Welcome to the ninth issue of QEII Times. We are delighted to bring you this publication, which is a joint initiative between the QEII Foundation and The Chronicle Herald. Thanks to our QEII Times advertisers, this newspaper is produced three times a year with the sole objective of sharing news about the people, programs and advancements at the QEII Health Sciences Centre.

Why is this important you may ask? With all the ongoing changes to our health system and the media attention surrounding hospital facilities and the future of care, it's critical that Atlantic Canadians know what services the QEII provides, where these services are located, who the people are that devote their careers to keeping us healthy and what advancements are being made in health care.

The QEII is the largest adult health centre east of Montreal, made up of ten buildings across two campuses – the Halifax Infirmary site and the Victoria General site. In every QEII Times, we include this handy reference map in case you need it in the future. As well as providing the full range of health care for the most critically ill people from across Atlantic Canada, the QEII is also a clinical and research centre and in collaboration with Dalhousie University, teaches more than 1,200 health professionals every year.

The QEII Foundation is the organization that helps advance health services by raising funds to support new patient care equipment, medical science and resources to enrich the professional education of tomorrow’s healthcare providers. Our campaigns focus on the highest priorities of the QEII and often, we co-fund leading-edge technology in partnership with the provincial government and other health related organizations.

Every day, lives are changed and lives are saved at the QEII, thanks to donors who supported health care. We celebrate the impact that philanthropy has on our province. When you are considering your own philanthropic support, consider the impact and outcome you can have on humankind.

We are fortunate to have many philanthropic organizations in our province who are dedicated to making this world a better place. These individuals are advancing health care so that we can live longer, healthier lives; they are helping to educate youth and involve our children in sport; they are caring for those less fortunate and ensuring our neighbours have roofs over their heads and food on their tables. They tackle huge social issues and they dedicate their lives to helping others. It really does take a village. The philanthropic sector is a solution to accelerating progress on the most urgent social issues.

If you would like to express your thanks to the QEII in some way, I invite you to contact me at 902 473 5590 or send me an email at bill.bean@qe2foundation.ca. A donation to the area of your choice – of any amount – can help make a significant difference in the lives of others. We would be happy to discuss ways of supporting the QEII with you and can share more information about our current campaigns. We are about to launch a very exciting campaign for heart health and welcome your involvement. Stay tuned for more information in upcoming issues of QEII Times or on our website at QE2Foundation.ca.

From all of us at the QEII Foundation, we wish you and your family a happy 2016. We are all so fortunate to live in such a magnificent part of the country and when all else is stripped away, undeniably, health does matter most.