Corporate social responsibility

Spotlight on health and community

Saint-Vincent Hospital, Ontario

Saint-Vincent Hospital (SVH) is Ottawa’s sole provider of complex continuing hospital care for those with chronic illnesses and debilitating injuries. Built in 1932, with additional sections of the building added over the next 22 years, SVH lacked many amenities taken for granted in other hospitals. To correct this situation, SVH launched a major reconstruction project in June 2002 to provide patients and staff with an improved facility conducive to high-quality care. CGI became a partner of this initiative at the onset through both monetary and in-kind donations. A main focus of CGI’s participation included the creation, implementation, maintenance and secure hosting of a custom Web application that handled the information delivery and online pledging of donations and special event registrations via the Internet.

Thanks to the tremendous support of CGI and its professionals, one of SVH’s newly renovated wings opened in July 2004 with more modern living conditions for 18 patients, including essential amenities—such as air conditioning and centrally piped oxygen—and more spacious living and recreational space. To show its appreciation for CGI’s support, SVH held a ceremony in April 2005 to name the newly renovated wing in honor of CGI. (Pictured from left to right are Scott Lawrence, director, consulting services of CGI; Amy Desjardins, president of the SVH Foundation; and Steve Kerr, vice president, consulting services of CGI.

“The Saint-Vincent Hospital campaign benefited immensely from CGI’s financial contribution and in-kind donation of creating, maintaining and securing our official campaign Web site. Without this very important communications tool, our campaign would not have benefited from the many online donations made and event tickets purchased through the CGI-sponsored Web site,” says Tracy Donahue, a senior development officer for the hospital foundation. “Throughout the Saint-Vincent Hospital campaign journey, we experienced nothing but professional and first-class treatment from the CGI team. We always felt treated like a priority paying client. The SCO Health Service Foundation team is truly grateful to our friends at CGI for all their hard work and dedication in helping us surpass our $7.5 million goal.”

In addition to SVH, CGI’s Ottawa operations participate in other healthcare-related community outreach activities, including supporting the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Ottawa Hospital Foundation, where as part of a workplace campaign, CGI’s members raised funds for a patient heart monitor for the emergency room’s trauma area and to support the work of the Cancer Assessment Centre.