Back to News

Dufresne Family Makes Transformational Gift to the HSC Foundation

October 7, 2021

Manitoba Urologic Centre campaign approaches goal

The Dufresne Family

The Dufresne Family

A $1 million gift from the Dufresne family brings Health Sciences Centre (HSC)’s proposed Manitoba Urologic Centre one step closer to reality. HSC Foundation’s multimillion-dollar campaign to develop a world-class urologic centre at HSC will dramatically shorten wait times and improve care for approximately 10,000 Manitobans annually.

“The Dufresne family is one of the most respected families in Canadian business. Their impact in Manitoba and Northwest Ontario has been significant,” said President and CEO of the HSC Foundation Jonathon Lyon. “We’re grateful for their tremendous generosity and that they have chosen to support the Manitoba Urologic Centre in this exceptional way.”

The people treated in the Manitoba Urologic Centre will be patients requiring transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP); kidney stone removal; and treatment for certain types of bladder cancer, among other conditions. Wait times are expected to drop from up to one year to weeks and days for many procedures. For rural and northern patients, HSC would be able to work toward performing the required procedure on the same day they receive their diagnosis.

Thanks to the Dufresne family, not only will people requiring urologic attention receive quicker access to care, but those who are awaiting urologic cancer surgery will benefit as well as the Manitoba Urologic Centre will free up space in HSC’s operating room, thereby improving overall efficiencies.

“HSC has had a profound impact on our family and thousands of other families throughout Manitoba, Northwest Ontario, and the north,” said Dufresne Group CEO Mark Dufresne on behalf of his family. “It is our honour to support the HSC Foundation and contribute to this important advancement in urologic care.”

“The importance of this initiative cannot be overstated,” said HSC Urologist Dr. Jeff Saranchuk. “Under current conditions, patients have to wait far too long for the care they need. The new centre will help us reduce wait times from up to one year to weeks which will improve patients’ recoveries and reduce the risk of complications. Additionally, thanks to donors like the Dufresne family, we will be able to acquire the latest equipment to perform minimally invasive procedures. We are very grateful that this project is moving forward.”

“We are passionate about taking care of the people who live and work in our community. With the Manitoba Urologic Centre, Winnipeggers and rural patients can make fewer trips to HSC, have shorter hospital stays, and receive more timely care,” adds Dufresne. “This project goes beyond urology. We believe in the vision the for the future of HSC, and the key role this project will play in that plan, freeing up operating room time and resources. As donors, we all play a part in helping HSC become even more efficient and effective in delivering care to patients. I hope that other businesses and individuals will step forward and make a gift to help this campaign reach its goal.”

About the Health Sciences Centre Foundation:

The Health Sciences Centre Foundation rallies individual, corporate, and institutional donors in support of HSC Winnipeg — Manitoba’s hospital. By inspiring Manitobans to donate, the HSC Foundation enhances patient care and accelerates innovation at HSC through the acquisition of state-of-the-art technology, the development of new clinical spaces, and the promotion of groundbreaking research. Through specific, timely, and essential investments, the HSC Foundation helps to deliver tomorrow’s health care, today.

www.hscfoundation.mb.ca

 

About the Dufresne Group:

The Dufresne Group has been recognized as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies for over 20 years. The enterprise includes Dufresne Furniture & Appliances and select Canadian Ashley HomeStores locations. Family members are deeply committed to philanthropy and have been supporting the HSC Foundation since 2009. Their charity, the Dufresne Foundation, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the communities in which it operates, with health care being one of its key values.

 

Learn more at dufresne.ca

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram