Creating North York’s Campus of Care
Driven by a combination of aging facilities (our hospital was built 55 years ago) and a population served by NYGH that is older and growing faster than the Toronto average, NYGH is moving forward on the largest transformational redevelopment of our hospital in its history.
Between now and 2030, we will build a new acute care tower at our General site, adding 130 more inpatient beds. Our leading-edge New Patient Care Tower will house an expanded Emergency Department, a new surgical suite offering robot-assisted surgery, critical care and other high-demand services. The entire facility will be specifically designed for our paediatric and senior patients. For example, a unique model combining geriatrics, psychiatry and other specialties, will provide an advanced level of care for older adults with complex cognitive and mental health challenges. The tower will offer 24/7 access to surgeries and other services, and walk-in mental health and addictions care. It will be fully integrated with long-term care and community services, including offering “hospital-at-home” care. We are working with the Ontario Ministry of Health on approval to proceed to Stage 3 of the development process — the design phase.
Soon we will begin building our leading practice long-term care (LTC) home, steps from the hospital. Once open in 2027-2028, this new home will be among the largest in Ontario, if not Canada, bringing much-needed LTC beds to Toronto. It will offer residents as well as seniors in the community a range of wellness-focused programs and services. According to Karyn Popovich, NYGH’s President & CEO, “Older adults will receive the highest standard of care in a home that they will want to live in. With the essential support of philanthropy and in partnership with government, we will offer 100 per cent private rooms and private bathrooms. Nothing is more important than each resident’s comfort and dignity.”
The home will be a special place. Despite its size, it will feel like home with small, intimate clusters of rooms, ample gathering spaces for families and activities, accessible green space and beautiful views. The home will be inclusive and support residents as their Rendering of New Patient Care Tower connected to New Long-Term Care Home YEAR IN REVIEW 2022–2023 2 9 needs change including on-site dementia care, behavioural support, specialized geriatrics, primary care and chronic disease management.
As the Vice President who is leading capital planning at NYGH, Rudy Dahdal sees NYGH’s historic redevelopment as central to how the organization is reimagining the future of health care. “Buildings and services should never stand alone,” says Dahdal. “The best health care happens in a connected system that supports people to receive the right care, in the right place, throughout life. That is what our communities expect and it’s what we are building for North York.” Our new LTC development and Patient Care Tower will be at the heart of a connected Campus of Care, designed for and with those living in our 18 North York neighbourhoods and people across Toronto and the GTA who come to us for care. Dahdal adds, “When we launched our major capital projects, we had just under 600 LTC and acute care beds. When we open our new facilities, we will have almost 1200 beds.” All of NYGH sites will be connected to other services delivered by NYTHP partners including primary care, home care, community support services, mental health and addictions, LTC, and social care. “The New Patient Care Tower and campus of care open up new possibilities for harnessing digital innovation to substantially improve safety, quality and equity of care,” says Dr. Phil Shin, NYGH’s Chief Medical Information Officer.
“As a physician who has spent a career caring for patients with complex health needs, I’m excited about the opportunity to fully integrate patient health records throughout the care journey from the community to hospital to home. Our digitally-advanced New Patient Care Tower will act as an information hub, connecting and making sense of data about patients, so we can support everyone to receive the best care, faster.” Reflecting on the momentous period, Seanna Millar, North York General Foundation’s President and CEO, explains: “Our donors have been part of the backbone of North York General for the past 50-plus years. Community support is vital to realizing these new projects and philanthropy will help fuel this transformation and enable us to support the growing needs of our diverse communities.”
The article was originally published in the Year in Review 2022-2023, People First report.