POOCH/SOS Backs the Build

Shown at POOCH’s donation of $1,500 to the PECM Hospital Back the Build campaign, from left, are: Shannon Coull, executive director of the PECMH Foundation, Sherry Tait, director on the PECMH Foundation Board, Dave Gray, founding member of POOCH, Betsy Sinclair, POOCH member, Ian Batt, POOCH member, George MacNabb, POOCH chairperson, Leo Finnegan, director on the PECMH Foundation Board and Briar Boyce, senior development officer with the PECMH Foundation. Andrea Walters photo

A community group formed in 2012 to rally to protect services at the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital has donated the remainder of its bank account to Back the Build of the new hospital.

POOCH Inc. (Patrons of our County Hospital) acted as a non-profit watchdog in the community, advocating for hospital services in the County. Notably, in 2013, POOCH spearheaded a peaceful rally at Queen’s Park to protest further service cuts to PECM Hospital.

More than 300 citizens boarded buses bound for Toronto where a petition with 5,520 signatures was hand-delivered to MPP Todd Smith. Committee members met briefly with then Minister of Health, Deb Matthews, MPP Smith and then Conservative Party Health Critic, Christine Elliott.

Current and former members of POOCH (or more recently known as SOS – Save our Services, Save our Site) gathered at Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital on October 18 to donate $1,500 – the remaining funds leftover from their operating account to the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Back the Build Campaign.

“POOCH is now stepping back and waiting with all of you for the ribbon cutting of our new hospital scheduled to open in 2025,” said George McNabb, chairperson for POOCH. “In the meantime, POOCH will continue to meet with the South East LHIN and provide updates to the community through its SOS Facebook page.”

“Today we recognize all of POOCH’s hard work and efforts on behalf of our hospital and we thank them for this donation,” said Shannon Coull executive director, PECMH Foundation. “POOCH volunteers have gone above and beyond to help ensure PECMH continues to be a great community hospital. Their commitment to health care in Prince Edward County speaks to the importance of community involvement and the impact that it has on the quality of care for those residing and visiting our County and who use our hospital. We are so grateful for POOCH’s support and interest in the future of our hospital,” said Coull.