Dr. Eric Hoskins
The Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, shares a laugh with the audience at a news conference yesterday at Toronto Western Hospital where he announced the provincial government is helping expand and redevelop surgical services. (Photo: UHN)

In a move that will dramatically change treatment and improve outcomes for patients, the provincial government is helping expand and redevelop surgical services at Toronto Western Hospital (TW).

The announcement, made by The Honourable Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, yesterday at TW, home of Ontario's largest neurosurgical program, will modernize the hospital's operating room suites and support services, including magnetic resonance imaging and CT scanning.

"Building space to offer more surgeries at Toronto Western Hospital is another example of our commitment to improving access to the best care," Minister Hoskins told a news conference. "By upgrading surgical infrastructure for this world-renowned hospital, we are helping patients across the province, the country and even the world access the best healthcare now and in the future."

TW offers a wide range of surgeries, including transplant, cancer, eye, spine, head and neck, musculoskeletal, general and plastic. The neurosurgical program, which does about 17 per cent of Ontario's activity in that area, provides care for patients with highly complex conditions.

The surgeons at TW are well known for their advanced training in their specialties and perform some of the most technically difficult procedures in the world.

State-of-the-art technologies

"UHN is proud of the surgical advancements and innovations that are continually developed at Toronto Western Hospital," said Dr. Charlie Chan, Interim President & CEO of UHN. "But the infrastructure supporting this important work is more than 30 years old.

"This funding from the province, in addition to the generosity of our donors, will allow us to implement state-of-the-art technologies – and ensure that the needs of patients continue to come first."

The expansion will address the growing demand for care by increasing operating room capacity and redeveloping the space for both pre-operative services and post-operative care. As the hospital uses state-of-the-art technology to conduct research and offer pioneering treatments, the project will also modernize existing infrastructure to adapt to future technology.

"Operating rooms are a fundamental part of TW daily activity and the benefits of this investment will be felt each and every day by patients and staff," said Janet Newton, Vice-President and Site Lead‎, TW.

"We are excited to be part of such a significant project."

'Superstars in all areas of surgery'

The province provided UHN with a $1 million planning grant to develop the redevelopment proposal.

The Division of Orthopedic Surgery at TW provides the most complex surgical treatments for patients with arthritis in Canada with more than 1,000 joint replacements performed each year.

The TW surgical facilities are part of UHN's Sprott Department of Surgery, which is one of the largest surgical programs in Canada performing more than 25,000 operations a year in 39 operating rooms.

"It's terrific to have the Ministry's support, which demonstrates the importance of the surgical program at Toronto Western," said Tennys Hanson, President & CEO, Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation.

"We have superstars in all areas of surgery and this investment from the province, along with the money we raise from the philanthropic community, will ensure they are operating in leading edge, state-of-the-art facilities that match their skills."



Toronto Western Hospital Group
The Toronto Western Hospital facilities that are being expanded and redeveloped are part of UHN’s Sprott Department of Surgery, which is one of the largest surgical programs in Canada, performing more than 25,000 operations in 39 operating rooms. (Photo: UHN)
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