[ldoto]

:eek2:

The recommendation of London as the site for the $50-million hospital is 'a defining moment' for the city.


After a five-year roller-coaster ride, London has been picked -- for the second time -- as the home for the Shriners $50-million Canadian children's hospital. A beaming Tony Dagnone, fresh from a conference call with Shriners meeting in Maui, Hawaii, announced the decision at a packed news conference yesterday.

"London has experienced a defining moment," Dagnone said as the room full of Shriners and members of the city's bid committee erupted in cheers.

The board's choice to go with London rather than the other bidders for the 40-60 bed hospital -- Montreal and Ottawa -- was unanimous, Dagnone said.

Gene Bracewell, treasurer of the Shriners and head of the hospital selection committee, said the board is fully behind the choice of London.

"We are going full tilt now," Bracewell said from Maui.

"I am sure Montreal is disappointed and they are great people there, as is Ottawa, but we have to look at doing what is best for the kids in the future.

"They do fantastic work in Montreal, but the future is brighter in London for research, for robotics, telemedicine and everything."

The hospital will mean 100 new medical jobs for the city, including specialists and researchers, Dagnone said.

The board's choice must be ratified by two-thirds of the 1,200 voting delegates to the international fraternity's convention in Baltimore in July.

Dagnone and others said they expect a tough fight from Montreal, which has been home to the Shriners' only Canadian hospital since 1925 and will be losing the facility.

Reaction in Ottawa and Montreal was sharply negative, with an Ottawa official calling it the worst possible decision for children and Montreal promising to campaign to keep the hospital.

Montreal's mayor vowed to fight for the hospital until the end.

A year ago, the Shriners' board unanimously backed building the new hospital in London, but after Montreal launched a vigorous campaign to overturn the decision, delegates in Denver last July voted to continue considering Montreal, Ottawa and London.

Grant Fotheringham, potentate of the Shriners' 3,800-member Mocha Temple in London, said his group will work to ensure the recommendation is passed at the convention in Baltimore.

Fotheringham said he's confident they will succeed, adding: "It is going to be a big task."

A spokesperson for Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty cautiously welcomed the Shriners' announcement and pledged that the premier and Ontario Health Minister George Smitherman would work with the fraternity before the final vote.

"It is only a recommendation, but we are very happy," said McGuinty spokesperson Jane Almeida. "We are pleased that Ontario is one step closer to getting the hospital."

London Health Sciences Centre has offered the Shriners a 2.4-hectare site on the proposed hospital's Victoria campus at Wellington and Base Line roads.

"This really is an historical moment for this community," London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco said. "It says that we can really make things happen in this community."

Fotheringham said the 1,200 delegates to the Baltimore convention will receive a package a month in advance explaining the reasons for the board's recommendation to move the hospital to London.

Mocha Shriners will also work to reassure Shriners in the eastern U.S. and Atlantic Canada they won't face additional costs and inconvenience with the hospital being built in London instead of Montreal.

"As Shriners, we have to keep this as a business decision," Fotheringham said. "We have to do this for the best of the children."

Dr. Kellie Leitch, head of pediatric orthopedic surgery in London, said the Shriners' decision is "spectacular" and will energize the city's medical community.

"It is a huge opportunity for providing better surgical care, as well as pediatric care, to the children of Southwestern Ontario and Ontario," she said.

The Shriners' hospital site selection committee first visited London more than five years ago as it launched its search for a site.

Dagnone credited London's successful bid to work by his hospital board, medical staff, the City of London, the University of Western Ontario, the London Airport Authority, city businesses and the Mocha Shriners.

Ontario's premier and health minister also played crucial roles. Dagnone made special mention of London MPP and Labour Minister Chris Bentley for quietly making sure the issue was given the necessary attention by the government.

"The Shriners chose us because they had confidence in all of the people associated with London. That would be the No. 1 factor in their decision."





