Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of Australia, is the Canberra Hospitals Foundation’s new patron. Photo: Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General.
The Canberra Hospitals Foundation has ushered in a bold new era, marked by two landmark announcements that signal its growing ambition and deepening community impact.
At a special event celebrating the Foundation’s expanding role, it was revealed that Her Excellency the Honourable Sam Mostyn AC, Governor-General of Australia, had been appointed patron – a move welcomed with pride and optimism.
“We are deeply honoured by the Governor-General’s support, affirming the essential role of community in public health,” Canberra Hospitals Foundation CEO Helen Falla said.
Ms Mostyn said she looked forward to the role.
“Caring for others is at the core of the Canberra Hospitals Foundation,” she said. ” I am pleased to serve as Patron and look forward to amplifying their work, commitment and support for our public hospitals.”
The occasion also served to formally launch the Foundation’s new name: Canberra Hospitals Foundation (previously Canberra Hospital Foundation).
Ms Falla said the shift from singular to plural reflects the organisation’s evolving support of not just one hospital, but the entire network of public hospitals and health services across the ACT and Southern NSW.
“With our new name, we proudly recognise the wide network of care we support — not just one hospital, but an entire system of health support,” she said.
Ms Falla said the dual announcements reflected a powerful moment of growth and vision for the organisation.
That vision was further underscored by the unveiling of a bold new fundraising initiative, Out of the Blue — a campaign designed to support high-impact, high-need projects that sit outside of traditional healthcare budgets but have the power to transform patient outcomes.
Among the projects included in the campaign are a robotic surgical system to enhance precision and speed recovery in complex surgeries, a room service meals model to empower and improve nutrition for inpatients, and a neurodiversity support trolley stocked with child-friendly resources to help ease distress for children in crisis.
The campaign will also support the creation of a dedicated Wellbeing Space for cancer patients and their families, and pioneering personalised medicine and translational research across Canberra’s hospital network.
With Out of the Blue, the Foundation is inviting individuals, businesses and community groups to be part of something extraordinary – a movement that turns generosity into tangible, life-changing outcomes for people in care.
Under its new name, Canberra Hospitals Foundation will continue to empower innovation to deliver the best outcomes for patients through the provision of specialised equipment, important research, and the provision of patient-focused therapeutic programs.
For more information or to donate visit Canberra Hospitals Foundation.
