BMO supports Indigenous health with $2 million hospital donation

BMO announced this week that it will be donating $2 million to St. Paul’s Foundation of Vancouver, BC, to further strengthen the hospital’s commitment to Indigenous health and wellness.

The gift will advance the work of the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) Chair in Heart Health and Wellness at St. Paul’s Hospital, founded in 2015 by FNHA, St. Paul’s Hospital, Simon Fraser University and Providence Health Care Research Institute.

“BMO’s deep commitment to fostering an inclusive society underscores our Purpose to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. This commitment extends to our support for the health and success of Indigenous individuals and communities nationally, as well as this transformational work undertaken by St. Paul’s Foundations,” said Paul Seipp, Regional President, Business Banking, BC & Yukon, BMO Bank of Montreal. “For more than 30 years, BMO has had a strong relationship with St. Paul’s Foundation, and we are proud to support the FNHA Chair in Heart Health and Wellness at St. Paul’s Hospital.”

BMO has previously given generously to St. Paul’s Hospital’s Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS. This latest funding will help St. Paul’s broaden its longstanding record of caring for Indigenous people as it continues its mission of providing compassionate care to all, including society’s most vulnerable.

St. Paul’s Hospital is a leading provider of culturally sensitive, trauma-informed care to Indigenous patients and residents. In recent years, it has viewed its work through the lens of reconciliation. In that spirit, it has:

• Formed an Indigenous-led health-care team to provide culturally appropriate care to Indigenous patients and to advocate for them (2011).
• Opened an All Nations Sacred Space in the hospital to allow patients and loved ones to participate in traditional healing and ceremonies that include cultural and spiritual elements in medical care (2013).
• Signed a Declaration of Commitment to Cultural Safety and Humility with the FNHA (2017).

BMO’s donation will also play a role in bringing to life the vision of enhanced programs for Indigenous people at the new St. Paul’s Hospital, by supporting the capital investment where transformational work will take place.

Learn more about BMO’s Community Giving strategy.