Our Community Partners
The Transplant Centre is pleased to recognize their partnerships with the Trillium Gift of Life Network and the University of Toronto Transplantation Institute.
Trillium Gift of Life Network
Trillium Gift of Life Network values greatly its partnership with the Transplant Program at The Hospital for Sick Children. At the operational level, staff of Trillium Gift of Life Network work closely with their counterparts at SickKids to ensure that every potential organ donor opportunity is realized. In the 2010-11 fiscal year, SickKids had 12 deceased organ donors, the highest number ever for the hospital. Achieving this new record demonstrates the success of our partnership.
Achieving this record was possible, in part, because of the hospital’s strong support for donation after cardiac death (DCD), building on the strong base established by SickKids when it put considerable effort into establishing a DCD policy tailored to its particular circumstances. In this past fiscal year, with support from the leaders of the Organ and Tissue Donation Committee, the hospital undertook a quality improvement project for operating room staff, with regard to donation after cardiac death. Hospital and TGLN staff have presented the results of this work at the World Paediatric Critical Care Congress on donation.
While I would thank all those staff and physicians who work in organ donation at SickKids, I would like to make special mention of four individuals. First, let me thank Dr. Brian Kavanaugh and Karen Kinnear for their thoughtful leadership of the Organ and Tissue Donation Committee, and the donation program generally. TGLN is very proud of the accomplishments of Jennifer Berry, our organ and tissue donation coordinator at SickKids, and I would like to thank her, and her call team for all their efforts.
I would like to thank as well Dr. Anne Dipchand for serving as a transplant on-call physician to TGLN, giving us advice on the suitability of potential donors, and to Dr. Dianne Hebert, for serving on our Board.
- Frank Markel, CEO
Trillium Gift of Life Network
University of Toronto Transplantation Institute
As Director of the University of Toronto Transplantation Institute, I look forward to working with my colleagues at SickKids and other University of Toronto partners to advance the academic and clinical programs in transplantation to the highest level. SickKids will provide the Institute with unique expertise in paediatric transplant issues, expertise in paediatric transplantation, stem cell research including access to the Ontario induced progenitor stem cell facility (iPSC), bio-banking and health-related quality of life measurement.
Working together, the formation of the Transplantation Institute (EDU-C) at the University of Toronto will provide unparalleled academic and clinical opportunities, including the ability to:
- Develop new and innovative national and international education programs, such as a collaborative graduate program in Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine
- Advance research by developing more effective partnerships with members of the basic science Department of Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering and Clinical Departments, including Medicine, Surgery and Paediatrics within the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculties of Nursing and Pharmacy, the Joint Centre for Bioethics and fully-affiliated hospitals (University Health Network, SickKids, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital) to achieve international stature as a the world’s foremost transplant program.
- Recruit and retain the brightest and the best faculty and students
- Increase fundraising through private sector partnerships
- Partner with the ministries of Health of Ontario and Canada to develop health-care policy for significantly enhanced delivery of transplantation services both provincially and nationally
- Advance, commercialize and translate scientific discoveries through the Industrial BioDevelopment Lab, MaRS Innovation and industry.
With the funding of the strategic training program in Regenerative Medicine (2009 to 2015), we will be able to provide cutting-edge training program opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students. Furthermore, we have been invited to submit a proposal to establish a National Centre of Excellence Program in Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine (TransNet) with the University of Toronto and its partner institutions, including SickKids, serving as host institutions. SickKids will lead this initiative through its expertise in stem cells, biobanking and paediatric clinical trials design. In conclusion, the development of the Transplantation Institute at the University of Toronto will be another important step in achieving international stature as the world’s foremost transplant program. The future in transplantation has never looked brighter in Toronto and I look forward to working with all members of the transplant community to achieve our joint academic and clinical goals.
- Dr. Gary Levy, Director
University of Toronto, Transplantation Institute