We are thrilled to officially announce that Cumulus has been named prime consultant for the Myrna Daniels Seniors Emergency Medicine Centre, currently in development at University Health Network’s (UHN) Toronto Western Hospital. The state-of-the-art medical centre will be the first, purpose-built Seniors Emergency Medicine Centre in Canada, an initiative made possible by the John and Myrna Daniels Foundation’s lead gift of $52 million – the largest single donation to emergency medicine in Canada’s history.
The Centre is a natural evolution in UHN’s pursuit of excellence in comprehensive patient care, education, and research and will bring innovation in seniors-focused services to the forefront of UHN’s care programs. It will be designed to complement a vibrant ecosystem of comprehensive medical services for older adults at Toronto Western Hospital currently facilitated through specialized programs offered within centres such as Schroeder Arthritis Institute, Krembil Brain Institute, and Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute. With the inclusion of the Myrna Daniels Seniors Emergency Medicine Centre to the site, the stage will be set for Toronto Western Hospital to represent a new international standard of excellence for seniors-focused research and care.
Set to begin operating in 2025, the Centre will open its doors as Canada’s aging population approaches a critical juncture – with an estimated 25 percent of Toronto’s population expected to be over the age of 65 over the next three decades.
Without a Canadian precedent to draw from, our team is leading the process through an evidence-based approach to design that integrates the most current, validated strategies for addressing the perceptual, physical and cognitive changes that we all experience as we age.
A primary driver of success for the project is to overcome the traditional obstacles older patients face when seeking care in traditional emergency departments. Through a coordinated, working partnership with UHN’s senior patient and caregiver advocates, healthcare providers, and development team, we are focused on creating a centre that drives significant improvements in patient outcomes. Key goals for the project include enabling enhanced quality geriatric assessment, elimination of fall hazards, and better accommodation to address cognitive issues prevalent in geriatric patients. The overall design of the centre is focused on enabling staff to successfully guide senior patients through their medical emergency towards diagnosis, treatment, and a return to home, as soon as possible.
The Centre is being designed with the intention of achieving Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation, the highest level approved by the American College of Emergency Physicians. Once successful, it will be the first such accredited department of its kind in Canada.
This innovative project aligns with many of the precedent-setting design projects Cumulus is leading and co-leading. Our team recently completed another UHN project at Toronto General Hospital to create their new Michael Lawrence Turk Rapid Assessment Centre. The newly dedicated centre provides space where patient volumes can be better managed through increased service capacity and assessment capability in a purpose-built space geared to lower acuity patients. Our team is also currently engaged alongside UK-based design partners Medical Architecture to lead Safehaven’s new Bloor Street development which will be the first facility in Canada to enable a complete society model of care for those with complex medical needs.
Additional News
Why a first-of-its-kind seniors emergency care centre could be an important test for Ontario, CBC, Dec 27, 2022