A Bridgewater anesthesiologist has been honoured for her exceptional work at South Shore Regional Hospital. Dr. Danielle Wentzell was recently named a Champion of Care by the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore after a grateful patient made a donation in her name to support local medical equipment.
The Champion of Care program provides a way for residents to recognize hospital staff who have made their care experience outstanding. By making a donation to the foundation, patients honour their chosen healthcare provider, who then receives a special pin and a note about the gift. These contributions are used to purchase equipment for the hospital, supporting the foundation’s mission to enhance medical services for the approximately 100,000 people living in the region.
Dr. Wentzell, who works for the Nova Scotia Health Authority and completed her medical education at Memorial University of Newfoundland, joins a long list of healthcare professionals recognized through this initiative. Her recognition comes as the hospital undergoes a significant 115.7 million dollar redevelopment project. This expansion will increase the facility footprint by 30 percent, adding expanded emergency, endoscopy, and dialysis departments, with a day surgery expansion and the region’s first MRI scanner to follow.
The foundation, which has been raising funds for local hospitals since 1993 and under the leadership of CEO Arleen Stevens since 2002, continues to see strong community support. Recent fundraising successes include the 16th annual Gift from the Heart Radiothon, which raised over 182,000 dollars in February 2026 for breast MRI technology, and the 25th annual Curl for a Cause, which recently surpassed a one-million-dollar milestone in total funds raised over its history. The new MRI scanner is expected to be in place later in 2026, while the day surgery department expansion is targeted for completion in 2027.
Residents interested in learning more about how to nominate a healthcare hero through the Champion of Care program can find additional information on the foundation website.
