New entrance to St. Michael’s opens in the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower
By Robyn Cox
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Mary Altomare is ready to welcome patients and Essential Care Partners into the spacious new Peter Gilgan Lobby and guide them to the next step in their entrance screening experience.
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Richard Wu, a screener at St. Michael’s, sits in one of three entrance screening booths in the newly opened Peter Gilgan Lobby.
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The bright and modern Peter Gilgan Lobby provides room for state-of-the-art entrance screening and allows for physical distancing indoors as we enter the winter season.
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We have opened a brand new entrance to St. Michael’s through the lobby of the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower.
This is a significant milestone in the construction of the new tower. The Peter Gilgan lobby offers a modern and welcoming atmosphere with large windows that let in natural light. When the tower construction is complete, it will serve as the main entrance to St. Michael’s with access to the care spaces throughout the tower and the adjacent wings of the hospital.
“This bright and spacious lobby offers a perfect space for our patients to begin their care experiences at Unity Health,” says Anne Trafford, VP of Quality and Performance, Chief Information Officer and executive lead for Entrance Screening at Unity Health Toronto. “It provides room for state-of-the-art entrance screening and allows for physical distancing indoors as we enter the winter season.”
The Gilgan entrance is open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekdays, and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekends. The Donnelly entrance on Queen Street remains open 24 hours, daily, and is the preferred entrance for those who have mobility needs or who use WheelTrans.
As there is still construction happening throughout the tower, the elevators and escalators are not available to the public. Those entering the Peter Gilgan Lobby are screened for symptoms of COVID-19 and directed to the Donnelly wing of the hospital instead.
The Visitor Services team staff an Information Desk in the Peter Gilgan Lobby and are there to help patients and Essential Care Partners with questions when they arrive to the hospital.
- Learn more about Entrance Screening at Unity Health Toronto.
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and despite ongoing contractual challenges, we have accelerated the opening of specific units in the Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower (PGT) to enhance our critical care capacity and COVID-19 readiness. Three units have also moved into their intended final space in the PGT: the Orthopaedic Inpatient Unit, the Terrance Donnelly Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and the General Internal Medicine unit.
With collaboration from the Entrance Screening, Operational Readiness, Redevelopment, Information Technology and Foundation teams at St. Michael’s, our patients and people now have access to an additional entrance to the building, making for a smoother entrance screening experience across the hospital.
The Peter Gilgan Patient Care Tower (PGT) 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 PGT a reality for Unity Health Toronto’s staff and patients.
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.