THE
CHARLES H. BEST
DIABETES CENTRE
WE
NEED
YOUR
HELP!
HARD TO LOOK AT?
IMAGINE HOW THE CHILD FEELS.
THIS IS TYPE 1 DIABETES
WHAT IS TYPE 1?
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an auto-immune disease that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. Our bodies need insulin to convert food into energy. T1D strikes without warning. A person living with T1D must rely on insulin injections in order to stay alive.
As of 2014, roughly 3 million Canadians were diagnosed with diabetes; that's 1 in 300 children and youth (1–19 yrs). Type 1 diabetes (as opposed to Type 2) is estimated to contribute 10% of the total diabetes population, which equates to 270,000 people, including approximately 33,000 school age children.
You cannot develop type 1 diabetes from eating too much sugar.
STRATEGIC PLAN
VISION
As an esteemed leader in type 1 diabetes expertise, we will provide exceptional community based services driven by our patients and their need for lifelong care, education and support.
MISSION
To keep our children, youth and adults living with type 1 diabetes healthy until a cure is found.
GOALS
Deliver excellent care
Be person-centred
Value our people
Sustain and
accommodate growth
WHAT WE DO
The Best Centre is focused on keeping patients healthy through education and support for everyone involved in their care. We have an all-encompassing and lifelong approach driven by our vision and values. The staff and volunteers are here to make living with type 1 diabetes easier by providing both clinical and mental health support. You will find our educators to be highly skilled experts in everything related to type 1 diabetes, and most importantly, caring!
As Canada’s only stand-alone centre and charitable organization specializing in type 1 diabetes, the staff strives to provide timely and responsive care. The interdisciplinary clinical team includes registered nurses, dietitians and social workers who provide frontline healthcare and education throughout our patients’ lifetime.
HELP US BUILD A HEALTHY FUTURE.
BUILDING the BEST
Capital Campaign
Our Founder, Marlene Grass, RN, shares;
“The past 30 years has seen significant changes in the evolution of The Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre. Expanding our mandate of serving children and youth to include adults of all ages with type 1 diabetes was, and is, monumental, unique, innovative and much needed. The Best Centre has set a high standard of education and care delivery. We must continue to strive to exceed this standard of care and meet the ever increasing demand for our services. As we enter our 31st year and beyond, we need to expand our heritage home-like site to be here for those who need us. We will develop more specialized staff to advance our state of the art program delivery; to follow our mission to keep our children, youth and adults healthy until a cure is found.”
The demand for our patient services has increased at an annual average rate of 14.5% over the last decade. The Best Centre has a caseload of about 1,700 people. The estimated future demand indicates a growth of 93% over the next 10 years. The Best Centre's expansion will go a long way to meet the forecasted need and will act as a beacon of hope for those dealing with this incurable disease.
In order to continue to innovate and provide specialized care to a growing patient population, The Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre Board of Directors has made the decision to expand. For this reason, we are asking for your investment in the future of families living in the Region of Durham.
BEST-IN-CLASS FACILITY
We need to raise five million dollars ($5M) to fund the expansion and sustain our type 1 diabetes patient care delivery model. The funds raised will result in a doubling of work space on site; creating increased healthcare access/treatment and long term support for patients and their families.
Why invest in The Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre expansion?
Your financial contribution to the communities will ensure children, adults and their families living now and in the future, continue to have access to expert type 1 diabetes care.
Overall, the expansion will allow for qualified clinical teams to provide transformational care to a growing type 1 diabetes population. This will allow for:
-
intensive ambulatory care to any patient with a diagnosis of type 1 in order to enable rapid discharge from hospital and/or to avoid emergency room visits and readmissions;
-
multi-disciplinary expert education, care and support;
-
an expanding regional insulin pump program for children, youth and adults – the only one of its kind in Canada; and
-
advanced education and support for all available technology that can greatly improve health outcomes and quality of life
While there are organizations focused on finding a cure, The Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre is dedicated to keeping patients healthy through education and support for everyone involved in their care; a family support model. We have an all-encompassing and lifelong approach driven by our vision; as an esteemed leader in type 1 diabetes expertise, we will provide exceptional community-based services driven by our patients and their need for lifelong care, education and support.
Our interdisciplinary team of physicians and registered educators which includes nurses, dietitians and social workers, all work together to make a difference in the lives of these children, adults and their families.
The Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre is a registered charity and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors consisting of patient representatives, medical advisors, community and corporate representatives. Recognizing the burden that The Best Centre lifts off of local hospitals, the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care provides approximately 60% of our operating revenues. While this funding is extremely helpful, it does not cover the costs necessary to run The Best Centre and it does not account for any planned patient growth or site expansion. Therefore we must raise money with fundraising activities such as bingo, galas, golf tournaments, foundation grants, corporate and individual donations.
CONTACT US
360 Columbus Road East, Whitby, Ontario L1M 1Z5
T: 905.620.0360 | F: 905-620-0579
Have a question? Need some information?
Join us on social media:
Or, send us a message...
Thank you to our
corporate sponsor: