More floors of the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower open to support COVID-19 response
By Selma Al-Samarrai
Registered Nurse Christine Brozich was part of the many teams who worked to quickly and safely open the 6th and 8th
floors of the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower. (Photo: Margaret Moy Lum-Kwong)
(Photo: Katie Cooper, Medical Media)
Two additional floors have opened inside the recently operational Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower in order to better support the care of COVID-19 positive patients and persons under investigation (PUIs) at St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto.
The sixth and eighth floors opened earlier this month as dedicated acute care areas for COVID-19 patients and PUIs. These two floors represent the second phase of openings in the tower. The first phase, in April, saw the opening of the fourth and seventh floors as dedicated critical care COVID-19 units.
Both phases were marked by accelerated openings and this was only made possible by the immense collaboration and hard work amongst dozens of teams at Unity Health.
The opening of these four floors inside the patient care tower has created significant capacity across St. Michael’s to care for COVID-19 patients and PUIs of various acuity, and will help address system capacity for the province as well.
There are still multiple enhanced features and technologies that will be coming online in the weeks to come as the remaining floors are finished.
The tower’s lobby and entrance will remain closed, and entry into the units will be limited to horizontal access only via the adjacent hospital wing.
The Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower is part of the larger St. Michael’s 3.0 redevelopment project. The tower was made possible by Peter Gilgan, the founder and CEO of Mattamy Homes, who made a historic $30 million donation to St. Michael’s, and by Element Fleet Management, who contributed an additional $15 million. A massive thank you to Peter Gilgan, Element Fleet Management, and the many other donors whose generous contributions made the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower a reality for Unity Health Toronto’s staff and patients.
Related: Select floors of the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower have opened to support the COVID-19 response
About St. Michael’s Hospital
St. Michael’s Hospital provides compassionate care to all who enter its doors. The hospital also provides outstanding medical education to future health care professionals in more than 27 academic disciplines. Critical care and trauma, heart disease, neurosurgery, diabetes, cancer care, care of the homeless and global health are among the Hospital’s recognized areas of expertise. Through the Keenan Research Centre and the Li Ka Shing International Healthcare Education Centre, which make up the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, research and education at St. Michael’s Hospital are recognized and make an impact around the world. Founded in 1892, the hospital is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.
About Unity Health Toronto
Unity Health Toronto, comprised of Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital, works to advance the health of everyone in our urban communities and beyond. Our health network serves patients, residents and clients across the full spectrum of care, spanning primary care, secondary community care, tertiary and quaternary care services to post-acute through rehabilitation, palliative care and long-term care, while investing in world-class research and education. For more information, visit www.unityhealth.to.