Thompson Rivers University

Large donation pledged to health centre

November 28, 2014

Health-Centre-Sign-Unveiling-web

Lyla Floberg (left), Williams Lake & District Credit Union branch manager; Dr. Ray Sanders, executive director of TRU Williams Lake; Jim Zimmerman, WLDCU CEO; Sandi Lachapelle, Nurse Practitioner and Rhonda McCreight, Nursing Coordinator at TRU Williams Lake reveal the new signs for the Williams Lake & District Credit Union Community Health Centre.

The Williams Lake and District Credit Union (WLDCU) has pledged $100,000 over the next 10 years to assist in the operation of the Health Centre at TRU’s Williams Lake campus. This generous donation has resulted in renaming the health centre to the Williams Lake and District Credit Union Community Health Centre.

“Williams Lake and District Credit Union is pleased to be able to partner with Thompson Rivers University to offer this important service to Williams Lake and area,” said Jim Zimmerman, CEO of WLDCU. “A commitment to social responsibility is one of the guiding principles of our business, and funding the Community Health Centre allows us to support two high priority areas—healthcare and education.”

The generous donation will provide much needed assistance with operating costs and will allow the health centre to stay open to the public, along with university students, staff and faculty.

“TRU Williams Lake is a different kind of university campus,” said Dr. Ray Sanders, executive director of the Williams Lake Campus and Regional Centres. “We are excited to partner with the community to offer services and programs that enrich the quality of life. We are grateful to all our partners and especially to those we celebrate today.”

The announcement was made on Nov. 27 at the centre’s one year anniversary celebration. Members of the health care community were in attendance to witness the special announcement and renaming ceremony.

“Like other community members, we are familiar with the primary care service gaps within our community and see the centre as a vital piece of the local healthcare framework,” Zimmerman said. “In addition, we see the value of providing hands-on experience for our local nursing students, a unique opportunity that will enhance the value of their educational experience at TRU-Williams Lake.”

The Williams Lake & District Credit Union Community Health Centre is the only university health centre to be led by a nurse practitioner and offers the community an alternative to going to the emergency room. The centre is a great benefit to the School of Nursing in Williams Lake by providing a place for students to complete their clinical practice and learn about day-to-day operations in a health clinic.

Other generous donors who have provided assistance to the Community Health Centre include the Robert L. Conconi Foundation, Schickworks Signs and Stitches and the Interior Health Authority.

Contact:

Myrissa Krenzler
Marketing Coordinator
TRU – Williams Lake Campus
250-392-8048
mkrenzler@tru.ca