First purchases of equipment through the fund 

Early in 2017 Apt hospital started a programme of reconstruction in the short-stay wing which will last three years.

The funding programme «  Pour le Pays d’Apt, un hôpital d’avenir «  collects complementary private money to support this renewal operation.The overall aim is to create a more comfortable and friendlier place for patients and their families and also provide an up-to-date working system for the hospital staff.

Thanks to the generosity of some 320 supporters, 360,000 euros have been collected and the fund  has been able to start equipping the new rooms – the first will come into service in April and the process will continue for two more years.During that time funds will continue to be raised to complete the project.

A more comfortable place

The hospital wants to offer a higher level of comfort for patients and is doubling the number of single rooms, each  with a bathroom suitable  alsofor handicapped persons.The rooms will all be air-coditioned and fitted with a computer terminal,.These will serve both for entertainment, communications and medical use.The Fund will also provide beds for accompanying family members and provide a family get-together room on every floor.

Getting more digital

The new computer terminals will serve both patients and medical staff ; the latter will have access to all the patient’s data, plus links  to specialist information regarding treatments.For the patient, they represent a multi-media link with the outside world.

The environmental impact

The hospital has been very aware of the need to achieve a positive environmental impact through the renewal work.Effective insulation of the building’s exterior is one point, the other is the use of solar panels to provide hot water and lower the fuel costs.

Social impact

Danielle Frégosi, the hospital director puts it thus : « this modernisation of the  short-stay wing offers the people of the Pays d’Apt a reception and treatment fully equivalent to a new-build hospital »

Making a donation

You can make your donation for this cause by :

• a cheque made out to « Pour le Pays d’Apt, un hôpital d’avenir » and send it to Centre Hospitalier du Pays d’Apt, 225 avenue de Marseille- 84405 APT Cedex
• card or with Paypal on the site apt-hopitaldavenir.fr

You will receive by return a tax certificate allowing you to claim a reduction of  66% of your gift for individuals – 60% for companies.

Contact : Florence Belmain – 06 88 70 20 93 – f.belmain@apt-hopitaldavenir.fr

Pays d’Apt, October 2017.

Two years after its launch, the fund « A hospital of the future for the Apt area »

will start financing the first equipment for the new short-stay wing of the hospital.

The fund « A hospital of the future for the Apt area » will soon start financing the first equipment for each of 16 rooms in the short-stay wing (medical, surgical and post natal cases) which will come into use in December. The purchases are beds for accompanying relatives and a computer terminal for use both by medical staff and by patients for contact with family and for entertainment.

To date 300,000 euros have been collected by the fund, 65% through the organization of fund raising events. Shelagh Lester-Smith, president of the fund wants to thank all donors, benefactors, partners and the team of volunteers, both French and from the expatriate community, without whom this result would not have been achieved.

In this third year, the campaign will focus on both companies and individuals with the aim of raising the contributions from these two groups (currently 20% and 15% respectively).

Danielle Fregosi, director of the hospital says : « We really do need their support to give patients and their families a welcoming environment and high quality care and also to see that medical staff can work for patients in really good conditions».

The challenge for the coming months is to get people and companies to support this effort. The quality of care and the comfort factor in the hospital are important elements in helping with the attractiveness of our area. This applies to people looking at the area for retirement, or for second homes and is important for businesses looking to recruit skilled staff not available locally. We really do think that all types of  commercial activity will benefit from the presence of a top-class hospital.

Shelagh Lester-Smith, president of the fund says : « It’s your gift which will enable us to buy the beds for accompanying family, set up a meeting room for families on each floor and provide the computer terminals which will allow patients to keep in touch and entertained and medical staff to consult patients’ records and contact specialists in connection with the care programme. Hospital can be a lonely place and the terminals will provide all the contacts for social media, television, radio and e-books».

« Your gift, if you are a benefactor, allows you  a significant company tax reduction of 60%.Thus a gift of 5000 euros will cost you only 2000.Helping the fund constitutes a stance by a company of solidarity with the local community and of concern for its staff » says Michel Carloni a manager of Delta Plus which has been a supporter from the start.

Pascale Pruvot, a local solicitor and treasurer of the fund adds : « Individuals can  still benefit this year from a 66% tax reduction on the sum gifted provided they act before the end of 2017.You can also make monthly contributions. »

Shelagh’s concluding message is : « Making a gift* to the fund is a tax effective way of supporting a cause of local value to all. May I ask you, the inhabitants, business owners , trades people and company managers to help and I offer my thanks in anticipation. »

* by cheque made out to  «  Pour le Pays d’Apt, un hôpital d’avenir ». Send it to Centre hospitalier du Pays d’Apt, 225 avenue de Marseille 84405 Apt Cedex, or pay by card on our site http://www.apt-hopitaldavenir.fr

Publicity

A poster has been created to make ourselves better known to the residents of Pays d’Apt and to create awareness of the scale and importance of the hospital modernisation project.

We aim to hang the poster in all public areas in the region so that every organisation (mairies, schools, libraries, businesses, etc) can be made aware of and participate in the campaign, and then act as daily ambassadors.

If you are already part of our network but don’t yet have our publicity poster, contact us

From April 2016 onwards a programme has been underway, supported by the organisation of local businesses and artisans, to educate schoolchildren on the role of the hospital in their region and the importance of its modernisation. Under the guidance of their teachers the children are making collecting boxes designed to be given to those local businesses who want to participate in the fundraising.

• Are you involved in a school and do you wish to do the same thing with the children in your care? Contact us.
• Are you in a business and wish to participate in the project by collecting donations from your clients? Contact us.

Our logo is a multifaceted heart shape composed of 25 points, representing the 25 communes of la Communauté de Communes du Pays d’Apt. Outlined in the shape of a heart, symbol of well-being, health and sharing, it is designed to evoke the region of Pays d’Apt.

The colours of the logo range from ochre, emblematic of the area, to sky blue, typical of the local climate, passing through shades of lavender and the setting sun. The typography combines modern characters for the “Pays d’Apt” with a hand-written typeface to give a human touch to “Un Hôpital d’Avenir”, that connects innovation with humanity.

Ours is a logo whose design reflects well the values of the Fund “Pour le Pays d’Apt, un hôpital d’avenir’’.