RBC demonstrates their commitment to helping kids feel healthy by pledging $1.25 million to the new Humber River Hospital

TORONTO, May 7, 2014 /CNW/ - RBC today announced a generous pledge of $1.25 million in support of the Child & Adolescent Mental Health program at the NEW Humber River Hospital. The new Hospital's Child & Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit will be named in recognition of this gift from the RBC Foundation.   

Representatives from RBC, led by Susan Stauth, Regional Vice President, gathered at the construction site of the new Humber River Hospital on May 7^th to take a tour of the new Hospital construction site, including the Mental Health and Addictions department.

Humber River Hospital's Mental Health & Addictions department is an internationally-recognized leader in providing comprehensive mental health services, using a collaborative, interdisciplinary treatment approach to care for patients in the community.  RBC's support for the department will allow it to further enhance the great care it provides currently by giving patients and their families a therapeutic environment that includes single patient rooms, program rooms with lots of natural light and an outdoor rooftop garden patio.  This new space will allow our team of mental health care providers to help more children and adolescents than ever before.

Last year RBC announced their five year, Believe in Kids Pledge of $100 million to improve the well-being of a least 1 million kids and youth. As part of this promise, RBC supports organizations like Humber River Hospital that are dedicated to providing early intervention, increasing public awareness and reducing the stigma of mental illness to help kids feel healthy inside and out.

Quotes:

Susan Stauth
Regional Vice President, Toronto West Market, RBC

"We understand the toll mental illness can take on children and families, along with our communities" said Susan Stauth, RBC Regional Vice President. "That's why we're proud to support Humber River Hospital as they help individuals in need gain the confidence and connections needed to live happy healthy lives".

Jack Kay
Chair, Capital Campaign, Humber River Hospital

"We are extremely grateful for RBC's generous investment in the new Humber River Hospital and for supporting our country's future – children and adolescents.  Their gift of $1.25 million brings us one step closer to achieving our goal of raising $225 million to help build and equip our new Hospital. We thank RBC for their leadership, and for their support of Humber River's new model of patient-centered care."  

Dr. Rueben Devlin
President & CEO, Humber River Hospital

"On behalf of the entire Humber team, I applaud RBC for their support of the new Humber River Hospital Capital Campaign. Their generous gift of $1.25 million for our Child & Adolescent Mental Health program is a wonderful demonstration of their commitment to improving the well-being of children and youth in our community. We are honoured to count them among the friends who share our vision to reinvent patient care."

About Humber River Hospital:

Humber River Hospital serves a catchment area of more than 850,000 people in the northwest Greater Toronto Area. The hospital currently operates on three sites with a total of 549 beds, 3,000 staff, approximately 600 physicians and 400 volunteers. It is affiliated with the University of Toronto and Queen's University Medical Schools.

Humber River Hospital is currently building North America's first fully digital hospital, one that the organization plans to make a lean, green and technological showcase. Learn more about our plans for the future at www.hrh.ca/redevelopment.

About RBC:

RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2012, we contributed more than $95 million to causes worldwide, including donations and community investments of more than $64 million and $31 million in sponsorships. In 2013, the company announced the RBC Believe in Kids pledge, a five-year, $100 million commitment to improve the well-being of one million children and youth.

RBC employs approximately 80,000 full and part-time people who serve more than 15 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 49 other countries. RBC is recognized among the world's financial, social and environmental leaders and is listed on the 2012-2013 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the DJSI North American Index, the Jantzi Social Index and the FTSE4Good Index. RBC is one of Canada's Greenest Employers, one of Canada's 50 Most Socially Responsible Corporations, and among the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World.

SOURCE: Humber River Hospital Foundation

Lori D'Amore, Marketing and Communications Officer, Humber River Hospital Foundation, [phone] ext. 3985, [email protected]