It’s the mission of the Nicola Valley Health Care Endowment Foundation to raise funds for health care in the Nicola Valley. In 2024, we contributed to several important projects, elevating the service of care for residents in Merritt and the Nicola Valley. Check out the Foundation Spotlight Feature from Interior Health, it highlights the work foundations like the NVHCEF are doing to support local health care.
A donation of $38,000 went towards the purchase of food carts that have been in use at the Gillis House since the middle of 2024. We were glad to be able to continue our support of this care facility.
For use in the Nicola Valley Hospital & Health Centre, the foundation donated a total of $130,279 for a mobile ultrasound unit ($73,000) and a digital detector for the mobile x-ray equipment ($57,279). An additional, smaller detector plate is on order and will be in use as soon as available in early 2025.

The mobile x-ray equipment is in use both in the Emergency Room and in the X-Ray Room and has not only increased the level of care for patients, it also keeps hospital staff safe as the digital detector is considerably lighter than conventional plates. Other benefits of the mobile unit are less radiation, and being able to see the image immediately on the screen. An improvement for both staff and patients!

The new portable ultrasound is in use in the Emergency Room and has become a tool for increasing diagnostic capacity and elevating patient care. The display is high definition, three times clearer than the previous unit, and comes with three probes for different applications. All ER physicians at the Nicola Valley Hospital & Health Centre are trained to use and read the ultrasound, and also have the option to send off the results for a deeper look.
Over the years, the NVHCEF has donated over $3,000,000 to the hospital and Gillis House.
We look forward to supporting hospital site manager Mark Bagabuyo and his staff with facility and equipment upgrades in 2025, for a better tomorrow in health care for Merritt and the Nicola Valley. Support our mission and donate today!