Covenant Foundation provides $425,000 for auditorium upgrades
Mickey Melnyk, Development Officer for Covenant Foundation and Karen MacMillan, Senior Operating Officer for Grey Nuns Community Hospital join site managers to celebrate the project.
It’s a “hit or miss” system that involves duct tape, a mass of extension cords and all too often, a stroke of luck. As Senior Director for Operations at Covenant Health’s Grey Nuns Community Hospital, Trevor Small is the man in charge of making sure the sound system for the auditorium works for the many health care educators, physicians and staff who book the site every day. So when he learned a new audiovisual system can now go ahead, thanks to financial support from Covenant Foundation, he’s relieved he will no longer need to hold his breath, grit his teeth and hope for the best.
“It’s exciting,” says Trevor, when asked about the significance of the $425,000 contribution towards long-awaited upgrades to the auditorium. “Our AV equipment – both those projectors are considered dead. New technology is all digital now. This technology is all hard-wired.”
Given the extensive use of the auditorium by thousands of health care providers, hospital staff, patients and their families, improvements are essential to keep pace with current technology and audio-visual needs. The facility is also sought after by external groups and lecture series.
In addition to new leading-edge audio-visual equipment, the renovations also include upgrades to infection-control fabric on the seating and a redesigned space with welcoming, modern features.
This project closely aligns with Covenant Foundation’s priorities to reinvest funds raised in new state-of-the-art technologies to advance patient care and support medical staff in Covenant Health facilities throughout Alberta.
“It’s really nice we’re recognizing care providers,” says Karen MacMillan, Senior Operating Officer for Grey Nuns. “To be able to give to our staff to say ‘you’re important’ is huge and the facilities you use and meet in are important is huge and directly impacts their ability to care.”
This is a project that would not be possible without the generosity of donors to Covenant Foundation and we are grateful for the many people who have come forward to support this important project. The upgrades to the auditorium are expected to be complete this spring.
Written by: Laura Ehrkamp