Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation has established the Major Project and Equipment Fund to support the purchase of significant medical equipment that directly impacts patient care. The Foundation issues an annual call for proposals to access this fund.

Eligible equipment will meet the following minimum criteria:

• Projects or equipment cost that is between $10,000 – $300,000 CDN (must include all taxes, delivery, installation, shipping & handling, if applicable).
• Projects or equipment are approved for use within RCH and all operating and renovations costs required are already in place.
• Projects or equipment that enhances a health care provider’s ability to more safely and effectively care for their patients.
• Projects or equipment that represents advancement in how care is delivered.
• Replacement equipment that does not provide innovation will not be considered. For example, patient beds and replacement of old equipment with a newer model of the same item will not be considered.
• Projects or equipment that meets the minimum criteria above and is currently on the RCH Capital Equipment Unfunded List will, by default, be included in the process.
• Projects or equipment that is not on the RCH Capital Equipment Unfunded List must have approval from Capital Equipment/Planning.

Preference will be given to:

• Legacy projects or equipment that has been identified as necessary for the redevelopment of the hospital.
• Projects or equipment that will enhance an existing project or, by supplying the first investment, ensure that a project will go forward that otherwise would not have proceeded.
• Projects or equipment that has the opportunity to change, for the better, the way health care is delivered at RCH, in BC and beyond.
• Projects or equipment that will be used often, have a high impact on patient outcomes and assist in retaining and recruiting the best staff.
• Projects or equipment that will have a high impact on patient outcome & experience.
• Projects or equipment that will provide leveraged level of impact compared to the investment.
• Proposals that demonstrate a high level of support by front line care givers.

Follow the links to access the application form and the funding criteria. Contact funding@rchfoundation.com for more information.

Through the generosity of our donors, Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation is inviting proposals to fund projects or equipment for Redevelopment Phase II and III enhancements. Generally, projects will not exceed $1M in total.

Follow the links to access the application form and the funding criteria. Contact funding@rchfoundation.com for more information.

As of April 2021, ongoing applications will be accepted for Caritas and Quality Improvement funding. Applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis to increase the speed and accessibility of funding for patient experience and quality improvement projects.  

Caritas Fund

The Caritas Fund supports improvements to patients’ experiences at Royal Columbian Hospital. RCH Family can access funding to delight patients and create positive, memorable experiences.

Examples of solutions funded by the Caritas Fund include ways to:

• Put patients at ease while waiting for their appointments
• Improve patient experience during hospital procedures
• Entertain patients during their hospital visit
• Emulate the comforts of home during long-term hospitalization
• Improve the welcome or departure of patients from a department

For submission guidelines and criteria, please see the Caritas Application Form.

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Quality Improvement funding allows clinical teams to develop quality improvement projects to improve the delivery of care and patient’s hospital experience.

A team’s project must focus on activities which improve an element(s) of the patient’s frontline journey. Team projects must:

• Be based in evidence
• Have measurable outcomes
• Propose a budget (examples of materials to be reimbursed: small equipment, paper, posters, printing costs; not to include regular staff wage time, after hours only). You may apply for up to $2000.00 max.
• List team members, their discipline and department/area of work (upon approval of funding, you will be assigned a QI coach for regular check-ins)
• Include interim reporting of progress
• Be presented by the team at the Royal Columbian Hospital Frontline Quality Improvement Research Day
• Be endorsed by department manager/department head or delegate

To apply for Caritas and/or Quality Improvement Funding, please complete the Application Form and return to funding@rchfoundation.com via email OR by dropping it off at the Foundation office.

Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation has established the Peer Advised Impact Fund to support the purchase of medical equipment from the proceeds of the Royal Columbian Hospital Staff 50/50 Lottery.

Applications will be accepted for hospital equipment costing $10,000 and less (including all taxes and shipping) that will directly impact patient care at the hospital. The fund will support:

• equipment with demonstrated ability to improve patient comfort and/or care for a wide-range of patients
• equipment that enhances a health care provider’s ability to more safely and effectively care for their patients

To submit an application, please complete an Application for Funding form and return via email to funding@rchfoundation.com or drop off at the Foundation office (Health Care Centre, main floor).

Application deadlines

There are three funding periods per year. Applications for funding can be submitted at any time. The submission deadline for each review is as follows:

• Application deadline of March 15, while the committee reviews and approves in April
• Application deadline of July 15, while the committee reviews and approves in August
• Application deadline of November 15, while the committee reviews and approves in December

Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation has established the Education Fund to support professional development through education opportunities such as a conference, seminar, class or workshop which will enhance an employee’s ability to fulfil their role.

Staff/applicants must have been employed for at least two years at Royal Columbian Hospital in a clinical role and/or one directly related to patient care at the time of applying for an educational opportunity. The applicant must still be an employee of Royal Columbian in a clinical role and/or one directly related to patient care when their application is approved.

