Donor Stories 
The Power of an EndowmentCreating Learning Opportunities for Years to Come
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Pharmaceuticals are a vital part of health care, but deciding which drugs to use for which patients can pose many questions for physicians and pharmacists. Thanks to the late Dr. Peter Zbeetnoff, those important discussions take place annually in Saskatchewan at the Drug Therapy Decision Making Conference, which is funded by an endowment created by Zbeetnoff with an estate gift of $250,000 to the Royal University Hospital Foundation.
The endowment is called The Peter and Anna Zbeetnoff Memorial Fund in honour of his parents. “I want the gift to be used in this special area so that it can continue to be instructional for doctors and pharmacists for years to come,” Zbeetnoff told the RUH Foundation back in 2000, shortly before his passing at age 79. He had practiced medicine in Langenburg for close to fifty years.
The Drug Therapy Decision Making Conference is hosted by the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Medicine and rotates annually between Saskatoon and Regina. Investment earnings on the endowment are used to fund the speakers, venue and other costs. Due to this ongoing funding, the conference can be held without sponsorship from the pharmaceutical industry, a factor that was significant to Zbeetnoff and other medical professionals who wish to discuss drug therapies on “neutral ground.”
Attendance ranges from 150-200 participants. “It’s always very well attended in both venues,” says Mavis Procyshyn, coordinator of educational programs for Continuing Professional Learning at the College of Medicine. “Many physicians and pharmacists really value it and attend yearly.”
RUH Foundation manages thirty endowments valued at $8.6 million to support a range of initiatives at Royal University Hospital and the U of S College of Medicine. The full list of endowments can be found at www.ruhf.org.