Fund helps hospital staff advance careers

The Dauphin Hospital Foundation is putting a strong emphasis on recruitment and retention by investing in the people who provide care every day at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre (DRHC).

At the heart of that effort is the Delha Cort Educational Trust, an endowment fund established in the 1990s through the estate of longtime Dauphin resident Irene Delha Cort. Her bequest was intended to ensure hospital staff would always have support to further their skills and education.

The fund is managed by the Foundation’s Board of Directors. While the principal investment remains untouched, the annual interest provides grants to DRHC employees pursuing professional development opportunities.

Over the years, the fund has helped numerous healthcare workers expand their training, an increasingly vital priority at a time when rural hospitals face challenges recruiting and retaining staff. Recent recipients include respiratory therapist Erin Forsyth, licensed practical nurse Janelle McIvor and health care aide Paige Pogany, each with their own story of how the support has made a difference.

Forsyth used the fund to complete specialized online courses in asthma and COPD. “Thanks to the Delha Cort educational fund, I was able to complete online courses specializing in asthma and COPD,” she said. “These courses were essential for the type of respiratory testing and education we provide to our community clients in the Prairie Mountain Health region. I am now a certified respiratory educator and feel better equipped to provide quality care and up-to-date education to the people in our community and surrounding area.”

For McIvor, the fund helped make it possible to return to school after 15 years of service as a licensed practical nurse. She is now pursuing her bachelor of nursing at Brandon University with hopes of specializing in pediatric and trauma nursing.

“Returning to school after so many years was both exciting and challenging, but it is a choice I made with purpose and determination,” she said. “Thanks to a generous monetary grant from the Dauphin Hospital Foundation, I was able to ease that burden and make the move to attend Brandon University.”

She adds that the support has not only helped cover essential expenses but also given her peace of mind. “I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and the community behind it, and I am committed to using this education to give back, especially to my patients in the emergency department during their critical moments.”

Pogany, who began her career as a health-care aide in 2021, is now studying to become an LPN, while also gaining operating room experience. With assistance from the Delha Cort fund, she was able to complete training to become an operating room assistant, deepening her knowledge of surgical equipment and procedures.

“Being back in the classroom comes with a lot of new expenses, so this assistance was greatly appreciated,” she said. “Upon completion of my course, I hope to return to the OR where my interest and passion have grown.”

» Winnipeg Sun