New Patient Comfort Fund!
Niagara Health Foundation is proud to launch the Patient Comfort Fund, a dedicated initiative designed to support frontline needs, essential supplies and one-time requests that enhance the comfort, dignity, and well-being of patients and families receiving care at Niagara Health. At its core, the fund addresses the small but meaningful gaps in care that can make a patient’s healthcare journey in our local hospitals a bit easier. This fund was made possible by City Councillor Joe Kushner, who made a generous $100,000 donation in honour of the late former Regional Chair, Jim Bradley.
“The teams at Niagara Health identified a need for funding that goes beyond our core mission of raising funds for equipment and research,” explains Andrea Scott, Niagara Health Foundation President & CEO. “This was feedback we kept getting from frontline staff, so we wanted to help. To meet this need—while continuing to fund critical equipment—we knew we needed to create something new.”
The Foundation knew that they would need someone who would be willing to make a significant investment to get this new fund off the ground. “When Senior Development Officer Matt Harris identified the opportunity, he connected with long-time Foundation supporter and St. Catharines City Councillor Joe Kushner.”
“Conversations about this fund began right around the time former Regional Chair Jim Bradley passed away,” says Harris. “Losing Jim was still very much on our minds when I first approached Joe, and we thought this fund would be a great way to honour Jim’s legacy and something he was very passionate about.”
Both Jim Bradley and Joe Kushner played an integral role in bringing the new hospital, now named Marotta Family Hospital, to St. Catharines.
“In 2006, I chaired the committee for building the new hospital,” Kushner remembers. “I knew that we would not be able to contribute the City’s one-third share of the $305 million building cost with fundraising alone, so I suggested a new hospital tax.” The tax was introduced that same year and convinced the Province to go ahead with the project. The new hospital opened its doors in 2013.
“None of this could have happened without Jim Bradley,” Kushner adds. “He was our MPP at the time and a great spokesman for the new hospital.”
Beyond his political advocacy for the St. Catharines hospital, Kushner has also supported the hospital as a donor for many years. “The hospital is a place we all use,” he says. “Bringing the new hospital to St. Catharines increased the quality of care and gave people in our region access to a number of tests and treatments that used to only be available in Hamilton.”
After being healthy for most of his life, the hospital he had advocated and fundraised for took on new meaning for Kushner when he recently started facing his own health issues.
“I have had several bouts of cancer,” he says. “Skin cancer, brain cancer, prostate cancer and most recently, throat cancer. Throat cancer was a particularly difficult experience because I was not able to eat or swallow,” He speaks candidly about how those experiences shaped his perspective.
Kushner needed 25 radiation treatments and was grateful that he was able to have these treatments close to home.
“I needed a lot of tests and scans over the past couple of years, and I am grateful that I didn’t have to drive to Hamilton for each of these appointments. The care I received at Niagara Health could not have been better, and I thank healthcare workers for their excellent work.”
When Niagara Health Foundation’s Matt Harris approached Kushner about the Patient Comfort Fund, Kushner knew he wanted to help. “This fund will help vulnerable people in our community and will make hospital stays for patients just a little bit easier,” he says. “It will help address the many small needs that fall through the cracks of operating budgets, and I know this is something that would have meant a lot to Jim Bradley.”
Bradley, he adds, was much more than just a fellow politician. “Jim was a very thoughtful person, and I could always come to him for advice. He was a mentor to me when I first joined City Council and remained a mentor until the very end. Jim was generous with his time and quietly donated to many different causes. The Patient Comfort Fund ensures that legacy of care continues—supporting patients and families in ways that matter most, often when they need it most. Investing in the Patient Comfort Fund is a beautiful way to honour the memory and legacy of a man who cared deeply about our community, and in addition was my friend.”
New Patient Comfort Fund!
Niagara Health Foundation is proud to launch the Patient Comfort Fund, a dedicated initiative designed to support frontline needs, essential supplies and one-time requests that enhance the comfort, dignity, and well-being of patients and families receiving care at Niagara Health. At its core, the fund addresses the small but meaningful gaps in care that can make a patient’s healthcare journey in our local hospitals a bit easier. This fund was made possible by City Councillor Joe Kushner, who made a generous $100,000 donation in honour of the late former Regional Chair, Jim Bradley.
“The teams at Niagara Health identified a need for funding that goes beyond our core mission of raising funds for equipment and research,” explains Andrea Scott, Niagara Health Foundation President & CEO. “This was feedback we kept getting from frontline staff, so we wanted to help. To meet this need—while continuing to fund critical equipment—we knew we needed to create something new.”
The Foundation knew that they would need someone who would be willing to make a significant investment to get this new fund off the ground. “When Senior Development Officer Matt Harris identified the opportunity, he connected with long-time Foundation supporter and St. Catharines City Councillor Joe Kushner.”
“Conversations about this fund began right around the time former Regional Chair Jim Bradley passed away,” says Harris. “Losing Jim was still very much on our minds when I first approached Joe, and we thought this fund would be a great way to honour Jim’s legacy and something he was very passionate about.”
Both Jim Bradley and Joe Kushner played an integral role in bringing the new hospital, now named Marotta Family Hospital, to St. Catharines.
“In 2006, I chaired the committee for building the new hospital,” Kushner remembers. “I knew that we would not be able to contribute the City’s one-third share of the $305 million building cost with fundraising alone, so I suggested a new hospital tax.” The tax was introduced that same year and convinced the Province to go ahead with the project. The new hospital opened its doors in 2013.
“None of this could have happened without Jim Bradley,” Kushner adds. “He was our MPP at the time and a great spokesman for the new hospital.”
Beyond his political advocacy for the St. Catharines hospital, Kushner has also supported the hospital as a donor for many years. “The hospital is a place we all use,” he says. “Bringing the new hospital to St. Catharines increased the quality of care and gave people in our region access to a number of tests and treatments that used to only be available in Hamilton.”
After being healthy for most of his life, the hospital he had advocated and fundraised for took on new meaning for Kushner when he recently started facing his own health issues.
“I have had several bouts of cancer,” he says. “Skin cancer, brain cancer, prostate cancer and most recently, throat cancer. Throat cancer was a particularly difficult experience because I was not able to eat or swallow,” He speaks candidly about how those experiences shaped his perspective.
Kushner needed 25 radiation treatments and was grateful that he was able to have these treatments close to home.
“I needed a lot of tests and scans over the past couple of years, and I am grateful that I didn’t have to drive to Hamilton for each of these appointments. The care I received at Niagara Health could not have been better, and I thank healthcare workers for their excellent work.”
When Niagara Health Foundation’s Matt Harris approached Kushner about the Patient Comfort Fund, Kushner knew he wanted to help. “This fund will help vulnerable people in our community and will make hospital stays for patients just a little bit easier,” he says. “It will help address the many small needs that fall through the cracks of operating budgets, and I know this is something that would have meant a lot to Jim Bradley.”
Bradley, he adds, was much more than just a fellow politician. “Jim was a very thoughtful person, and I could always come to him for advice. He was a mentor to me when I first joined City Council and remained a mentor until the very end. Jim was generous with his time and quietly donated to many different causes. The Patient Comfort Fund ensures that legacy of care continues—supporting patients and families in ways that matter most, often when they need it most. Investing in the Patient Comfort Fund is a beautiful way to honour the memory and legacy of a man who cared deeply about our community, and in addition was my friend.”
