FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Halifax, N.S. (January 14, 2025) – The IWK Foundation is proud to celebrate a generous $500,000 investment from the Wesley & Patricia Armour Foundation in support of the IWK Emergency Department (ED) redevelopment project.
“After an experience with my own son Jasper in the IWK Emergency Department, our family was inspired to make a difference and be a part of creating meaningful change for other patients and families,” said Victoria Armour, Director, the Wesley & Patricia Armour Foundation. “We are honoured to support the redevelopment of the ED to ensure Maritime children and families, like ours, have access to the highest quality emergency care.”
Victoria Armour hopes that by leading by example, her three children, Jasper, Roman and Petra, will witness first-hand the importance of giving back and how philanthropy can have a lasting impact on others.
Among many new features in the new IWK ED, there will be a designated Low Acuity Track area to streamline care and enhance infection control measures, which this gift will help support. This area will separate patients with less severe conditions (lower acuity) from the main triage area, aiming to reduce wait times and expediate discharge. It will build on the success of the IWK’s “BeeLine” program, which prioritizes patient assessment by acuity and improves overall flow in the ED.
“We are incredibly grateful to donors of the Wesley & Patricia Armour Foundation for their support in making the new IWK ED a reality,” said LeeAnn Larocque, Acting Vice President Clinical Care & Chief Nurse Executive, IWK Health. “Thanks to this generous support, the ED design will help offer a more efficient approach to emergency care, a purpose-built space to deliver care and an improved experience for both patients and their families.”
As the only accredited Level One pediatric trauma centre east of Quebec, the IWK Emergency Department provides services for children, youth and families across the Maritimes. Now nearly 40 years old, the current department has outgrown its space and infrastructure, and a new space is needed to continue to provide excellence in specialized pediatric emergency care. The new ED—triple in size—will help the IWK meet the evolving needs of the growing Maritime population.
“As we begin a new year, there is no greater gift to celebrate than the generosity of our Maritime community and donors like the Wesley & Patricia Armour Foundation,” said Jennifer Gillivan, President & CEO, IWK Foundation. “By supporting the IWK Emergency Department redevelopment project, the Wesley & Patricia Armour Foundation will ensure children and families across the region receive world-class emergency care close to home. We are so grateful for the Armour family’s continued support and belief in the IWK.”
The IWK Foundation is privileged to work with our community of donors in partnership with IWK Health and the Province of Nova Scotia on this essential emergency department redevelopment.
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About the IWK Foundation
The IWK Foundation is a champion of excellence in women's and children's health and medicine and works in partnership with IWK Health to support their vision of providing quality care to women, children, youth and families in the Maritime Provinces and beyond. Our donors are passionately committed to making a difference for Maritime families, contributing over $25.2 million in support of the most urgent care priorities at the IWK last year. Funds raised also support the IWK's global leadership in research and knowledge sharing, which in turn improves lives worldwide. Visit www.iwkfoundation.org for more information.
Media Contact
Sarah Greening
IWK Foundation
P: 902.266.3306
E: sarah.greening@iwkfoundation.org