One-to-one with Denise Praill
Meet Denise Praill, CEO of Canuck Place Children's Hospice. Since joining Canuck Place in 2013 as Chief Development Officer and stepping into the role of CEO in April 2022, Denise has brought over 20 years of experience and proven success across the philanthropic, non-profit, and private sectors in British Columbia. Under her leadership, Canuck Place has implemented a relationship-based fundraising model and other key strategies, doubling annual revenues from $9.1 million to over $18 million. Denise plays a pivotal role on the senior leadership team, driving strategic vision and organizational growth.
What are some challenges faced by the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice?
Every child and family in our care has unique medical needs so there is no one-size-fits-all approach to our work. The Canuck Place clinical care team works collaboratively with children and families and other medical teams to ensure each child receives care that is tailored to their specific needs. Canuck Place cares for children across five provincial health regions and the Yukon. To support care outside of the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley (where our hospices are located) we provide care in families’ homes, in-hospital in their communities, and virtually through the Enhanced Community Care Program. Last year, our team supported 4,031 community consultations. To meet the ever-increasing growing need, Canuck Place depends on the generosity of donors to support our operations. We are 60% funded by generous donors.
Can you share the impact of CPCH?
Canuck Place provides holistic medical, emotional and spiritual care for the whole family, so that they can focus on spending time together and making precious memories. On average, a child is part of the Canuck Place program for six years and their parents and siblings remain on our bereavement program for an additional three years. This is an incredibly difficult and lengthy road to endure, but Canuck Place walks alongside families and helps create a safe space to navigate their complex journey of grief. With our team of compassionate clinical experts, we support families to make lasting memories and live life to the fullest with the time they have left, and beyond.
How does CPCH collaborate with other organizations?
Collaboration is central to our mission of providing the highest quality pediatric palliative care and we are proud to partner with organizations that share our vision of compassionate, innovative care for children with life-limiting illnesses. One of our key collaborations is with Two Worlds Cancer Collaboration Foundation. This partnership focuses on improving care for children with serious illnesses, in Southeast Asia. Together, we work to enhance the quality of life for children and their families, sharing knowledge, resources, and best practices across borders. Closer to home, our partnership with the BC Centre for Palliative Care helps to accelerate innovation in palliative care across British Columbia. We collaborate to develop and implement best practices that improve care for children and families facing serious illness, driving forward advancements that benefit not only our patients but the broader palliative care community.
In addition, we have developed the Serious Illness Conversation Guide—Pediatrics© (SICGPeds©), which is a vital tool used by our clinicians in collaboration with patient partners. This guide supports meaningful, compassionate conversations between healthcare providers and families about their child’s care. Through our global training efforts, we have shared this tool with over 900 clinicians around the world since 2018, ensuring that the highest standards of pediatric palliative care are accessible to more children and families.
These partnerships enable us to share our expertise, and improve the quality of care for children both locally and globally.
How can the business community help contribute to CPCH’s objectives?
To meet the ever-increasing growing need, Canuck Place depends on the generosity of donors to support our operations. We are 60% funded by donors and the business community plays an important role in helping us continue to deliver the exceptional care that we’re known for. Integrating Canuck Place into their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies can have a lasting impact. When businesses align their values with our mission, we create partnerships that greatly benefit our community. They can do this through corporate sponsorships and cause marketing campaigns where they donate a portion of sales to raise funds for us while spreading awareness about the work we do.
Many of our corporate partners have employee volunteer programs, and whether they’re helping at events or providing direct support at our Vancouver and Abbotsford locations, their involvement is invaluable. They have also been generous with in-kind donations such as providing us with technology devices and platforms, services, or products that help us in our day-to-day operations or bring comfort to our families.
At the end of the day, we’re all working toward the same goal—supporting our children and families, and ensuring they have the care and compassion they need. The business community has been a tremendous force for good in helping us achieve that.
This One-to-One is part of our initiative, the Community Spotlight Series. As part of our mandate to champion and celebrate businesses in the Greater Vancouver region, we, as a non-profit ourselves, want to use our platform to shine a spotlight on our non-profit members. Each quarter, we'll recognize a Vancouver-based non-profit that offers programs and services that improve the social and economic well-being of citizens in our community. This quarter, we're featuring the Canuck Place Children's Hospice. Learn more about the Community Spotlight Series here.