This text is part of the special section Philanthropy
For the President and Executive Director of the CISSS de Lanaudière, Maryse Poupart, who arrived in her position barely a year ago, the Fondation Santé Sud de la Lanaudière at the Pierre-Le Gardeur hospital ensures the progress of certain processes and a response faster as needed.
“The Foundation’s contribution allows us to improve and sometimes accelerate our service offer,” says Maryse Poupart. That said, however, she wants to make a distinction. “The Foundation’s financial contribution cannot be used [à payer] our operating costs nor for the replacement of obsolete equipment or for the purchase of new equipment already planned, which we do from our budget granted by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS). The Foundation’s financial contribution should only be used to supplement our service offering. »
She gives as an example the donation of a positron tomography device by the Foundation to the Pierre-Le Gardeur hospital. “This is the first positron tomography device on the entire territory of Lanaudière,” she continues. Would we have been able to convince the MSSS of the interest in financing such an acquisition? No doubt so, but the process would have taken longer and the donation from the Foundation immediately fills this need. Obviously, the CISSS de Lanaudière must cover the cost of installing and operating this new equipment from its own budget.
Maryse Poupart sees in this donation not only the acquisition of sophisticated new medical equipment, but also an opportunity. “If we want to provide the best possible care to our patients,” she explains, “we have to be able to attract and retain our staff. The presence of this device is an asset in this regard. »
And this observation does not stop at top-of-the-range equipment. “Any contribution from the Foundation, however modest, that improves the work environment of our employees helps us attract and retain them. Not to mention that it has the effect of improving the patient experience. »
A strategic lever
Maryse Poupart is far from considering the Fondation Santé Sud de Lanaudière as a foreign organization to which the CISSS that she heads must pay some attention, given the financial advantage associated with it. “I rather consider the Foundation as a true partner, she says, and this, for several reasons. »
First, in his view, the Foundation represents an important strategic lever for the CISSS. “When a CISSS like ours negotiates with the MSSS to advance a project or to meet needs specific to our region, the Foundation’s support is essential. This clearly indicates that we have the support of the community, because the Foundation comes from and is part of this community. »
The reverse is also true. “If a CISSS wants to offer the best possible service to its community, it must start by getting to know it,” she continues. And to know her, you have to forge ties with her. The Foundation allows us to forge these links. It is with and through the Foundation that we can best forge these links with the community and then maintain them. »
Manage in partnership
This is why Maryse Poupart favors an approach to health management that makes room for partnerships. “For example, if we establish a complementary relationship between the CISSS and the Foundation, if our two departments consult each other and exchange views, this allows me to develop a much finer strategic plan for the CISSS that best meets the expectations and the needs of our community. We are then able to target the right projects. »
And this management in partnership is not limited to the relationship between the Foundation and the CISSS. “My approach to management in partnership applies to all community stakeholders, health foundations of course, but also municipal governments, community organizations, donors, in short, all those who, directly or indirectly , are interested in improving health care and social services. »
This management in partnership, she believes, can also have a cascading effect. “The more you establish partnerships, the more you forge ties with community players, the more chances you have of giving others the desire to get involved and join us. I have an unwavering belief in the power of partnership in health management. Because basically, in a field like ours, all the players have a common objective, which is to provide the best possible services to the members of the community. »