RBC donates $350,000 to mobile medical education CALGARY,
ALBERTA, June 7, 2005 — RBC Financial Group (RBC), through its charitable
foundation, has donated $350,000 to the STARS Human Patient Simulator (HPS) program,
a mobile education unit that tours Alberta, parts of British Columbia, the Northwest
Territories and northern Montana. "At RBC we're dedicated to supporting
health and wellness initiatives that improve community services and enhance quality
of life, " said Bruce MacKenzie, Regional President, Prairies, for RBC Financial
Group. "We're thrilled our donation will have a direct impact in helping
to save lives by assisting STARS in its mission to provide more training to medical
practitioners in smaller and, in some cases, remote areas." STARS'
human patient simulator program is one of the first mobile medical education programs
in North America. It is the medical equivalent of a flight simulator. The human
patient simulator (HPS) is a complex mannequin that closely simulates the human
body's functions. Housed in a mobile unit, the HPS program provides specialized
critical care skill training to emergency care providers. Dr. Greg Powell,
CEO of STARS said, "Our partnership with RBC will assist us in reaching more
doctors, nurses, and paramedics with specialized training. We are grateful for
this tremendous support and the very real impact it will have on strengthening
the chain of survival." RBC Financial Group considers its long-term
support of health and wellness not only to be an investment in communities, but
also in Canada's future. RBC Foundation donated nearly $9 million to health care
causes in 2004. Major gifts were given to hospital campaigns, research and health
organizations. RBC's employees also volunteer their time and energy to health
care organizations and charities around the world. To support the wellness of
its employees, RBC provides dependent-care support and flexible work arrangements. STARS
is a non-profit, charitable organization providing an emergency aeromedical transport
system to critically ill and injured patients in Alberta and several communities
in southeastern British Columbia. Funding for the program is provided through
a partnership with Alberta Health and Wellness and through individual and corporate
donations. Ongoing professional development, training and research are also significant
components of the STARS program. Since it began in 1985, STARS has flown more
than 10,000 missions.
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