BMO Financial Group funds leading-edge Education Centre at Toronto Western Hospital

TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2015 /CNW/ - BMO Financial Group has generously donated $3 million to support a new state-of-the-art facility where University Health Network scientists, clinicians and educators can engage with the community, making community members active partners in their healthcare.

Named the BMO Education and Conference Centre, it encompasses the entire first floor of the Krembil Discovery Tower at Toronto Western Hospital and has a maximum capacity of 200 people.

"We are proud of our partnership with Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation.  Their focus on the three pillars of patient care, research and education align with our core values at BMO," says Andrew Auerbach, Head of Sales & Distribution, Canadian Personal & Commercial Banking, BMO Financial Group.  "We look forward to the BMO Education & Conference Centre being an integral part in helping UHN achieve its vision of having a global impact in those three pillars."

Tillmann Ruth Robinson, lead architects for the Centre, created a nimble, organic environment that incorporates the substantial digital technology. The Centre has a large plenary room that can be divided into three separate spaces for gathering, learning and community events. The 5,000-square foot space also includes flexible and unobtrusive leading-edge audio visual technology to create a fully-integrated digital environment.

"The Centre comes at a much-needed time," says UHN Vice President of Education Dr. Brian Hodges.  "In the past, we had limited onsite space for hosting educational events and conferences. The BMO Education and Conference Centre fulfills this need by providing a professional venue to support learning events for UHN and the community."

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group has a long legacy of supporting education and health and welfare projects across the country. This legacy has included the hospitals of University Health Network and Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation, with the funding of programs and sponsorship of fundraising events.

In 2004, BMO Financial Group created the BMO Financial Group Chair in Health Professions Education at UHN. The Chair was modeled on strengthening the education component of health professions leadership. A significant achievement was the development of the surgical safety checklist in concert with the World Health Organization in 2009.  The Chair has set a global standard of excellence in education research for the over 3500 future healthcare professionals who are trained at UHN each year.

"BMO has been a dedicated philanthropic partner of UHN for many years and we are proud of our long-standing relationship," says UHN President and CEO Dr. Peter Pisters. "We share a commitment to contributing to the well-being of our shared communities, by ensuring the best care for Canadians and people around the world who need it most."

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified financial services provider based in North America. With total assets of approximately $672 billion as of July 31, 2015, and more than 47,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and services to more than 12 million customers and conducts business through three operating groups: Personal and Commercial Banking, Wealth Management and BMO Capital Markets.

About Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation

Established in 1986, Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation is dedicated to supporting excellence in health care by raising funds for research, medical education, and the enhancement of patient care at University Health Network,

SOURCE Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation

For further information: Nadine Hubert, Senior Director of Communications, Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation, 416-340-4293, [email protected]