$110M for the medicine of the future in Quebec
Thanks to the support of donors, the CODE LiFE Campaign surpassed its goal, raising funds that will have a real impact on the health of Quebecers.
The Montreal General Hospital Foundation (MGHF) is pleased to announce the completion of its major fundraising campaign CODE LiFE: Vital Support for Vital Care. Launched in November 2018, this ambitious campaign exceeded all expectations by raising $10 million more than its original goal, for a total of $110 million. This achievement is unprecedented in the history of the MGHF.
Improving ultra-specialized care for the benefit of all Quebecers
“The urgent appeal of our CODE LiFE campagin was heard loud and clear, and our community rallied to advance the medicine of the future and cutting-edge research in Quebec. The impact of this campaign is being felt far beyond the walls of the Montreal General Hospital, as more than 40 front-line hospitals across the province of Quebec refer their patients there. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank all the donors and partners, as well as the Campaign Cabinet and the Foundation’s outstanding team, for their incredible support,” says Jean-Guy Gourdeau, President and CEO of the MGHF.
Committed philanthropic leaders
To reach its goal, the Foundation relied on the leadership of a strong Campaign Cabinet, co-chaired by André Desmarais, France Chrétien-Desmarais, David McAusland, and Andrew Molson. The Cabinet also included Kim Anderson, Grégory Charles, Jacques Chamberland, Richard Cherney, Vincenzo Ciampi, Yvan Cournoyer, Brenda Gewurz, Gail Jarislowsky, Judith Ménard, François-Xavier Seigneur, and Mark Smith.
The $110 million will support medical teams around five major themes: trauma, personalized cancer care, clinical innovation, brain health and healthy aging. “Thanks to the success of the CODE LiFE campaign, all Quebecers and Canadians will benefit from the impact of medical research and clinical innovation made possible by the generosity of our donors,” adds Jean-Christophe Bédos, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the MGHF.
A world-leader in trauma care
André Desmarais, co-chair of the CODE LiFE campaign, says, “We committed to the CODE LiFE campaign to support the outstanding work of medical leaders at the Montreal General Hospital. We have known Dr. David S. Mulder for years. The impact he has had in Quebec, in setting up the trauma system in the 1990s, is immeasurable. Thanks to the support of the MGHF, he has trained a whole new generation of trauma specialists, such as Dr. Tarek Razek and Dr. Dan Deckelbaum, who are, in turn, helping to build trauma teams here and around the world.”
Revolutionizing psychiatry
“It was important for us to take a leadership role in this campaign to support our medical experts and their transformative projects for health care,” says France Chrétien-Desmarais, co-chair of the CODE LiFE campaign. “For example, Dr. Simon Ducharme is leading a new research program in precision psychiatry that will revolutionize the way we diagnose and treat diseases that affect the brain. His project involves the MGH, the Douglas Mental Health University Institute, and the Montreal Neurological Institute, and hopefully will include other institutions in the province in the near future. The community has responded so well to the CODE LiFE campaign because people want to see projects like this become a reality. Ultimately, we all benefit.”
The Clinical Innovation Platform: a unique incubator
“The Montreal General Hospital has been in existence for 200 years and has always been a birthplace of great innovations. The professionals who are trained here and the research that is conducted here have an impact far beyond the institution,” says Andrew Molson, co-chair of the CODE LiFE campaign. “For example, Dr. Gerald Fried has developed minimally invasive surgical techniques that are now used around the world, allowing patients to return to normal life in record time. This is the kind of transformative breakthrough we need. Today, Dr. Fried continues to foster innovation with the creation of the Clinical Innovation Platform, a unique hospital-based incubator. Thank you to everyone who has answered CODE LiFE’s call to support healthcare innovation!”
Personalized Cancer Care
For more than 15 years, the MGHF and its visionary donors have supported the recruitment, training and retention of the best surgeons and researchers to build and elevate the Division of Thoracic Surgery and Oncology at the MGH-MUHC to the level of a Provincial Centre of Excellence. The Division’s mission is to improve care for people with lung, esophageal and gastric cancers, three of the most deadly kinds of cancer to date. “Researchers are working to identify new approaches to personalized treatments to beat cancer, including the development of one of the first living biobanks in Canada. Thank you to all those who have shown their confidence by giving generously to the CODE LiFE campaign to allow medical teams to achieve higher levels of excellence,” added David McAusland, co-chair of the CODE LiFE campaign.
Philanthropy answers the call during the pandemic
Philanthropy plays an essential role in maintaining and advancing health programs and services offered to Quebecers. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that foundations are essential in mobilizing the community to take concrete action. They have the freedom to support new ideas and the flexibility to adapt quickly. The MGH Foundation proved that point with the CODE LiFE campaign, half of which took place during the pandemic.
“While we had to adjust our priorities along the way to meet the emerging needs created by the pandemic, we learned to work more closely with our partners and ensure that our investments could be used to improve care for all patients in the province,” concludes Jean-Guy Gourdeau, President and CEO of the MGH Foundation.
