Prasad Family Foundation funds Compassionate Communities Initiative at Hospice
Hospice Georgian Triangle Foundation has received a four-year pledge of $100,000 from the Prasad Family Foundation to name and sustain the Compassionate Communities Initiative, which places specialized palliative expertise at the bedside through a dedicated Palliative Care Resource Nurse.
The role of the nurse, based at the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, is to help patients and families access timely resources for hospice palliative care, as they transition through hospital care, to the next best place, whether at home or at hospice.
The gift was presented at Campbell House by Jacqueline Batista, representing the Prasad Family Foundation, to Sandra Sullivan, Executive Director of the Hospice Georgian Triangle Foundation. Alanna Roylance, RN, BScN, CHPCN(C), Hospice Georgian Triangle’s Palliative Care Resource Nurse, joined in accepting the gift. The pledge is made in honour of Shashi Prasad’s 70th birthday.
“This generous commitment ensures families across South Georgian Bay continue to receive coordinated, compassionate palliative care when and where it’s needed most,” said Sandra Sullivan, Executive Director, Hospice Georgian Triangle Foundation. “We’re deeply grateful to the Prasad family for celebrating Shashi’s milestone by investing in care close to home.”
“The Compassionate Communities model reflects our family’s values, dignity, innovation in health and palliative care, and practical support,” said Jacqueline Batista, on behalf of the Prasad Family Foundation. “We’re honoured to help sustain a role that guides patients and families through complex decisions with compassion.”
Launched with hospital and Ontario Health Team partners, the initiative strengthens clinical capacity at Collingwood General & Marine Hospital through bedside consultation, care navigation, and staff education — supporting smoother transitions to home or hospice (Campbell House). Recent results include hundreds of patient consultations, education for more than 100 nurses, and reduced emergency department visits and hospital days.
