Sheila & Bernard Joel

At The Prince Charles Hospital, the name Sheila Joel brings a deep sense of gratitude.

To those who met her, Sheila was a shining light. And to many who haven’t met her, she may well be a lifesaver.

“She would turn up at the research labs, and she would brighten up the room because of her genuine interest,” said Michael Hornby, former CEO of The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation, who knew Sheila well during his time leading the Foundation.

Sheila’s first gift to the Foundation was in 2015. It was in memory of her husband Bernard.

“We were in the media a little bit about some work we were doing across heart and lung disease. And I think the lung disease particularly caught her interest. And so, her accountant called us up and said, ‘We have this anonymous donor who would like to make some inquiries,’… After a couple of backwards and forwards with that person, they introduced us to Sheila,” recalls Michael.

“Sheila’s first venture was to come up to the hospital, walk around our research facilities and meet some of the researchers, and straight away she made her first gift and funded a piece of equipment. When that equipment was procured, Shiela came straight back to visit and put a plaque on it. She got to speak to the researchers who were using this piece of equipment. But more than that, it wasn’t just the researchers she got to meet; she also got to meet a number of patients who, like others, would benefit from that piece of technology.”

Since then, the Sheila & Bernard Joel Life-Saving Medical Equipment Foundation has provided extraordinary support to The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation. These significant contributions have led to the purchase of more than 75 pieces of life-saving equipment for the researchers and hospitals we support.

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Sheila saw her impact first-hand

“The researchers we help to support work tirelessly every single day, but to have someone come from outside to show such genuine interest and passion for what they were doing, and willing to contribute to support them, was really, really remarkable. So not only her generosity, but her spirit came through every single time she visited,” says Michael.

Sheila is remembered as a calm, pragmatic and very determined lady, and her significant generosity will save lives well into the future.

“She knew what she wanted, but it was really important for Sheila; with everything she did, she had to be fully engaged and fully involved. And for us, that was one of the best things because you really could get a genuine connection with Sheila and knew what drove her, what interested her, and importantly, how she could actually make a tangible difference at The Prince Charles Hospital,” said Michael.

“I think one of the lovely things in all that was said and done is that while Sheila left such a wonderful and generous legacy… she also got to see her generosity in action for some six years before she passed. So, she would have been confident knowing the greater good that would occur because of the legacy she would eventually leave.”

75+ pieces of life-saving equipment since 2015

The equipment funding has provided advanced tools that support real-time, high-definition monitoring and modelling to improve patient care. From defibrillators that provide real-time feedback during CPR to evaluating treatment methods on 3D-printed models of patient organs, this technology helps clinicians make faster, more accurate decisions and tailor therapies to individual needs, ultimately improving outcomes.

Other examples include:

• high-definition blood analysis and respiratory monitoring to guide treatment
• technology to extend the life of donor hearts
• automated chest compression machines for adults and children
• tracking a patient’s ability to stop bleeding during surgery

The Prince Charles Hospital’s Executive Director, Tami Photinos, said, “Knowing that this equipment is helping, is rewarding for the patients, for us, and the community because patients get to go home sooner.”

The impact of just one piece of equipment supported by Sheila

One of those pieces of equipment is a data management system, which will allow perfusionists to record critical patient data during a bypass operation without having to write anything down, improving workflow efficiency and enhancing patient safety.

“Currently, we are recording all the patient parameters on a piece of paper with carbon paper. So, what we used to do in the 1950s, we’re still doing now. But this system will record everything automatically … so pump flows, patient pressures, temperatures, everything that we need to conduct a bypass. It’s then saved as a PDF, which can be either uploaded into the patient chart or we can then print that out and put it in the patient chart,” says Ross Haslam, Clinical Lead Perfusionist, The Prince Charles Hospital.

Ross says this equipment is state-of-the-art and its introduction is a game changer.

“In my 26 years of working at Prince Charles, we obviously have updated heart-lung machines and updated equipment as we go; we’ve seen the introduction of ECMO machines and updates in balloon pumps and other things we use in surgery. But this is something completely new, and it will change our practice. It will improve our service. It is really a game changer for us. It’s the best thing I’ve seen in those 26 years.”

This equipment is expected to enhance patient safety and outcomes, but also means the team here will be able to contribute to research in a way that hasn’t been possible before.

“The Prince Charles Hospital is one of the largest cardiac hospitals in Australia. We do 1200 cases a year, which is way more than the major hospitals in other states. As the data is collected by the perfusionist who must write it down, we were tracking essential data however this technology has shown we were only really getting a snapshot of the data available. This data management system records everything in real time and paints an accurate picture of what is actually going on. So, now we miss nothing. For research, you need accurate data and The Prince Charles Hospital can now contribute so much more to finding new ways to help our patients.” says Ross.

“This is an amazing advancement for us, and for someone to actually give us this amount of support to make this change is unbelievable.”

The ongoing need for medical equipment

The hospitals we support serve rapidly expanding communities, and the fast pace of technological advances means there is an ongoing need for equipment. Yet, a lack of funding can often limit a hospital’s ability to access the most up-to-date medical equipment. Philanthropy bridges the gap between what hospitals need and what they hope to acquire.

Support from corporate partners, community members, individual donors, and those leaving gifts in their Will ensures that clinicians have access to advanced equipment to deliver exceptional care.

“I’ve been in health care for 40 years, and it’s always an ongoing challenge. The equipment I might have used 40 years ago is very different from the equipment we’re using now. And it’s just not something that the health system will ever be able to fund in full. So, there’s always the finite resources, and this is where we absolutely rely on people like Sheila,” says Tami.

Leaving a gift in your Will

By choosing to leave a gift in your Will for the Foundation, you will join our Jacaranda Circle community. If you would like to learn more, we would welcome a confidential conversation to understand your personal circumstances, values and philanthropic goals.

“The contribution that Sheila’s made through our foundation is really quite extraordinary. She had a real passion for what we do, both in medical research and in caring for patients,” Leigh Whitton, Finance, Audit and Risk Committee Chair and Board Member, The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation.

“When someone leaves a gift in their Will, it’s not just a donation, it’s a reflection of their values. The role of the foundation and of the board is to protect and honour that.”

For more information, please visit this page or contact Lucy Moore, Major Gifts Specialist, at lucy.moore@tpchfoundation.org.au