Copyright © The London Free Press

 

[ssiguy2]

Good work London!!!!!!
This will further enhance London't reputation as one of the prmier medical cities in the world.s

 

[Brian In Lon. Ont.]

We have to wait until after they stop the boo hooing in Montreal and Ottawa to the Shriners and they ratify the final vote.

 

[ldoto]

Hospital site war heats up

:bash:
Unsuccessful bidders Montreal and Ottawa vocally oppose choice of London.


The battle in Baltimore for the Shriners new Canadian hospital will be hard fought and has the potential to turn nasty, it was made clear yesterday. London officials said they were disappointed with the shots fired at the city by Montreal and Ottawa after it was announced Wednesday that London had been recommended by the Shriners board for the international fraternity's $50-million children's hospital.

"If it was another city that had been picked, we would have congratulated them," Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco said yesterday.

Instead, the head of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Garry Cardiff, said children lost when London was picked.

The head of the Karnak Shrine in Montreal said the recommendation was "neither in the interest of children nor medical research."

On top of that, most of the staff at the Montreal Shriners hospital have already indicated they have no intention of moving, said hospital chairperson Gary Morrison.

Montreal's committee has said it will work to defeat the recommendation at the Shriners Baltimore convention, where 1,200 delegates will vote on the issue.

Building a hospital in London will require the approval of two-thirds of the delegates.

Tony Dagnone, head of London's bid committee, said the comments were "mind boggling."

"The statements from Montreal and Ottawa to me show one thing and one thing only. They show disrespect for the Shriner leadership and governance," he said yesterday.

"I think this noise about protesting in Baltimore is fast approaching unprofessionalism. All they are going to do is to be divisive."

None of the three contenders were disclosing their precise strategies yesterday for swaying the delegates to the Shriners Baltimore convention, most of whom will be Americans.

DeCicco and Dagnone both said they will be in Baltimore as part of London's campaign.

"This is one of the most important decisions that has ever been made for the city of London and we are going to do everything we can to bring it home," DeCicco said.

"If it takes all of my time from now to then, I will devote all of my time to it."

The mayor of Montreal, the chairperson of the Shriners hospital and the chief executive of the McGill University Health Centre have also said they will be in Baltimore to push their points.

Arthur Porter, chief executive at the McGill University Health Centre, said his goal is to convince Shriners that a hospital is more than bricks and mortar -- it is also nurses, doctors and researchers who have relationships with other faculty.

"We feel programs like this are very hard to replicate in quick time," he said. "We want the Shriners to have all the facts and then let them make their decision."

Morrison also said the Montreal campaign will be a matter of putting facts before the Shriners and letting them make a democratic decision.

"I don't blame any city for wanting to have a Shriners hospital in their backyard. Why wouldn't they? These are absolutely tremendous hospitals and they do great work. But we have one and I'm sure they don't blame us for wanting to keep it."





Copyright © The London Free Press

 

[Gdoggy]

London just has to stick with it's guns... keep promoting it's points to the shriners as well... Montreal & Ottawa will just look like sore, bitter losers in the shriners eyes...

 

[Oaronuviss]

Montreal and Ottawa need to chill out...at least it went to another Canadian city.
London is the medical capital of Canada... it's all good.

 

[miltopolis]

The medical capital of Canada?

How's London, Ontario the medical capital of Canada? It doesn't have many medical facilities or hospitals compare it to like Toronto. Not even close. :eek2:

 

[Jaybird]

^ well, it does have the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, where Insulin was discovered by Fred Banting, and held at hospitals here include:

first heart-lung transplant in Canada, world's first liver-bowel transplant, first adult-to-adult living liver transplant done in Canada, first kidney-pancreas transplant is done in London, among a lot of hospitals, although Toronto does have a considerable amount of discoveries and events in Canadian medical history as well, but Toronto isn't really a primarily medically-focused city, it focuses on many other things besides medical research. Maybe it could be proper to call London one of the medical capitals of Canada, but maybe not THE.

