Dear Colleagues,
Today is an exciting milestone for UHN. We've successfully moved all of our Toronto Rehab MSK Rehab staff and patients from Hillcrest Centre at Bathurst Street and Davenport Road to their new home at University Centre.
Hillcrest Centre has served our patients well since it opened its doors in 1886. Originally called Hillcrest Convalescent Home, it was the first free-standing general rehabilitation hospital in downtown Toronto. Its purpose was to provide a home "where men and women of all creeds might be kindly cared for during their convalescence." Over the 127 years, Hillcrest's facilities and clinical services have evolved to improve patient care and outcomes, while continuing to build on its foundation of caring kindly for each patient.
This next chapter brings the MSK Rehab program to University Centre where I know the collaborative environment will strengthen the expertise of every UC clinical team and have a tremendous impact on our patients.
Hillcrest Centre will remain part of UHN. Our plan is to lease the facility to an appropriate tenant for the space, which we will confirm in the near future.
The final Hillcrest move also marks the end of the University Centre redevelopment project. Construction began in 2008, adding a new 13-storey tower dedicated to patient care and research (including the space for the iDAPT Centre). The project also updated the existing University Centre to better meet the clinical needs of our patients.
Thank you to Sue Jewell, Dr. Gaetan Tardif and Chris Pickard for their leadership in guiding the project to completion, and thank you to all the staff impacted by the construction and moves over the past few years. We're thrilled that the project is completed and know the end result will enhance care for our patients.
Bob
