Congratulations, Linda! She is shown here accepting her certificates from Carman Kerr, MLA for Annapolis and Alan Parish, Warden of the Municipality of the County of Annapolis
Linda Baltzer has been a community-minded volunteer since her high school days. She participated in baseball, both as an enthusiastic player and an organizer of team schedules and tournaments. Girl Guides has always been close to her heart and over the years she has been a group leader and has acted as Regional Coordinator at both the local and provincial levels. Linda is well known in the Middleton & District Lions Club for her dedication to Lions’ motto, We Serve. She has held the position of President for three terms, has acted as Lions Zone Chairperson for Annapolis and Digby Counties for three years, and has recently been installed for her fourth term as Club President. She is also currently serving a four-year term on The Lions Foundation of Canada. At the Provincial level, she is Chair and Funding Coordinator for Guide Dogs and, through the Lions District, she is instrumental in raising tens of thousands of dollars in support of The Dog Training School in Oakville, Ontario. She also serves her community as Middleton Lions Club representative on Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation Society, recently being re-appointed to serve a second two-year term. (And we are pleased and proud to have her!) Linda is a constant supporter of worthy causes, raising funds through raffles, yard sales, flea markets, and auctions. When there is a need she is always there to help. She never waits to be asked but rather, says “What can I do or how can I help”?
Representatives of all hospital Foundations in the Annapolis Valley are shown in this photo, taken at the official ‘ribbon-cutting’ for the new CT Scanner at Valley Regional Hospital.
Over the next three years, Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation will contribute more than $330,000. towards this new CT Scanner at Valley Regional Hospital, per the Valley Foundations’ funding support formula established many years ago. It will enhance health care for ALL Valley residents!
SMH Foundation Vice Chair, John Smith, presents a $300,000. ‘cheque’ to Tanya Nixon, VP Operations for NS Health’s Western Zone. Foundation Chair, Kelly Hutton, and Past Chair, Jim Mosher, look on.
The presentation of a $300,000. cheque to NS Health Authority represents the fulfilment of Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation’s funding commitment for the construction of Middleton & Area Family Health Centre, formerly known as the Primary Health Care Centre.
The Foundation has also recently made the first instalment of a $300,000.+ commitment to Valley Regional Hospital for a new CT Scanner there, which will benefit residents of all areas of the Valley. Its next commitment is to provide $165,000. in funding to Soldiers Memorial Hospital for the purchase of 7 Spacelab Cardiac Monitors and Module.
We are pleased and proud to be able to contribute to the betterment of health care in the local area and throughout the Valley!
As part of “The New Deal”, Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation Vice Chair, John Smith presents a $100,000. ‘cheque’ to Valley Regional Hospital Foundation’s Executive Director, Ellen Crowley as the first instalment of SMHF’s $320,000. commitment to funding the new CT Scanner at VRH. Hospital Foundations working together for better healthcare in the Annapolis Valley!
The New Deal Part One – Primary Health Care Centre
Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation embarked on a $1 million fundraising campaign in 2019 to help build the new Primary Health Care Centre in Middleton. The project was announced by then Premier Stephen McNeil and construction commenced at the site adjacent to Soldiers Memorial Hospital.
When the announcement was made, Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation engaged community groups, provincial and municipal government, businesses, and members of the community to help with the fundraising efforts. Major contributions were received from local residents, community groups, Town of Middleton, the Counties of Annapolis and Kings, and many others.
The project was completed on time and over $2 million dollars under budget, allowing the Primary Health Care Centre to open in December of 2020. Following the opening of the Primary Health Care Centre, the Board of Directors for Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation searched for other ways to raise money on a building that was now fully operational.
Because the project was completed significantly under budget and the fundraising efforts had been curtailed due to the pandemic, Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation, with support of our local MLAs, presented an alternative funding arrangement to Nova Scotia Health. Initially, Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation committed to raise $1 million to support the project. In agreement with the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness and Nova Scotia Health, the Foundation will now contribute a total of $500,000 to the project from monies received through pledges and donations toward the project.
The additional $500,000 will go toward funding new equipment and programs at Soldiers Memorial Hospital and Valley Regional Hospital, which serves patients from the entire Valley region.
Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation would like to thank the donors who contributed to the construction of the Primary Health Care Centre, which has recently been renamed ‘Middleton & Area Family Health Centre’. We are grateful to our local MLAs, Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, and Nova Scotia Health for their collaboration in making this project a reality and to allow us to redirect monies to fund additional healthcare needs in the Valley.
The New Deal Part Two – Equipment, Programs, and CT Scanner
Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation will be contributing $500,000 to fund new equipment and programs at Soldiers Memorial Hospital and Valley Regional Hospital to improve healthcare services to the members of the Valley region.
Some of the equipment purchased will be vital upgrades, replacing key pieces of equipment that are approaching end of life service. One of the key pieces of equipment Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation, in partnership with Valley Regional Hospital Foundation, will be replacing is a CT Scanner at Valley Regional Hospital. Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation will contribute $326,000 to the purchase of the CT Scanner over three years. We will also purchase seven cardiac monitors for Soldiers Memorial Hospital at a total cost of $165,000.
Summary
Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation will pay $500,000 toward the construction costs of the new Middleton & Area Family Health Centre. Through our negotiations, an additional $500,000 will come from our Foundation for equipment and programs that will directly improve health outcomes for the members of our communities.
We believe this is a positive outcome for all community members and we once again would like to thank Nova Scotia Health and the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness for their support of this New Deal.
Kelly Hutton, Chair
Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation
Donations to Soldiers Memorial Hospital Foundation can be made by:
