Transforming Maternal and Newborn Care in Northern Saskatchewan: Cameco Supports Boreal Healthcare Foundation with $1.5 Million Donation
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, September 24, 2024
Cameco (TSX: CCO; NYSE: CCJ) is investing in the future of northern Saskatchewan families with a generous donation to support maternal and newborn healthcare at Victoria Hospital.
Cameco is donating $1.5 million to the Boreal Healthcare Foundation in support of the Victoria Hospital Redevelopment and Expansion project. The project will bring critical health care closer to home for thousands of families, and provide greater access to specialized services in Prince Albert, which serves people and families across northern Saskatchewan.
The company’s donation supports high risk maternal care through prenatal outpatient, triage and inpatient spaces that meet the health needs of pregnant persons from Saskatchewan’s north. Through their support, Cameco is helping to build a comprehensive suite of services designed to keep mothers and their newborns with advanced health needs together and closer to home. The Victoria Hospital currently supports on average 1,250 births per year and is Saskatchewan’s third largest high-risk maternal site, caring for infants as low as 32 weeks gestation.
As leaders in our community, Cameco has always been at the forefront of driving positive change and growth within Saskatchewan. Half of the employees at Cameco’s four northern sites are Residents of Saskatchewan’s North and health and wellness are one of the company’s giving pillars.
“Throughout our more than 35 years of operations, Cameco has consistently given back to northern Saskatchewan communities,” said Tim Gitzel, Cameco President and CEO. “These communities are where our employees call home, where our valued suppliers and contractors are owned, and where we have developed long-standing partners and friends. Supporting advanced care for mothers and newborns at Victoria Hospital is a critical investment in the future of northern families – an investment Cameco is proud to make.”
“Cameco is improving the health outcomes of moms and babies through state-of-the-art care models that will dramatically improve the hospital’s ability to provide timely, effective, and compassionate care,” said Cody Barnett, CEO of the Boreal Healthcare Foundation. “As the founding donor to the Equip the Vic Campaign, Cameco is demonstrating their commitment to their employees and future workforce by supporting mothers and infants in the North. We are thankful to Cameco for leading the way with this significant investment in bringing better care, close to home.”
Cameco’s donation is the founding gift to the foundation’s Equip the Vic Campaign, which will introduce state-of-the-art medical equipment like advanced MRI and CT scanners, and expand local access to essential services, such as high risk prenatal care for mothers, critical care for newborns, mental health services and early disease detection. The Victoria Hospital Redevelopment and Expansion will increase the hospital’s overall capacity by 40%. With the community’s support, the new acute care tower at the Victoria Hospital has a targeted opening in 2028.
“Cameco has a long history of supporting and partnering with Saskatchewan communities, and today is yet another example of their commitment to our province and our people,” Premier Scott Moe said. “This generous donation will go a long way in supporting staff and patients at Victoria Hospital, including state-of-the-art equipment along with furnishings and fixtures.”
(from left: Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan; Tim Gitzel, Cameco President & CEO; Carrie Dornstauder, Executive Director, Maternal and Children’s Programs, Saskatchewan Health Authority; and Dr. Lalita Malhotra)
About the Boreal Healthcare Foundation
The Boreal Healthcare Foundation, formerly known as the Victoria Hospital Foundation, is dedicated to enhancing healthcare services across northern Saskatchewan. With a mission to ensure accessible, high-quality healthcare for all, the Foundation supports a broad range of health initiatives, including the expansion and modernization of facilities, acquisition of state-of-the-art medical equipment, and the advancement of local healthcare programs. Through philanthropic support, the Boreal Healthcare Foundation fosters transformative healthcare improvements that make a real difference in the lives of northern Saskatchewan residents. By investing in health, we are building a stronger, healthier future for the communities we serve.
About Cameco
Cameco is one of the largest global providers of the uranium fuel needed to energize a clean-air world. Our competitive position is based on our controlling ownership of the world’s largest high-grade reserves and low-cost operations, as well as significant investments across the nuclear fuel cycle, including ownership interests in Westinghouse Electric Company and Global Laser Enrichment. Utilities around the world rely on Cameco to provide global nuclear fuel solutions for the generation of safe, reliable, carbon-free nuclear power. Our shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. Our head office is in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
For more information and to schedule an interview, please contact:
Larysa Savrasykh
306-930-8337
larysa@borealhealthcare.ca
Veronica Baker
306-385-5541
veronica_baker@cameco.com
Other information:
- Prince Albert and northern Saskatchewan have a much younger population than the rest of Saskatchewan, with close to 40% of our population under 20 years of age versus 29% in the rest of Saskatchewan.
- The new Maternal Newborn Care Unit provides a continuum of care from:
- High risk prenatal outpatient programming, such as diabetes and hypertension;
- Triage and assessment of pregnant persons presenting with medical or pregnancy related services;
- Inpatient care for medical and pregnancy related care in the prenatal period;
- Labour and birth services, including a maternal operating suite within the unit;
- Postpartum and post operative care Maternal Care is now co-located with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, providing rapid response for newborns in crisis and keeping mothers and families close to their sick infant.
- The expansion of the Maternal Newborn and Neonatal Intensive Care Units mean an additional six new beds in obstetrics for a total of 19, and two new NICU beds for a total of 13.