Milan and Maureen Ilich set example of giving back to community
The philanthropic leadership from individuals and families in our community can change the lives of everyone who comes to Richmond Hospital in need of our services.
At the same time, the generosity of these leaders has a ripple effect, inspiring all of us to support our medical and health care teams in Richmond.
That’s why this month Richmond Hospital Foundation is recognizing the inspiration of over $10 million in total giving to Richmond’s health care from the Milan and Maureen Ilich Foundation. We will be honouring their legacy by renaming our Westminster Health Building as the Milan Ilich Pavilion.
It’s this type of leadership that truly has an impact on the care we can provide. Today, the legacy of Milan, Maureen, and their children Rick and Laurie, continues well into the future thanks to a recent donation from the Milan and Maureen Ilich Foundation that will make new improvements for patients and families.
Dr. Sharadh Sampath, head of the Department of Surgery at Richmond Hospital, witnesses the impact that donors make for our patients every day. Dr. Sampath offered his heartfelt thanks to Milan and Maureen Ilich and other community donors for their spirit of giving.
“In this era, the success of surgeries no longer simply relies on a sharp scalpel and a steady hand. In order to do my job, I need two things: a highly specialized team and state of the art equipment.
“Having trained and practised in over 15 hospitals in four different countries, I can unequivocally say that Richmond Hospital has a world class team. Because of donors in our community, like Maureen and Milan, we can now have access to the resources needed for advanced medical technology.
“Their latest donation has given us tools that let us perform kidney preserving surgery for cancer patients, and helped complete a campaign for two more minimally invasive operating rooms that will allow us to tackle even more cancers, diabetes, and life-threatening infections with modern surgical techniques.
“Gifts, such as this one from the Maureen and Milan Ilich Foundation, touch the lives of every patient who walks through the doors of this hospital. Whether it’s a patient who needs an MRI before surgery or a critically ill patient who needs resuscitation in our emergency department, donors make a difference for all of us.
“Although I won’t have the chance to meet and thank Milan Ilich in person, I can pledge, on behalf of the medical staff, to honour his contribution by continuing our commitment to the care of each and every patient who seeks treatment in the building that will proudly bear his name.
"The doctors, nurses and allied health teams of Richmond Hospital stand ready to care for the families of Richmond and it fills me with a deep sense of pride to know that there are pillars of the community like Maureen and Milan who stand behind us in support.”
Every donation to Richmond Hospital Foundation is important and helps us change lives. If you would like to follow Milan and Maureen Ilich’s example and make a donation, please visit richmondhospitalfoundation.com or call us at 604-244-5252.
Natalie D. Meixner is president and CEO of Richmond Hospital Foundation. Her column appears monthly in The Richmond Review.
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