20 years for the Fonds Brigitte-Perreault: an invaluable contribution to the CHUS

” All these years, the Fonds has maintained this aim, which is to be present for patients, to support them and their environment. For me it is the key. When you are vulnerable, you want to remain dignified, to feel loved, respected, and listened to. I encourage people to continue giving to the Brigitte-Perreault Fund so that this mission can continue and because the projects funded make a real difference. ”

— Vincent Vallières, sponsor of the Fonds Brigitte-Perreault.

This fund was created in memory of Dr. Brigitte Perreault, a gastroenterologist recognized for her human approach, appreciated by her patients, colleagues and students. She died of cancer at the age of 30.

“It was a real collective mourning. She was just starting her practice, and she was also beginning to teach. We wanted to ensure that her beautiful values, where the patient is at the heart of care, could continue, and that's why we created this fund,” remembers Dr. Pierre Charron, the fund's instigator and a former professor at the Université de Sherbrooke's Faculté de médecine et des sciences de la santé.

So far, the Fonds Brigitte-Perreault has enabled 126 projects to come to fruition, representing an investment of over $1.1 million. Most of these projects were submitted by staff members working at Hôpital Fleurimont and Hôtel-Dieu. “We invite them to submit projects to the Fonds Brigitte-Perreault. It's a valuable additional lever to help us improve our service offering. A simple idea can make a big difference to a patient's hospital experience,” explains Catherine Forget, Assistant Director of Cancer Care at CIUSSS de l'Estrie - CHUS, noting that a video to guide patients through their first chemotherapy treatment was produced last year.  

Pamphlets, fact sheets, posters, platforms and videos have been produced in various departments over the years. Other projects have also enabled the integration of new practices and approaches, for example, for elderly patients and those at the end of life. The Fund's contribution to the creation of the Sentiers de la santé, in the wooded area on the grounds of Hôpital Fleurimont, is also a project aimed at providing a beneficial environment for both the physical and mental health of its users, be they staff members, patients or relatives of a person receiving care.

Looking to the future

Over the next few years, the Fonds Brigitte-Perreault expects to receive more projects aimed at supporting caregivers. “We'll continue to support the same missions, but in terms of humanizing care, we want to promote caregivers. There are needs, because the population is aging and care will increasingly be directed to the home,” explains Dr. Dusanka Grbic, gastroenterologist and head of the Fonds Brigitte-Perreault.