Prix Coup de cœur philanthropique awarded to the Savoie family
The Savoie family’s exceptional and unwavering commitment to the Fondation du Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS) over the past 20 years was recognised on 18 April at the Théâtre Granada in Sherbrooke, much to their surprise, at the 23rd edition of the Gala Reconnaissance – Implication bénévole 2024.
At the Fondation du CHUS Gala Reconnaissance, the Savoie family was surprised to receive a special award highlighting their exceptional involvement in the region: the Prix Coup de cœur philanthropique.
During this emotional evening, a special tribute was paid to the Savoie family, with the presentation of the Prix Coup de cœur philanthropique for their leadership, dedication and generosity, notably through an exceptional donation of $675,000 to improve services for the elderly in the CHUS’ two emergency rooms.
“Your involvement and leadership have paved the way for many other partners and sponsors. Your participation in the Fondation du CHUS Golf Tournaments for over 15 years has been remarkable. You are an inspiration to many of us here this evening, and we thank you for your generosity, dedication and commitment to the Fondation du CHUS and its establishment, which goes a long way towards improving patient care. Many thanks and congratulations to the Savoie family!
– Jacques Fortier, Chairman of the Board, CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS
This gift from the Savoie family, “which allows us to truly claim to have a geriatric-level emergency room and is also recognized by international organizations, is important and is expressed every day in the quality of care and services offered to this population. On behalf of the CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS community, a big thank you!”
— Dr Stéphane Tremblay, PDG, CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS
The “Coup de cœur philanthropique” award has once again highlighted the Savoie family’s extraordinary and loyal commitment to people in their golden years – an inspiration to us all!
“This project is a great opportunity for our family to give back to a clientele we’ve been serving for many years. The healthcare system must be able to adapt, and we want to do our part. The work carried out by Dr. Brousseau’s team must be an inspiration for all emergency rooms in Quebec.”
– Mr. Eddy Savoie, founder of Les Résidences Soleil
During the event, the hundreds of volunteers who donate their time to the Foundation were warmly applauded. Thanks to them, the organisation’s long-term future is assured, with each volunteer contributing in his or her own way to the success of the Foundation’s events.
“Thank you to the recruits for adopting our cause, thank you to the loyal supporters for their reliability, and thank you to everyone who spontaneously raises their hand. Together, we can do more to maintain and develop, here in Sherbrooke, an incredible center of expertise in healthcare, and offer the people of the Eastern Townships specialized and ultra-specialized care.”
– Martin Clermont, Executive Director, Fondation du CHUS
The Geriatric Emergency Fund: a very humane project
We all know that a stay in an emergency department can be uncomfortable, even destabilising, for an elderly person, especially if no-one is available to help them.
It was therefore only natural for the Savoie family, which has been involved with people in their golden years for more than 35 years, to make a concrete contribution to the creation of the CHUS Foundation’s Geriatric Emergency Fund, so that it could become a permanent reality.
In Sherbrooke, the geriatric emergency concept was born at Hôtel-Dieu, where a multidisciplinary team of emergency physicians, nurses, geriatric nurse clinicians, physiotherapists, social workers and pharmacists was set up to optimise care for the elderly.
Created to support our elderly patients who arrive at the emergency department by ambulance, sometimes alone, possibly disorientated or even confused, the overall aim of the very humane Geriatric Emergency Fund is to provide them with free concrete assistance that is much better adapted to their reality, by responding quickly to their basic needs and ensuring their safety and comfort throughout their stay in the emergency department.
In fact, it is not uncommon for patients to leave their homes in a hurry after being transported by ambulance, without taking the time to gather all the personal items they may need during their stay in hospital.
These basic necessities, as varied as they are essential, include a range of personal care products, such as reading glasses, sound amplifiers (hearing aids) to improve communication, socks, non-slip slippers to minimise the risk of falls, which can sometimes have dramatic consequences for a person’s overall health, clothing, activity books to make their stay and waiting time in emergency more enjoyable, and even shoes for when they return home.
This fund can also be used to pay for adapted transport, which can be provided free of charge to people identified by staff to ensure a safe return home.
Thanks to this major and essential donation, the Fondation du CHUS will also be able to invest in staff training and the acquisition of specialist equipment to respond even better to the multiple needs of their patients and optimise the care offered to this elderly and vulnerable clientele.
A relationship of the heart for over 20 years
Members of management – The Savoie Family
The Savoie family is very involved in its community and with seniors, and has been actively involved with the Fondation du CHUS through various large-scale activities for over 20 years:
- Major partner of the annual Golf Tournament in aid of the CHUS for 23 consecutive years;
- In 2003, Mr. Eddy Savoie was involved as President of the Campaign Cabinet in the creation of the Quebec Lung Association’s first Chair in Respiratory Health, in collaboration with the Quebec Lung Association, the Université de Sherbrooke Faculty of Medicine and the CHUS Clinical Research Centre;
- Also in 2010, Mr. Savoie was named Honorary President of the 30th Fondation du CHUS Telethon.
Social implications of the Savoie family
As well as working on a daily basis to enhance the lives of people in their golden years through its residences, the Savoie family is very socially involved.
“We consider ourselves to be very fortunate and we want to give something back, because we believe that it is possible to make a difference in the lives of these people!”