News

QGHF 2024 Annual Appeal Letters

Each year Queens General Hospital Foundation sends out Annual Appeal Letters. Here is 2024’s QGHF Annual Appear Letter:

Download previous years Appeals below:

  1. QGHF Appeal 2021
  2. QGHF Appeal 2022
  3. QGHF Appeal 2023
  4. QGHF Appeal 2024
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QGHF 2023 Annual Appeal Letters

Each year Queens General Hospital Foundation sends out Annual Appeal Letters. Here is 2023’s QGHF Annual Appear Letter:

Download previous years Appeals below:

  1. QGHF Appeal 2021
  2. QGHF Appeal 2022
  3. QGHF Appeal 2023
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Queens General Hospital Foundation Annual Appeal Letters

Each year Queens General Hospital Foundation sends out Annual Appeal Letters. Here is 2022’s QGHF Annual Appear Letter:

Download previous years Appeals below:

  1. QGHF Appeal 2021
  2. QGHF Appeal 2022
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Dr. MacKinnon returns to Nova Scotia to take up family practice in Liverpool

Dr. Jamie MacKinnon never thought much about returning to Nova Scotia after leaving to pursue his medical studies in the Caribbean, the United States and finally, in Ontario. But after hearing repeatedly about the exceptional medical team in Queens County, and after making a visit to see for himself, Dr. MacKinnon is proud to join our community as our newest physician. 

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Dr. Alison Freeman returns home to Nova Scotia and joins the team at Queens General Hospital

Dr-Freeman-and-family
Dr. Freeman and family.

Dr. Alison Freeman is thrilled to be putting down roots in her home province of Nova Scotia and joining the team at Queens General Hospital.

Dr. Freeman was born in Halifax and raised in Oakfield. Always knowing she wanted to pursue medicine, she enrolled at Dalhousie University in Halifax to study Neuroscience.

From there, she enrolled at the University of Wollongong in Australia to pursue medicine. Interested in the practice of rural and remote medicine, Dr. Freeman was drawn to the Wollongong program, which allowed her to specialize in resource-limited medical settings. As part of the program, she spent one year in Narrandera, New South Wales, learning the ropes of resource limited medicine on the ground.

After finishing her medical studies, she joined the University of British Columbia’s Indigenous Family Medicine Residency Program for two years. From there, she moved to the Yukon, where she lived for 8 years practicing medicine in Whitehorse and Haines Junction. While there, she served on the Yukon Medical Council and was the President of the Yukon Medical Association.

When the COVID-19 pandemic started, Dr. Freeman and her husband decided to take the leap and move back to Nova Scotia, first settling in Antigonish. Dr. Freeman had been hearing about Queens General Hospital and the Queens General Hospital Foundation for many years and was excited about the opportunity to join the team.

“I had been hearing about the Queens General Hospital and the Foundation’s work to support the hospital and the community,” she said. “No matter where I was working across the country, Queens General Hospital was spoken about so highly among my colleagues.”

Dr. Freeman will start at Queens General Hospital in October working in inpatient care. In January, she will start her family medical clinic attached to the hospital.

Dr. Freeman and her husband Justin are excited to raise their daughter Molly and newborn son James and their three dogs in Liverpool. They love spending time outdoors, especially canoeing and kayaking in the summertime.

“I have been very fortunate to travel and live across the world, to see and do a lot, but nothing compares to being back in Nova Scotia,” she said. “I have always considered Nova Scotia to be home and I cannot wait for my family to experience all I was able to when I grew up here.”

Dr. Freeman will build her practice from the Need a Family Practice Registry. The Registry is a provincial list for people without a family doctor or nurse practitioner. Once you have registered, you will be added to the list. When a primary care provider in your area is accepting new patients, Nova Scotia Health contacts you by phone and/or email.

Call 811 to speak to someone if you prefer to register by phone rather than online or you are new to Nova Scotia and do not have a Nova Scotia Health Card .Staff are available Monday through Friday, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. If you are registering for a family member, such as your children or spouse, please have their information ready to complete the registration on their behalf.

If you prefer to register online, please visit https://needafamilypractice.nshealth.ca/

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Janice Reynolds, Four Decades of Serving the Health Community

For 44 years, Janice Reynolds has honed her business acumen operating a pharmacy in the Queens community with her husband, acting on boards for theatres and music festivals, and by being hands on when the task calls for it. As full as Janice’s schedule may already sound, people with her desire to help always find extra time. For the past three years, having handled four decades of accounting, Janice now lends her skills to the Queens General Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees.

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The Legacy of Tim and Diane Ledvina

Through unwavering support and care, the community of Liverpool left an indelible mark on Tim and Diane Ledvina.

