BC, Krall family invest in patient housing program

 VANCOUVER – Patient and caregivers who need to travel for leukemia treatments or solid organ transplants are benefiting from a new $720,000 pilot project that provides affordable patient housing options.

The pilot is funded through a $360,000 contribution from the Province, which matches a gift from the family of the late Adella Krall, who was mother to Diana and her sister Michelle. To help other patients and their families experiencing similar challenges, the Kralls donated funds raised by Diana and Michelle and Diana's charity benefits to the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. The Kralls recognized the need for sustainable affordable housing for outpatients and caregivers while Adella was travelling between Nanaimo and Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) for multiple myeloma treatment.

The Patient Accommodation Pilot Project benefits patients from the leukemia/bone marrow transplant and the solid organ transplant programs at VGH when they face lengthy outpatient stays. The pilot will run for an estimated 18 months, with as many as 120 families expected to access the program over the next year.

Currently, 10 fully-furnished and equipped one-bedroom apartments located close to VGH are available to patients and their caregivers. A $20 per day subsidy is available if the apartments are fully booked, or if patients prefer to secure their own housing.

Since the housing project began in early March 2011, 36 patients and their caregivers have been accommodated through the program. The Province is committed to ensuring access to health-care benefits and supports is looked at with a provincewide lens. Patients supported through this program have come from 28 communities across B.C., including Kamloops, Comox, Sechelt, Prince Rupert, Fort St. John and Trail.

The Krall family are long-time supporters of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, a registered charity that raises funds for the latest, most sophisticated medical equipment, world-class research and improvements to patient care for VGH, UBC Hospital, GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and community health services across Vancouver.

The Patient Accommodation Pilot Project is just one of the supports in place for B.C. patients and families who need to travel for medical care. The Province’s recently invested $13.4 million toward a new Ronald McDonald House in Vancouver, which will accommodate up to 2,200 out-of-town families a year who need to travel with their children for care at BC Children’s Hospital.

Additionally, the Province’s Travel Assistance Program, a corporate partnership between the Ministry of Health and private transportation carriers, offers discounts ranging from 30 to 100 per cent off regular fares for eligible B.C. residents who must travel for non-emergency, physician-referred care. 

Photo Caption:  (From left to right: Ron Dumouchelle, President & CEO, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation; Rupie Sachdeva, Sister of former BC Government MLA Sindi Hawkins; Michael de Jong, Minister of Health, BC Government; Michelle Krall Wigmore, long-time supporters of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation)

Quotes: Michael de Jong, Minister of Health“This program fills a need for a sustainable and affordable housing option for leukemia and organ transplant patients who need to be away from home for extended periods of time for treatment and care. We are proud to partner with the Krall family and the foundation through this program, which will help to relieve financial strain, meaning one less worry for families at a challenging time.”
Dr. Margaret MacDiarmid, MLA Vancouver-Fairview “This program reflects our commitment to putting families first by ensuring supports are in place for patients who need them most. Having experienced the health-care system from all sides, as a family doctor, advocate and patient, I recognize the challenges patients face when they must leave home to travel for treatment and having a place to call home while undergoing treatment can make a huge difference.”
Michelle Krall Wigmore “We understand what it’s like for these families because we’ve been there. We’re pleased the provincial government has matched our donation, that they have taken a positive step to address this physical and emotional challenge for many B.C. families, and that they are thinking about how something like this could be sustainable.”
Ron Dumouchelle, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation president and CEO“We know that VGH serves all of British Columbia, providing highly specialized care for adults facing the most serious and complex medical conditions and illnesses. And, we, along with the donors and supporters of this initiative, also understand that many patients must travel from their communities to receive the expert care they need.”
Mary Ackenhusen, chief operating officer, Vancouver Coastal Health-Vancouver “This pilot project alleviates the emotional and financial stress for patients of locating an affordable and appropriate home away from home during treatment. This project is the first step toward a long-term sustainable solution to the hardship that families face when life-threatening illnesses require prolonged outpatient stays during specialized medical treatment in Vancouver.”
Quick Facts:

• Currently 10 patients and/or caregivers are living in the fully-furnished units and another 15 patients and/or caregivers receiving a subsidy of $20/day for accommodations they located themselves. Another six patients and/or caregivers are in-process.
• About 200 bone marrow transplants and between 350 and 450 solid organ transplants are performed at Vancouver General Hospital each year.
• About 35 per cent of bone marrow transplant patients, and 20 per cent of sold organ transplant patients and their caregivers, are from outside the Lower Mainland.
• The average length of stay for these patients in Vancouver once they are discharged from hospital ranges from three months for transplant patients and to up to nine months for leukemia patients who have had bone marrow transplants.
• Adella Krall passed away from multiple myeloma in 2002. The Krall family has raised more than $6 million for the UBC & VGH Hospital Foundation to support patients and families living with multiple myeloma, leukemia and other blood-related cancers.

Contacts: Ryan Jabs
Media Relations Manager, Ministry of Health
Tel: 250.952.1889

Trudi Beutel
Public Affairs Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health
Tel: 604 708-5282  Cell: 604 812-1847

Katherine Kosowan
Director, Marketing & Communications, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation
Cell: 604 603-5847

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