~ This generous donation is not the first to be made by the cooperative financial group, which has been involved for many years with the Foundation. ~
Montreal, QC, Canada; October 17, 2023 – The Jewish General Hospital (JGH) Foundation is pleased to announce that DESJARDINS GROUP is making a major donation of $750,000 to support the JGH, a follow-up to an even larger donation made in 2012.
The additional funds will support a scholarship program at the JGH’s research arm, the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research (LDI). The scholarship will be entitled the Desjardins Award of Distinction in Emerging Research, and six annual bursaries will be awarded to post-doctoral fellows at the LDI over a period of five years.
Desjardins has been a long-standing supporter of the JGH Foundation, particularly as the lead sponsor of the annual Golf Classic.
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“At the JGH, we know that research makes exceptional patient care possible,” said Bram Freedman, President and CEO of the JGH Foundation. “We are honoured to receive Desjardins’ generous gift, knowing that these scholarships will support potentially groundbreaking work at the JGH’s Lady Davis Institute.”
“We are so grateful for this gift, which will help fund the next generation of researchers and contribute to the advancement of medical knowledge,” said Dr. Stephen Robbins, Director of Research at the LDI.
“Desjardins’ support for the Jewish General Hospital through this $750,000 donation will give post-doctoral fellows the help they need to excel and reach their full potential, said Michel Cantin, Vice-President of Development and Partnerships for Western Quebec, Desjardins Group. “The scholarship and the bursaries this will fund over the next five years demonstrate the value our organization puts on education and on the health innovation space.”
ABOUT DESJARDINS GROUP
Desjardins Group is the largest cooperative financial group in North America and the fifth largest cooperative financial group in the world, with assets of $409.6 billion. It was named one of the World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies by Forbes magazine. To meet the diverse needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of products and services to individuals and businesses through its extensive distribution network, online platforms and subsidiaries across Canada. Ranked among the world’s strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has some of the highest capital ratios and credit ratings in the industry.
ABOUT THE JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL
The Jewish General Hospital, repeatedly ranked by Newsweek among the top 3 hospitals in Quebec, among the top 10 in Canada and among the top 125 in the world, is an acute and specialized care McGill University teaching hospital. The JGH has been serving a diverse patient population irrespective of religion, language, or ethnic background since it was founded in 1934.
The Hospital is home to one of the highest number of births in Quebec with a specialization in high-risk pregnancies and neonatal care; one of the busiest and most efficient Emergency Departments in the province; the Segal Cancer Centre, which is recognized internationally for its groundbreaking cancer treatment and research achievements; and the Lady Davis Institute, one of the largest and most influential medical research centres in Canada. The JGH is the hub institution of the regional health authority known as the CIUSSS West-Central Montreal.
ABOUT THE LADY DAVIS INSTITUTE FOR MEDICAL RESEARCH
The Lady Davis Institute (LDI) opened its doors in 1969. The LDI is the research arm of the Jewish General Hospital (JGH), which is affiliated with the CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-deMontréal (CCOMTL) and is administered by the CIUSSS CCOMTL. The LDI is also part of the McGill Integrated University Health Network (RUIS). All basic science and clinical investigators at the LDI have university appointments. The LDI boasts more than 220 researchers, 400 administrative and support staff, and about 265 post-graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who receive their research training at the Institute yearly. Special areas of interest include Cancer Therapeutics, Molecular Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, AIDS/HIV, Aging, Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease, Clinical Epidemiology, and Psychosocial Aspects of Disease. The LDI is one of the most productive hospital-based research institutes in Canada in terms of peer-reviewed grant funding per square feet.
ABOUT THE JEWISH GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
Since 1969, the mission of the JGH Foundation has been to advance healthcare and medical research for the people of Quebec by supporting Montreal’s JGH. The JGH Foundation provides essential assistance to the Hospital to enhance its extraordinary patient care, further scientific discovery and acquire innovative medical equipment. We partner with inspired community members to implement various fundraising initiatives to achieve the Hospital’s ambitious goals.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Amanda Starnino
Jewish General Hospital Foundation
Cell phone: 514-806-7078
Email: amanda.starnino@jgh.mcgill.ca