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SickKids People
Since 1875, SickKids people have continuously pushed the boundaries of children’s health care. Their dedication and innovative spirit have made SickKids a world-class children’s hospital, where each day staff provide the best care, make clinical and scientific advancements and train the next generation of experts in child health.
Thousands of individuals have contributed to SickKids impact over the years. Here are a few from its early history.
Elizabeth McMaster
Founder
In 1874, Elizabeth McMaster hosted a meeting in her home which would lead to the founding of The Hospital for Sick Children a few months later. Over the next 15+ years, McMaster helped lead the fledgling institution, handling duties related to fundraising and administration, and was the first person at SickKids to hold the title of “President.” With the other members of the founding Ladies Committee, she also provided direct care to our patients, effectively serving as one of SickKids' first nurses.
John Ross Robertson
Philanthropist and Chair of the Board of Trustees
John Ross Robertson became involved with SickKids first as a donor, and then on the Board of Trustees where he served as Chair from 1891 until his death in 1918. As owner of the Toronto Evening Telegram, Robertson helped promote and fundraise for the hospital. He personally paid for the established of the Lakeside Home for Little Children, and helped secure our first purpose-built site at 67 College Street. Robertson was also instrumental in the establishment of SickKids milk pasteurization plant, the first such facility in Toronto.
Dr. Alan Brown
Chief of Paediatrics
SickKids Chief of Paediatrics from 1919-1951, Alan Brown was one of Canada’s first physicians to receive formal specialist training in paediatrics. Brown is credited with dramatically reducing the mortality at SickKids by emphasizing diet and nutrition, precise diagnosis, bold infection controls, and strict staff discipline. Brown can be considered the de facto chief executive at SickKids during his time as Chief of Paediatrics, as it was under his leadership that SickKids began its first scientific research, weathered numerous public health scares, and designed and moved to our current location at 555 University Avenue.
Alice Boxill
Registered Nurse
Alice Boxill graduated from SickKids School of Nursing in 1923 and returned a few months later, where she stayed until her retirement in 1969. After a few different roles, Boxill led the Parents’ Personal Service, in which she corresponded (generally by letter) with parents and guardians who were out-of-town and unable to visit patients. In the decades before we adopted Child and Family Centred Care, Boxill would liaise between care teams and parents, often writing 7,000+ letters per year.
Dr. William Mustard
Surgeon
A full-time surgeon at SickKids for 29 years, Mustard was a pioneer in both orthopaedic and cardiac surgery. In the 1950s, he pioneered an operation that involved relocating hip muscles, thereby restoring leg movement to many patients who had been paralyzed by polio. Switching fully to cardiac surgery in 1957, he co-created a heart-lung machine to keep babies alive during surgeries. In 1963, he devised the eponymous “Mustard Procedure,” to correct a heart defect that led to the previously-fatal “Blue Baby Syndrome.”
Dr. Robert Salter
Chief of Surgery
After joining as full-time staff in 1955, Salter served as Chief of Surgery from 1966-1976. His pioneering work in innominate osteotomy, Continuous Passive Motion (CPM), and other contributions to the field of Orthopaedics led to numerous formal recognitions in his lifetime, including the Order of Canada in 1997. Robert Salter was dedicated to the culture of SickKids. He made many media appearances, secured artworks for our public spaces, and personally designed SickKids’ official Coat of Arms and flag, which are still in use today.
