Peterborough hospital opens simulation centre

PETERBOROUGH, Ont. – The Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) has opened The Martin and Denise Pick Learning Centre, a multidisciplinary training and education facility outfitted with state-of-the-art training tools and equipment in a simulated patient care environment.

The $3.1 million learning centre, which was originally approved by the hospital’s board of directors in early 2015, was funded by community donors to the PRHC Foundation. In particular, the support of the Pick family through the Otto and Marie Pick Charitable Foundation of Lindsay was essential to the foundation’s fundraising efforts.

“My father Otto Pick died from his third heart attack in 1959 at the age of 54,” said Martin Pick, a former PRHC Foundation board member and representative of the Otto and Marie Pick Charitable Foundation, who attended the opening with his wife Denise and son Charles.

“In his short life, he and his amazing wife Marie laid the foundation for a seed enterprise that’s now a global presence in the industry. The last years of his life, however, lacked any quality. Had he lived today in the period of bypasses and stents, his life would likely have been much longer and a great deal more comfortable.”

The learning centre has been named after Martin and Denise Pick, who chose to donate to the PRHC Foundation both to honour their parents and to demonstrate that advances and innovation at the hospital need the support of the community.

“Your transformational support will enable the continuous learning that is essential to fostering innovation and excellence in patient care and help PRHC’s healthcare professionals reach their full potential,” said PRHC Foundation President and CEO Lesley Heighway, in thanking the Pick family for its support.

Heighway also thanked all the other many donors who contributed to the learning centre.

“Thanks to your generosity, our hospital’s most valuable asset – its doctors, nurses and staff – now have access to the space and technology they need to further develop their skills and deliver world-class care to patients from across our region,” she said.

PRHC President and CEO Dr. Peter McLaughlin also thanked the Pick family and the other PRHC Foundation donors.

“We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new Martin and Denise Pick Learning Centre after years of planning, fundraising and construction,” he said.

“By supporting our staff with leading-edge educational space, technology and equipment, we continue to champion and promote the continuous growth and development of our people, ultimately improving the quality of care we provide for patients in Peterborough and across the region.”