The evolving campus
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SickKids has a campus that stretches far beyond the Hospital’s mailing address at 555 University Avenue. The campus occupies spaces in a six-city block area in Toronto’s Discovery District. Most of the space is owned by SickKids, some is leased, and much of it was designed for health-care delivery over 60 years ago.
The Slaight Family Atrium, designed by renowned architects Eberhard Zeidler and Peter Wakayama, was built almost 20 years ago and is an example of the kind of Canadian architecture that has become known internationally. The Slaight Family Atrium set the stage for the innovative patient-centred care that characterizes SickKids today.
“Evidence demonstrates that superior outcomes can be achieved through family-centred care and inter-professional practice, and that a child-friendly environment promotes a better, more efficient model for delivering comprehensive and holistic care,” says Mary Jo Haddad, President and CEO. “SickKids is a leader in these progressive approaches that are grounded in the core concepts of dignity and respect, information sharing and collaboration. The campus is continually evolving to ensure that SickKids’ physical character and technical capabilities – in our clinics, classrooms and laboratories – meet the needs of emerging health-care trends, interdisciplinary approaches and global interactive communication. For example, in 2010, we will be undertaking a renewal of a five-year information management technology plan."
Renovations modernized two of SickKids busiest spaces this year: the Haematology/Oncology clinic and the Emergency Department.
Emergency Department
Registering on average one patient every 10 minutes and open for business every minute of the year, SickKids’ Emergency Department sees almost 58,000 patients annually. In September, SickKids welcomed patients and families through a new entrance closer to the parking elevators to improved patient areas.
The renovated department sets new standards in accessibility, infection control and patient management and houses Ontario’s first patient-centred triage and registration process with a new information system that facilitates triage and patient tracking. New rooms allow greater flexibility in the range of treatments available in the department, including sedation, pain control and eye care. To encourage healthy healing, the rooms feature themes and designs that are child-friendly and stimulating while the waiting rooms offer age-appropriate activity areas.
The three-phased plan to upgrade the central facility was made possible by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the support of Bell Canada and its annual Bell Gala, and ensures continuity of care throughout the renovation which will be completed summer 2010.
Sears Cancer Clinic
In Canada almost 1,300 children are diagnosed with cancer every year. SickKids treats about 25 per cent of these young patients, as well as children with sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia, haemophilia and other rare blood disorders, in the Division of Haemotology and Oncology. With survival rates for childhood cancer patients increasing, the volume of patients visiting SickKids outpatient clinic has also increased dramatically.
Adding to the pressure, children dealing with cancer and serious blood diseases typically spend a great deal of their young lives, together with family members, visiting the clinic for treatment. In January, with the support of the Government of Ontario and the generosity of donors including Sears, SickKids opened the Sears Cancer Clinic, designed to make the experience more comfortable, private and engaging for patients and their families.
The Sears Cancer Clinic features welcoming, open spaces and colourful décor, including original works of art by clinic patients and activities to keep children of all ages entertained. Ergonomically designed space improves processes and patient flow.
The 14,000-square foot clinic includes 16 examination rooms, four consultation rooms and four isolation rooms. The large waiting room features play areas, computer stations, flat-screen TVs, a real and play kitchen and a teen lounge. A conference room for health-care professionals and trainees provides a quiet place for teaching and consultation. The vibrant and friendly environment also provides more privacy, whether families are waiting for treatment, meeting with health-care providers or taking a quiet moment to reflect.
New building for research and learning
Today, as a result of groundbreaking research that improves diagnostics and treatment, more than 75 per cent of children diagnosed with cancer will survive. SickKids is known for discoveries and innovations that pioneer leading edge, family-centred care and is home to Canada’s largest and one of the world’s most successful child health research institutes.
Clinical trial activity is on the rise; digital technologies are changing the way science is conducted; creative investigators working without constraints will have a disproportionate impact on efforts to benefit the health of children around the world. A physical environment with the flexibility to nurture transformative research and clinical programs is the goal of SickKids’ comprehensive re-development plan that begins with the construction of a 21-storey tower connected to the hospital.
SickKids Research & Learning Tower is funded in part by a grant from Canada Foundation for Innovation Research-Hospital Fund, by generous gifts made to SickKids Foundation’s Tower Campaign, and through an offering of $200 million Series A Senior Unsecured Debentures.
The Research & Learning Tower is the first phase in the realignment of SickKids' campus. The transformation will ensure the physical character and technical capabilities that Canada’s largest paediatric health sciences centre needs to transfer science from the bench to the bedside to the backyard where innovation has its real impacts.
“We take our responsibility as a world leader in children’s health seriously,” says Haddad. “The Research & Learning Tower gives us the capacity to build on our leadership in child health research, education and care, and will result in healthier children and a better world.”