Portage District General Hospital Foundation is receiving a $10,000 donation from RBC and the RBC Foundation to support specialized emergency pediatric training for local nurses, with funding set to cover certification for 29 staff members through the Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course (ENPC) ahead of National Nursing Week.
The funding is part of a broader national initiative supporting hospitals across Canada and is being directed locally to strengthen emergency department skills in pediatric care at the Portage facility.
Pediatric training focus
The donation will allow nurses in the emergency department to complete ENPC training, which focuses on improving assessment and treatment of children in emergency settings.
Foundation officials say the course is designed to help rural hospitals where staff treat patients across all age groups.
“We’ve received funding from RBC in the past, so they reached out to us again with the application, and each year they have some guidelines around the types of initiatives they’re trying to fund. This year RBC was really looking at access to care as their main goal,” executive director Tara Pettinger says.
Tara Pettinger, Executive Director of the Portage District General Hospital Foundation, speaks at a Portage Rotary meeting at Canad Inns on May 5, 2026, while Rotary president Dave Roberts listens from his seat. PortageOnline/Cory Knutt
Pettinger explains that emergency department staff identified pediatric care as a priority area through ongoing discussions.
“We had been having conversations with the emergency department team, and they were really seeking some specific training around pediatric care in the E.R. We are very excited to be able to fund that course for them,” Pettinger adds.
Rural emergency care needs
Pettinger notes the importance of pediatric-specific training in a rural emergency setting, where nurses regularly see patients ranging from newborns to seniors.
“The emergency nursing pediatric course really gives some specifics in order to best treat pediatric cases when they come in. Between November 1 2024, and October 31 2025, our ED saw 2,464 pediatric visits with 96 pediatric admissions,” Pettinger notes.
She says the volume of visits reinforces the need for additional skills to support faster assessment and treatment decisions for children.
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“When you’re working in an ER in a rural community like this, you can get patients from as early as newborns to much later in life, not a specialized hospital looking at just pediatric care,” Pettinger continues. “By being able to equip the nurses in there with this course, it really allows them to make, early analysis, diagnoses, all those things that really allow for the best possible treatment of these patients coming in. We’re just excited to be able to, with partnership with RBC, be able to offer that course to these nurses that work so hard.”
Strategic plan and future growth
Pettinger says the investment also aligns with the foundation’s broader strategic plan, which is focused on strengthening staffing, improving training opportunities and preparing for the upcoming transition to the new hospital.
“Obviously, we’re excited for the new hospital opening, and we just want to help with staff retention and recruitment,” Pettinger remarks.
She notes the foundation has been expanding bursaries and training supports as part of that plan.
“The bursaries that we’ve started and some of the different trainings we’ve funded, we’re really excited about. We’re looking at building our relationship further with Southern Health and being able to enhance that communication. We continue to receive projects and then be able to fund different projects and equipment in the hospital that really help to enhance health care for all those seeking care in the facility,” Pettinger adds.
Tara Pettinger, Executive Director of the Portage District General Hospital Foundation, is pictured with Joe Masi, chair of the foundation board, at a Portage Rotary meeting at Canad Inns on May 5, 2026. PortageOnline/Cory Knutt
Pettinger says the strategic plan is also guiding long-term decisions as the hospital prepares for expanded services and a new facility.
“With our name change, that’s obviously a little bit of a shift for us, looking at the different areas of healthcare that we can fund in the community. That’s really where the Strategic Plan is our driver in helping us look forward and into the future,” Pettinger continues.
She adds that the goal remains consistent despite the transition period.
“Even though right now we’re still in the current facility, we’ll just keep working with the staff and the team to continue to move forward and get excited for the new facility and just continue to make sure that healthcare is as great as it always has been in Portage la Prairie,” Pettinger says.
National Nursing Week runs from May 11 to 17.