Application Steps:

Step One: Please review the complete Terms of Reference before submitting your application.

Step Two: If travel is required out of the province, please complete the Out of Province Travel Request Form for approval by an Executive Director or Vice-President. This signed form must be included with your application.

Step Three: Please complete the application form in full and submit to the Foundation office (located in the Health Care Centre across from the gift shop) with all required supporting documents. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Please note that this process is separate from applying for funding via your manager for a paid day to attend an education session.

For further questions, please contact:

funding@rchfoundation.com

Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation has established the Research Fund to provide a new source of funding for research projects at Royal Columbian which align with the funding principles of the Foundation.

Funding is meant to support studies that are under way within 4 months of receiving the grant and continue for a maximum of 3 years. The maximum award for a single grant is $25,000, with the intention of offering multiple smaller awards.

Eligibility Criteria
• The Principal Investigator (PI – project lead and primary applicant) must be an RCH staff member or a privileged physician.
• Projects must be accessible to the lay person to easily understand the impact they could potentially have.
• If the applicant does not have previous research experience, preference will be given to applicants who have an academic partner for the project. The academic partner could be someone acting as a mentor/advisor to the application team or someone who is integral to the project.
• Special consideration will be given to:
o Research that has the opportunity to change, for the better, the way health care is delivered at RCH, in BC and beyond.
o Projects that play a role in the recruitment or retention of high caliber doctors & staff.
o Projects which have the potential to significantly impact the growing reputation of RCH.
• If you have previously received funding through this competition you may apply again in the future for a different research project.

Review Process
Applications for the RCH Research Fund will be evaluated by a task force struck each year specifically for this purpose and appointed the by the Foundation. The task force has the authority to make recommendations for funding to the Foundation. The Foundation will provide final approval for funding.

Contact funding@rchfoundation.com for more information.

Do you have an idea that could improve patient care? Does it involve creating tools or technologies that don’t currently exist?

The Advancing Innovation in Medicine (AIM) Fund is a pilot program with a specific goal: to discover, develop, and commercialize innovative ideas at Royal Columbian Hospital. The Foundation has been speaking with members of the Royal Columbian family, including physicians, nurses, technologists and patients who have ideas for new products, technologies, or medical tools.

This Fund aims to foster an innovative culture at Royal Columbian Hospital by providing:

• Financial support to selected projects as they achieve predetermined milestones
• Technical and entrepreneurial expertise for selected ideas
• A marketable idea summary for all ideas
• Basic peripheral research services for all ideas
• A suite of idea development materials to all participants.

To submit an application, please complete the Application form and return to funding@rchfoundation.com via email OR by dropping it off at the Foundation office.
To schedule a time to share your idea or learn more about the Advancing Innovation in Medicine (AIM) Fund, please feel free to email funding@rchfoundation.com.

Purpose

The Weaver Family Awesome Fund is intended to support RCH clinical teams to develop staff appreciation, recognition, and/or healthy workplace initiative projects that promote physical and emotional health and well-being.

The goal of the Awesome Fund is to provide easy access to funding to units who have brilliants ideas which focus on spreading joy in their specific work area by introducing morale-boosting and/or wellness initiatives.

Funds Available

The maximum award for a project per calendar year is $10/Full Time Employee (FTE), or $150 where there are fewer than 10 FTEs within a department*. Applications exceeding the maximum allotment will be approved upon special consideration.

Applications and Acceptance

• Requests may only be submitted by RCH Program Managers or Directors.
• Applicants are asked to provide details for each section below.
• Successful proposals will fall under one of the following categories:
  • Staff Appreciation and Recognition Initiatives – Proposal could include peer-to-peer recognition raffle, random of acts of kindness reward program, etc.
  • Staff morale-boosting Activities – gratitude wall, team scavenger hunt, team trivia, workplace Zen garden, etc.
  • Healthy Workplace Initiatives– Proposals could include fitness courses, workshops on healthy living, seminars on work-life balance, healthy snack Fridays, etc.
• Submissions must include a rough budget.
• Applications are accepted year-round and may be submitted to erin.geary@fraserhealth.ca
• And will meet the following criteria:
  • meet the goals of the aforementioned initiatives
  • enhance the team’s working environment
  • be implemented quickly
  • benefit many RCH staff (related to the applicants’ team)
  • not fund construction costs or capital infrastructure

*Program portfolio number provided by site admin

The VALUE (Valuable Upgrades for Lounges and Environments) Family Fund will provide grants under $10,000 for items or projects that contribute to positive mental health and improved working conditions.  Application deadlines will be July 31, 2024 and December 31 2024; the review committee will meet in August and January.

Criteria

Applications for funding must demonstrate:

• The circumstances giving rise to the stated need
• How the acquisition will improve staff, clinician and/or physical health or well-being, mental health, or morale
• That the application is for a permanent capital acquisition
• The cost of the acquisition and projected lifespan
• Who else might benefit (ie patients, public).