---

Description

---

The Hospital for Sick Children SickKids affiliated with the University of Toronto is Canadas most researchintensive hospital and the largest centre dedicated to improving childrens health in the country As innovators in child health SickKids improves the health of children by integrating care research and teaching

With a staff that includes professionals from all disciplines of health care and research SickKids provides the best in complex and specialized care by creating scientific and clinical advancements sharing knowledge and expertise and championing the development of an accessible comprehensive and sustainable child health system

VISION
Healthier children A better world

MISSION
As innovators in child health we will lead and partner to improve the health of children through the integration of care education and research

Providing the best in complex and specialized health care for children
Creating ground breaking scientific and clinical advancements
Sharing our knowledge and expertise worldwide and
Championing the development of an accessible comprehensive and sustainable child health care system

VALUES
Innovationin creating evaluating and disseminating new knowledge in developing and implementing creative approaches for familycentered care research and education and in responding to the unique and changing needs of children and of the health care system

Excellence in compassionate familycentered care and service that embraces diversity in management and decision making in promoting teamwork and encouraging leadership and in a safe and healthy environment

Collaboration in all our relationships with families and children throughout the care process building knowledge and capabilities across the health care system and supporting transitions of care and service

Integrity in our commitment to accountability and transparency in respect for all in effective communication and in our ethical practices

---

History

---

It all began way back in the spring of 1875 when a group of Toronto women led by Elizabeth McMaster rented an 11room house in downtown Toronto for 320 a year set up six iron cots and declared open a hospital quotfor the admission and treatment of all sick childrenquot On April 3 Maggie a scalding victim became SickKids very first patient

In that first year 44 patients were admitted to the hospital Sixtyseven others were treated in outpatient clinics

The demand for services was so great that the hospital had to move to a larger building in 1876 But even the larger building and its 16 beds were too few In 1891 under the leadership of John Ross Robertson publisher of the Evening Telegram and chairman of the Hospitals Board of Trustees SickKids moved to an impressive new fourstory 320bed facility at the corner of Elizabeth and College Streets The Toronto city council asked that it be named Victoria Hospital for Sick Children but the new name was never officially adopted

A few years later in 1908 the hospital installed the first milk pasteurization plant in Canada 30 years before it became mandatory SickKids staff lead the fight in Canada for compulsory pasteurization

The Nutritional Research Laboratory was established in 1918 Work commenced which led to the development of Pablum and content standards for Canadian bread flour and agricultural products The results of nutritional research by Drs Alan Brown Fred Tisdall and Theo Drake led to the development of Pablum a precooked baby cereal Although it tasted like boiled Kleenex to the adult palate Pablum saved thousands of children from death and disease

The polio epidemic hit in 1937 and SickKids workshop staff were kept busy manufacturing more than 30 iron lungs for use throughout Ontario Medical and nursing staff organized temporary treatment centres that cared for more than 300 children During the epidemic the Hospitals Orthopaedic Workshop made more than 3000 splints and braces in a period of six weeks

On February 4 1951 the hospital moved to its current location at 555 University Avenue occupying the grounds where the childhood home of actress Mary Pickford once stood At the same time there was a switch in emphasis from nutritional research to the repair of congenital defects Three years later the Research Institute was established

The hospital also pioneered renowned surgical developments such as the Salter operation to repair dislocation of the hip and the Mustard operation to correct a heart defect that was often fatal In the 1960s SickKids opened one of the first intensive care units in North America devoted exclusively to the care of criticallyill newborn and premature babies

Throughout the 1980s advances in genetics have led to the identification and cloning of a number of genes responsible for causing hereditary diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis And there are many more milestones

In January of 1993 SickKids opened its brand new patientcare wing the Atrium just behind the 555 site The Atrium was designed by Eberhard Zeidler of Zeidler Roberts Partnership Believing that light is important to healing Zeidler designed the building around a ninestorey glassroofed atrium to let in as much natural light as possible The 232million CAD hospital has been paid for by taxpayers and contributors to the hospitals capital campaign the SickKids Foundation and other donors and bequests

Most patients now have their own room with a washroom storage and a day bed so a parent can stay at night With the addition of the new wing the hospital now fills an entire city blockThe Atrium houses exciting facilities to help provide enhanced care and improve the treatment and diagnosis of childhood disease The Critical Care Unit where children with life threatening illness and injury receive care almost doubled in size to 36 beds The Emergency Department has two trauma rooms and a sixbed observation room