BUSINESS AND PHILANTHROPIC LEADERS UNITE TO RAISE $300M FOR UHN'S NEW SURGICAL TOWER
15-storey tower at UHN's Toronto Western site will set a new precedent for
surgical innovation and the patient experience
TORONTO, Sept. 12, 2024 /CNW/ - UHN Foundation is pleased to announce its campaign cabinet to support fundraising efforts for a new state-of-the-art patient and surgical tower at University Health Network's (UHN) Toronto Western Hospital. Comprising nearly 40 volunteers from Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, the cabinet will play a pivotal role in helping UHN Foundation raise $300M towards this $1.1B capital project – the largest at UHN to date.
Currently under construction, the new 15-storey tower is slated for completion in late 2028. Purpose-built to prioritize the experience of patients and their families, the tower will feature 82 private patient rooms, new critical care beds, and 20 state-of-the-art operating rooms equipped with the latest robotic equipment and real-time imaging technology. It is anticipated that the tower will help increase UHN's surgical capacity by 20% – a critical step in reducing wait times and clearing surgical backlog in Ontario.
On February 6, 2024, the Government of Ontario announced an investment of nearly $800M towards the construction of the tower. UHN Foundation will raise an additional $300M to see the project through to completion and is well on its way to its goal, with $21.3M raised to date.
"This project will completely revolutionize surgical care in our city and around the world," said Julie Quenneville, CEO of UHN Foundation. "We are so grateful to our donors who have supported the campaign so far, and I have no doubt that with the help of our incredible group of volunteer leaders, we will meet our ambitious fundraising goal. Every dollar makes a huge difference."
With world-renowned expertise in neuro and orthopedic surgeries, the tower at Toronto Western will serve not only members of the local community, but patients from across the province and country. It will also enable the recruitment and retention of top global surgical talent at UHN, and the training of surgical teams from around the world in UHN's advanced techniques using state-of-the-art telepresence and telesimulation.
"As Canada's #1 hospital, UHN handles the most complex surgeries in the country," said Dr. Kevin Smith, President and CEO of UHN. "This tower will allow our expert teams to continue to lead the way in surgical innovation and training while allowing us to serve even more people in need of our care – all while putting the needs of patients and their families first."
The campaign cabinet boasts a wide array of business leaders and philanthropists who will help UHN Foundation open doors to new prospective donors. Their guidance, expertise and passion for advancing health care will be instrumental in helping UHN Foundation reach its fundraising goal within the next four years. The cabinet will be co-chaired by Laura Dottori-Attanasio, President and CEO of Element Fleet Management Corporation; John MacIntyre, Co-founder and Partner of Birch Hill Equity Partners; Darryl White, Chief Executive Officer of BMO Financial Group; and Cornell Wright, President of Wittington Investments, Limited.
"The creation of this new surgical tower is not just about upgrading facilities – it's about transforming the future of surgical care," said the co-chairs in a joint statement. "UHN's reputation as a leader in surgical care is a testament to the dedication of its staff and the support of our community. This project is an opportunity for all of us to contribute to something truly monumental, and we hope others will join us in our mission to reimagine health care in Toronto and beyond."
A full list of the Campaign Cabinet members recruited to date is below:
Co-chairs:
- Laura Dottori-Attanasio
President & CEO, Element Fleet Management Corporation
UHN Foundation Board Member
- John MacIntyre
Co-founder & Partner, Birch Hill Equity Partners
- Darryl White
Chief Executive Officer, BMO Financial Group
UHN Trustee
- Cornell Wright
President, Wittington Investments, Limited
Deputy Chair, UHN Board of Trustees
Members:
- Dan Barclay
Retired CEO & Group Head, BMO Capital Markets
UHN Foundation Board Member
- Geoffrey S. Belsher
Chairman and Country Chief Executive Officer, Barclays in Canada
- Paula Courtney
President & CEO, The Verde Group
- Daniella Dimitrov
SVP and Chief Financial Officer, Calibre Mining Corp.
UHN Foundation Board Member
- Sean Driscoll
Director and Co-Chief Executive Officer, FAX Capital
UHN Foundation Board Member
- Paul Farrell
Former Vice Chair, Global Investment Banking, CIBC
Chair, UHN Foundation
- Dr. Thomas Forbes
Surgeon-in-Chief, Sprott Department of Surgery, UHN
- Joe Gagliano
CEO, ARS Global Emergency Management - Laurence Goldstein
President, Canuck Properties Ltd.
UHN Foundation Board Member
- Adam Halpern
Operations Manager, Halpern Enterprises
- Raj Kothari
Principal, Centre Street Enterprises
Former Vice Chair, PwC Canada
UHN Foundation Board Member
- Anthony Lam
Vice President, Private Banking International Clients, RBC Wealth Management
- Harry Lebovic
CEO, Lebovic Enterprises Limited - Marc Lipton
President and CEO, Creyos
UHN Foundation Board Member
- Adel Melek
Global Vice Chairman, Risk Advisory, Deloitte - John P. Mulvihill
President and Portfolio Manager, Mulvihill Capital Management
- Marc A. Muzzo
President and CEO, Pemberton Group
UHN Foundation Board Member - Dr. Allan Okrainec
Surgical Lead, Planning and Infrastructure, UHN - Lucas Pontillo
Executive Director and Global Chief Financial Officer, Fiera Capital
- Dr. Fayez Quereshy
Vice President, Clinical and Surgical Oncologist & Minimally Invasive Surgeon, UHN
- Rebecca Repa
Executive Vice President of Clinical Support and Performance, UHN
- TJ Rinomato
Partner at Rinomato Group Companies
- Calin Rovinescu
Former CEO of Air Canada
- Danielle Skipp
Managing Director, Nicola Wealth
- Dr. Kevin Smith
President & CEO, UHN
- Anish Taneja
Managing Director, Palm Holdings
- Tanya Van Biesen
President & CEO, VersaFi
- Mary Vitug
Corporate Director, External Advisor to Nicola Wealth
For more information on the tower project or how to get involved, please visit uhnfoundation.ca/surgicaltower
About UHN Foundation
Part of University Health Network (UHN), UHN Foundation raises funds Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto Rehab and The Michener Institute of Education. No one ever changed the world on their own: donor support is critical to upholding the excellence in patient care that UHN is known for, and changing the status quo of health care – helping recruit and train the brightest medical minds from around the world, develop new treatments for disease, and advance bold medical research. UHNfoundation.ca
About University Health Network (UHN)
UHN is Canada's No. 1 hospital and the world's No. 1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 20,000 members of TeamUHN, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education at UHN and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN.ca
SOURCE UHN Foundation
For media inquiries, please contact: Olivia Monardo, Public Relations Officer, [email protected], 416-669-0638
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