Board of Directors in 2019, and my experience has been nothing but positive ever since. As soon as I started getting involved with the Foundation, I discovered an innovative, results-oriented organization driven by a profoundly committed team and supported by scores of dedicated professionals and volunteers.

As a lawyer working in labour law and a managing partner at an Outaouais law firm, I am pleased to put my management and legal expertise to good use for the Foundation, notably as President of its Human Resources Committee.

As a native of the region and an occasional beneficiary of our health care system, I feel personally compelled to help the Foundation achieve its mission and deliver positive impacts for the health and well-being of the Outaouais community.

In good times and bad – such as the birth of my three children or the loss of a loved one, respectively – I have witnessed firsthand the importance of helping our health care network carry out projects that have direct or indirect impacts on the people in the region. The Foundation has achieved some truly exceptional results, none of which would have been possible without the generosity of our many donors.

I am honoured to be able to help the Foundation achieve its mission, and I hope that more and more people will get involved to empower even more great initiatives in the coming years. In closing, I would like to thank all the health care professionals working tirelessly during this pandemic period. You are true heroes.

Nadine Bigras

Health is the most important thing of all… as I was brutally reminded by the onset of cancer at the age of 28. When that kind of disease comes into your life, it has a way of forcing you to reconsider all your priorities. I realized that what mattered most to me was health, my relationship, financial security, personal and professional achievements, and mutual aid.

There was a time when I used to think that our taxes were surely more than enough to fund our health care system. I now know that while taxes may be enough to ensure the most basic services, this financing is becoming less and less viable given the enormous financial pressures our system is facing. I still benefit from our publicly funded health services, and it is my deeply held conviction that we must continue to improve the availability and quality of those services. I’ve witnessed the huge difference that donations from the public are making, especially when it comes to increasing the efficiency and range of services and ensuring we have access to the latest technologies. I am very grateful to the donors.

Ever since my illness, I have made a habit of donating to the Foundation every year.

Working as a management consultant since my retirement from the federal public service has left me with more time to volunteer over the past 5 years. In 2017, I offered to bring my expertise in various areas of public and not-for-profit management to the Foundation’s Board of Directors and its audit and governance committees. Innovation and the continuous improvement of management practices have always a central part of my work, both as a consultant and as a strategic and results-based management executive.

It is my privilege to directly and indirectly support the Foundation’s employees and the CISSSO’s staff, who are dedicated to improving health care and social services in our region. Working alongside the wonderful volunteers at the Foundation’s various fundraising events has also been and incredibly exciting and gratifying experience.

My parents have taught me that if an issue is really important to you, just talking about it is not enough — you need to act on it. Keeping that lesson in mind, I am honoured to be able to work with the Gatineau Health Foundation, an organization that has tangible, positive impacts on our region’s quality of life.

Jean Tourigny

 

It is a privilege for me to sit on the Board of Directors of the Gatineau Health Foundation since 2019. I am honoured to be part of a team of diverse, experienced professionals committed to improving our region’s healthcare services. I take great pleasure in putting my legal expertise as a notary to good use by supporting the Foundation, both as an administrator and as a member of the Planned Donations Committee.

The COVID-19 pandemic has helped me realize more than ever just how critical the Foundation’s work is to improve the quality of healthcare in the Outaouais region. I am particularly proud of the major donations secured by the Foundation to establish the COVID-19 Emergency Fund, which provides security, comfort and hope to the employees and patients of the CISSS de l’Outaouais during this pandemic period.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the members of the CISSS de l’Outaouais team and the Foundation’s staff, who are working tirelessly for our region’s citizens during this difficult time.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the members of the CISSS de l’Outaouais team and the Foundation’s staff, who are working tirelessly for our region’s citizens during this difficult time.

Mathieu Turpin

I moved to the Outaouais a few years ago to open my restaurant, Buffet des Continents. As an entrepreneur, I think it’s important to give back to the community. That’s why I encourage my team to get involved, and it’s also why we raise funds together to make a difference for the people around us. I am very grateful to all those who support us.

Aspiring to do even more, in 2017 I joined the board of directors of the Gatineau Health Foundation. There, I discovered a very dynamic team whose vision resonated with me. Since then, I have been pleased to contribute my expertise in the commercial sector and to participate in decisions affecting this aspect of the organization.

As a father of three children, I want to do everything in my power to give them a healthy future. I want to help build a society where our loved ones can enjoy easily accessible, high-quality health care. For me, supporting the CISSS de l’Outaouais by sitting on the Gatineau Health Foundation’s board of directors is my way of exercising my role as a citizen in a way that contributes to providing quality care to our children, parents and friends.

Tony Priftakis

Health has always been a focus for me, but with my new role as administrator on the Foundation’s Board of Directors, and given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, its importance has increased tenfold. Small things can make a big difference in the daily lives of patients, so I am proud to make my small contribution.

I was born outside of Canada, in a place where healthcare is not universally accessible. Because I was affected by sickness as a child, access to care for all is of particular importance to me. We must not take health for granted and as citizens we have the power to play a part in improving healthcare for the population.

As a notary, I often meet with clients in hospitals or nursing homes, which gives me ample opportunities to see the direct effects of the Foundation’s work in these establishments. That’s why I agreed to join the Foundation’s team: to make a real difference.

Thank you for your valuable support in achieving the mission of the Gatineau Health Foundation.