Press Release: St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation Celebrates Conclusion of By Your Side Kidney Care Campaign.
St. Paul’s Hospital & Foundation, alongside the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the Ministry of Health, healthcare leaders, donors, clinicians, and community partners, celebrated the successful conclusion of the By Your Side Kidney Care Campaign today with the announcement that the campaign raised more than $10,210,000 in support of kidney care in Saskatchewan.
The milestone event recognized an incredibly generous $500,000 contribution from the Wyant family in honour of Dr. Gordon Wyant, a member of Saskatchewan’s original kidney transplant team and a longtime advocate for interdisciplinary, patient-centred care.
For the Wyant family, the announcement represented both a tribute to Dr. Gordon Wyant’s legacy and an investment in the future of compassionate healthcare. Dr. Wyant’s son, Vaughn Wyant, says this gift and his father’s legacy are about improving our community.
“I’d like to think this gift, named in his honour, extends the respect people held for him — as a medical pioneer and a member of the original kidney transplant team — into the future, where it can continue helping people for generations to come,” said Vaughn.
Together, the campaign and community partnerships are helping shape the next phase of kidney care at St. Paul’s Hospital, including development of the future Kidney Health & Education Centre, which is expected to begin construction this year.
“The By Your Side Kidney Care Campaign has always been about people,” said Lecina Hicke, CEO of St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation. “It is about helping patients and families feel supported, informed, and cared for during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.”
Approximately 117,000 Saskatchewan residents live with some form of kidney disease, and the number of people requiring dialysis has increased by nearly 30 per cent over the past decade. Persons of Indigenous ancestry are disproportionately impacted by the disease.
“The By Your Side Kidney Care Campaign was launched to improve the patient experience for individuals and families navigating kidney disease through a continuum of care starting with early detection to help families identify and slow disease progression, to a friendly face who supports wayfinding and mobility through our Hospital Attendant Program, to the innovative new Kidney Health Transition Unit that will soon aim to return people home with home based therapies” says Dr. James Barten Provincial Lead of Nephrology and St. Paul’s Local Council Representative.
At the centre of the campaign is the future Kidney Health & Education Centre, a patient-centred initiative designed to help patients and families better understand treatment options, navigate transitions into care, and access coordinated education and support.
“Kidney disease continues to have a significant impact in Indigenous communities across Saskatchewan,” said Ron Hyggen, Campaign Chair. “What makes this campaign important is that it recognizes the need for earlier support, stronger partnerships, and care that is more accessible, coordinated, and community-centred. This work will help improve care experiences for patients and families across our province.”
Media Contact
John Allen
Manager of Marketing
St. Paul’s Hospital & Foundation
306.227.2025
john.allen@sphfoundation.org