Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center

Legendary careSunnybrook Health Sciences Center is expanding its already comprehensive facilities and services. Kate Sawyer investigates. Toronto-based Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center (SHCS) is a forward looking organization, but has a solid legacy of 60 years to stand on while doing so. In almost every discipline, it is regarded as CanadaÔÇÖs beacon for medical excellence, service, and teaching. The past serves as the bedrock for future plans for service and facility expansion. ÔÇ£When it opened, Sunnybrook was described as a ÔÇÿmagnificent sight.ÔÇÖ Sunnybrook continues to make an impression on medical practice and transform health care in Ontario, Canada, and around the world, boasting an impressive list of national and global firstsÔÇöand always ahead of the times,ÔÇØ is one of the ways it describes itself.SHCS is not only CanadaÔÇÖs largest Trauma Care Center but is also one of the largest in North America. What began in 1948 as a hospital for veterans returning home from World War II was transformed into a teaching hospital in 1966 in partnership with the University of Toronto, a relationship that helps to ensure the highest level of patient care.Today, it has $800 million annual revenue and 10,000 employees, 1,200 of whom are physicians affiliated with Sunnybrook (450 active medical staff), 800 are residents and fellows, and 600 are scientistsÔÇöcovering 19 different health disciplines.By 1976, SHCS established CanadaÔÇÖs first Regional Trauma Unit to care for those sustaining multiple life-threatening injuries. The Toronto-Bayview Regional Cancer Center, an arm of the Ontario Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, opened in 1982. The next decade saw the creation of a regional cardiovascular surgery and angioplasty center, a chronic care services program, the addition of major research facilities, and the Boyd Academy of the University of Toronto for undergraduate medical education.By the early 1990s, Sunnybrook had established six major program priorities. The hospital was renamed Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, recognizing the importance of teaching and research excellence. SHCS boasts some impressive rankings that make it the largest, most competitive hospital center in Canada. For instance, in 2007 alone it saw one million patient visits and 42,000 emergency visits; 1,200 trauma and burn cases; 18,500 surgeries; 6,500 heart procedures; and 7,000,000 lab procedures. It has 1,275 beds, and is CanadaÔÇÖs largest veteransÔÇÖ facility with 500 veteran beds. It serves 3,300 patient/resident meals and 13,000 cups of coffee per day. Clearly, the quality and diversity of medical care offered is paramount, but it would not be possible without cutting-edge equipment and facilities to match. Central to its mission of providing care is maintaining and expanding existing facilities. One such project is the $63 million Emergency Department renovation project, for which Bondfield is the general contractor and G&G Partnership is the architect. The present space was built in the 1950s, and will be a 40,000 square foot project, with 24,000 square feet of new construction.┬á ÔÇ£During the past year, weÔÇÖve made great strides with construction. In January, the first half of our new Emergency Department opened its doors to the public, and the second half is due to open by the end of 2008,ÔÇØ said David A. Leslie, board of directors chair, and Barry A. McLellan, president and CEO, in a statement. The Emergency Department, when complete, will be able to handle four seriously injured patients at one time, double the previous capacity. There will be a new CT scanner and an increase in the number of stretcher bays available, from approximately 30 to 48. These improvements will reduce ambulance off-loading delays. Another major construction initiative underway is the renovation and expansion of the ÔÇ£M-WingÔÇØ, a project valued at $200 million. The general contractor on the project is Vanbots, and the architectural team is comprised of G&G Architects, HOK Canada, and Parkin Partnership. The M-Wing houses all operating rooms, critical care units, and ambulatory clinics. The expansion includes building an additional four floors, which will house a womenÔÇÖs health center (neonatal, obstetrics, and birthing), as well as the Sunnybrook Research Hospital, which will include wet/dry labs tied to clinical programs.ÔÇ£Our M-Wing expansion will be home to CanadaÔÇÖs largest and most comprehensive breast cancer research center and also home to new facilities for leading-edge research in cardiac imaging and intervention,ÔÇØ continued Leslie and McLellan. A third focus is the new Holland Orthopaedic & Arthritic Centre, a center of excellence in hip and knee replacement surgery at the campus in downtown Toronto. It is hoped that the number of surgical procedures will double over the next three years and will position SHCS to become the largest program of its kind in North America.┬á