OTTAWA, March 5 /CNW/ - Queensway Carleton Hospital's (QCH) Care Grows West campaign today received a $700,000 donation from TD to support two vital patient care areas - services and skills.

The donation will support an investment in health education, particularly for frontline caregivers who work everyday helping patients living with cancer. TD Grants in Medical Excellence is an innovative education program that will provide a number of annual grants for practicing nurses or patient caregivers to advance their skills and knowledge in the field of health care.

The funds from TD will also go towards supporting the new Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre, which was recently completed in January 2010 and will provide expanded diagnosis and treatment services for patients with breast, prostate and colorectal cancers. As a result of the new cancer centre, the Radiation Department alone expects to see up to 16,000 cancer patients annually once it is ramped up to capacity.

"As the demand for health care continues to increase and with medical technology rapidly evolving, it's so important that nurses and patient caregivers are equipped with the right skills and competencies so that they can do what they do best - helping patients," explained Gary Dunne, Senior Vice President, TD Canada Trust. "A main focus of our community giving strategy is to create access to education opportunities and we're proud to lend our support to QCH."

"We are so thrilled that TD has chosen to support Queensway Carleton Hospital and their much-needed donation will truly help make a difference to the lives of thousands of patients in our community," said Tom Schonberg, QCH's President and CEO.

"The Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre is our newest investment to the hospital that will bring cancer diagnosis and treatment closer to home for so many in the west-end of Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley. QCH is well known for its commitment to learning and personal development and these new bursaries will help us enhance our educational programs and opportunities."

"It means a great deal to know that my hospital supports me in advancing my education. To know that TD is also committed to supporting our staff in their ongoing quest to improve themselves and the care they provide is very exciting and we are all extremely grateful," added Kim Schraeder, RN and Nurse Manager on one of the Hospital's Medicine Units.

At today's special celebration, a number of TD employees were also onsite to unveil the TD Radiation Therapy Suite in the cancer centre that was dedicated to TD in honour of the Bank's generosity and support.

Queensway Carleton Hospital is a patient and family-centred, urban community hospital providing a broad range of acute care services to the people of Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley. Employing over 1,700 health care professionals, the 264-bed, Queensway Carleton Hospital is the secondary referral centre for the Ottawa Valley. Hospital staff focuses on maintaining and enhancing their cornerstone programs - Emergency, Childbirth, Geriatrics, Mental Health, Medical and Surgical Services and Rehabilitation. Grounded on an environment of lifelong learning, the Queensway Carleton Hospital is a teaching partner with the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine and other healthcare programs and is committed to delivering a new standard of care for our community.

Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation is a registered charity with the mission: To improve and save lives by working with our donors, our hospital and our community to encourage philanthropic gifts in support of patient care. The Foundation and its volunteers are responsible for raising and distributing philanthropic gifts in support of the programs and projects of Queensway Carleton Hospital.