Victoria Hospitals Foundation campaign bringing robotic-assisted surgery to VGH and RJH

An anonymous donation will help usher the future of health care into Victoria hospitals.

The $7.5-million donation, the largest in the Victoria Hospital Foundation’s 36-year history, is at the heart of the new It’s Time for Surgical Evolution campaign. The $21-million initiative aims to expand the Island’s first surgical robotics program and revolutionize cancer care at Royal Jubilee (RJH) and Victoria General (VGH) hospitals, the Island’s two referral and acute centres.

“Because of this (donation), we were able to redefine what this next phase of our campaign could undertake and boldly go much bigger than expected, bringing two surgical robotic suites to VGH and over 60 pieces of innovative oncology equipment to our hospitals that will greatly support patient care,” said Victoria Hospitals Foundation CEO Avery Brohman.

The campaign would provide VGH with a neurosurgery robot, a first for Vancouver Island and one of very few in Canada, delivering extraordinary precision in brain and spinal surgeries to improve safety and outcomes for patients with complex conditions. It also includes the region’s second da Vinci surgical robot at VGH to expand minimally invasive care across gynecology, pediatrics, and general surgery.

“Robotic surgery is the standard worldwide, and our local surgical robotics program has already transformed care on Vancouver Island – bringing first-of-their-kind procedures to our community and western Canada, reducing complications, accelerating recoveries, and freeing up hospital capacity,” said Dr. Jeff McCracken, chief urologist and the new head of robotics for RJH and VGH. 

Robotic-assisted neurosurgery will transform care for Islanders facing complex conditions such as spinal fusions, scoliosis corrections, and brain tumour biopsies – procedures where even a single millimetre can make the difference between independence and lifelong disability. The neurosurgery robot reduces complications, lowers rates of revision operations, minimizes radiation exposure, shortens hospital stays, and allows patients to receive the best in precision care. 

The second da Vinci surgical robot will bring a huge advancement in women’s health, allowing for the introduction of robotic-assisted surgeries for endometrial and uterine cancers – a transformative step for some Island women who previously had to travel off-Island to receive this care or for whom surgery was not an option.

The campaign also includes a suite of more than 60 pieces of precision oncology equipment requested by local surgeons.

“Together, we are making Vancouver Island a hub for surgical innovation – pioneering firsts in neurosurgery, robotics, and cancer care, putting this technology to work every day across more specialties, and transforming not just how we operate, but how our hospitals perform at their very best. It feels profound to be leading the way here, in our community hospitals,” said McCracken.

Since the launch of surgical robotics, the program has grown to include five new surgeons and counting. This growing cadre of physicians is crucial to expanding robotic capabilities and advancing surgical excellence on Vancouver Island.

Brohman says thanks to the donation, every gift to the campaign will be matched up to $7.5 million, doubling the community’s generosity.

“Together, we have proven that when this community leads, others follow. Even in challenging times – amid economic uncertainty, postal strikes, and the pressures our hospitals face every day – our community continues to step forward with generosity and vision,” she said.

Contributions to It’s Time for Surgical Evolution can be made at www.victoriahf.ca/donate, by calling 250-519-1750, or by visiting the foundation office on the RJH campus at Wilson Block, 1952 Bay St., Victoria, V8R 1J8. During the postal strike, to arrange for curb-side cheque pickup at Royal Jubilee, call 250-519-1750 for assistance.