Tim Ledvina was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. He received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Ohio State University and began work in the auto industry as an engineer with Morse Chain, part of Borg Warner. He retired from his position as Chief Engineer for Morse Chain as an expert in his field after 30 years, with over 30 patents to his credit.

Diane Ledvina was born in Salamanca, New York, where she attended Cornell University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science. She spent time in Alaska as a lab technician, and later returned to Ithaca, New York, where she had a 30-year career with Dairy One, was president of the local Farm Bureau chapter, and treasurer of the Holstein Club. It was in New York where Tim and Diane met.

Diane and Tim Ledvina
Diane and Tim Ledvina

“Tim and Diane… they really were drawn to one another” Tom, his twin brother recalls, “These are people who really overcame some difficulties.” Tim suffered from cataracts early in his life, at a time when surgery for cataracts was only just being developed. Despite the surgery, Tim had severe vision issues throughout his life. Early in Diane’s life, she suffered a farming accident where she lost most of her right arm. “You had two people, who both faced great physical challenges, and I think that drew them together.” adds Tom.

During their careers, Tim and Diane would often travel for vacation. On one such vacation, they travelled to Nova Scotia, and driving down the coast, they came upon Liverpool, and they fell in love with it. The rest is history. In 2005, they bought a plot of land near the ocean, and began construction on their home. They integrated into the community immediately. Both were parishioners at St. Gregory’s Church. They loved animals, raising miniature donkeys and other animals in New York, and were always the place for a rescue dog. In Liverpool, they worked with the SPCA. Tim was part of the Kiwanis, and Diane volunteered for Queens General Hospital, the Queens Food Bank and Thomas Raddall Library, up until her illness.

It was discovered, during a routine health check as part of the immigration process of moving to Canada, that Diane had cancer. “The support that Tim and Diane felt in the following years was beyond what they could have expected; that’s pretty extraordinary in my mind.” says Tom, “It shows how they really became part of the community.” After a long battle, Diane passed in March of 2012, and written condolences poured in from the community and anywhere Diane had spent time, from roommates at university, to neighbours down the road.

“I was really worried when I went up there after Diane died,” Tom explains. “I worried Tim would be alone, but I quickly found that was not the case. He had so many friends, and the community was so supporting,” Tom remembers. “I knew he was going to do fine.”

Twin brothers Tim (l) and Tom (r) Ledvina
Twin brothers Tim (l) and Tom (r) Ledvina

Tim continued to take part in the community until he became ill in December of 2014. Once again, support poured in from the Liverpool community and the local area. He was happy to be in Liverpool. Tim passed the following March, but not before making the decision to give back to the community that had given him and Diane so much.

“It was important to Tim to make a contribution. He could see how important the hospital was to the local community. So that’s what motivated the gift,” says Tom. Tim was so grateful for the level of care Diane received at Queens General Hospital, “He wanted to preserve that access to good, quality, local healthcare.”

Tim and Diane donated $4.8 million to Queens General Hospital Foundation, the largest single private donation the foundation has ever received. Knowing that the foundation would put the money to the best use, Tim left no instructions on how the donation was to be used, only that it be used to benefit those in the Liverpool community to its fullest extent. The building that will display their name to honour their generous donation has a history of healthcare, as the former location of a family practice. The property is also large enough, should further development be required. This facility will be used to continue and enhance the level of care and support that Tim and Diane appreciated during their time in Liverpool.

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Local Doctor Saves Sentimental Items with New Device

The Queens General Hospital is fortunate to have dedicated medical professionals who are committed to the health of those in Queens County. One such professional is Dr. Ryan Burrill. Dr. Burrill, who grew up in Shelburne, always enjoyed helping people. Little did he know that his educational journey would take him around the world before returning back to his home province.

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QGHF helps the Region of Queens bring movement and socialization to local seniors

Socialization is an important part of our lives at any age. From heart-warming conversations with loved ones to small talk at the grocery store, the interactions we have on a daily basis support our emotional and mental health. In Queens County, a large portion of the population is over the age of 65. Isolation and sedentary lifestyles are a reality for many, something that’s been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why the Region of Queens created the Queens Coast Seniors Live Well Initiative.

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QGH Foundation Letter to Healthcare Staff

The staff of the Queens General Hospital have provided incredible care to the people of Queens County every single day for the past 68 years. The trustees of the Queens General Hospital Foundation work to ensure that the staff of the QGH can continue to provide their critical services to all in need. With the support of our community, the QGHF has purchased numerous pieces of equipment that allow all QGH staff to continue their service to the people of Queens County. 

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