I hope London gets the hospital, although this is really good news, most of the hard work is done, now it's up to the vote for the shriners, and a lot of shriners live around the London area, so they could have an advantage there, although I'm not sure what role that will play. But this hospital will be a huge boost for London economically and increase its reputation as a medical capital of Canada.

 

[ldoto]

Shriners hospital cost hits $108M

The Shriners have a $108-million hospital on the drawing board for London, more than double early estimates for the children's facility. The dollar figure, along with prices for hospitals in Ottawa and Montreal, was included in a confidential Shriners report tabled at a board meeting last Wednesday in Maui.

Leaked to newspapers in Ottawa, the report reveals why London won the unanimous backing of the hospital site selection committee, a recommendation that also has the unanimous backing of the Shriners international board.

The project must still be voted on and passed by two-thirds of the delegates at the Shriners convention in Baltimore in July.

Other details contained in the report tabled in Maui:

- The Shriners plan to build an above-ground, 300-space parking garage at whatever site is approved.

- It is anticipated if the hospital moves to London, the entire staff and administration at the Shriners Montreal hospital would probably have to be replaced.

- Both London and Montreal are willing to have the Shriners hospital handle elective surgery.

In selecting London, the six-member selection committee considered the specific hospital sites, public transportation, financial incentives and medical research.

Early in its report, the committee ranked Ottawa as the "least desirable choice."

The city's medical leaders, the administrative spokesperson for the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, and the hospital board's past chairperson made it clear, according to the committee, that they didn't "need nor want" a Shriners hospital.

"During very frank discussion at our meeting with them, they said we would be in competition," the committee reported.

In comparing sites, the committee noted London was offering a highly visible parcel of "virgin" land next to its children's hospital.

Montreal's site at an old railroad yard is heavily contaminated, but would be acceptable if cleaned as planned, the committee said.

For financial incentives, all governments were willing to forgive service fees, taxes and development fees.

Montreal was willing to give the Shriners title to the land, but if the hospital was ever moved, it wanted first right to buy the facility at the market value, minus the land value.

London was willing to sell the Shriners the land for $2 million and put the money into an account for recruiting staff. If the hospital was moved, London only asked for first right of refusal on the land and facility at their market value.

London's bid was also bolstered by a commitment from the business community to build a $1.5-million parent housing building for the Shriners hospital.

One concern with building a hospital in Montreal was the competition for raising money for the facility. McGill, McGill University Health Centre and Centre hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal will be trying to raise $400 million at the same time as the Shriners would be trying to raise money.

"In London, there would be no competition for capital dollars by LHSC. In fact, they have offered co-operation and assistance in any SHC (Shriners hospital) fundraising efforts," the report said.

Regarding transportation, a critical issue for the Shriners, the committee said Montreal's international airport was a positive for the city.

However, London will have direct flights to Halifax by summer, the committee said.

"A big plus for London is the fact the Mocha Shriners have volunteered to shuttle patients to and from the Toronto airport if needed or desired," the committee said.

According to their report, the biggest concern would be higher transportation costs for patients from the Atlantic provinces.

But Air Canada, Via Rail and business leaders in London have offered direct and indirect financial help.

"We do not believe a move from Montreal will be detrimental," the report said.

The committee report downplayed concerns that medical research would be harmed if the hospital left Montreal.

While praising Montreal researchers for their work on brittle bone disease and giving the Shriners respectability throughout the world, the committee said the work has now moved from the laboratory bench to the bedside. That means new research programs will have to be developed, the committee said.

"It is our firm belief that all three sites considered have renowned researchers and that we would not have a significant problem beginning a new program that would fit the Shrine mission," the report said.





Copyright © The London Free Press

 

[Oaronuviss]

How's London, Ontario the medical capital of Canada? It doesn't have many medical facilities or hospitals compare it to like Toronto. Not even close. :eek2:

I've heard stories of people comming from B.C to get medical attention in London. It's just where the shit is.
It has been for years.

 

[ssiguy2]

London also has the only convention centre in the country that is geared towards medical conferences.

 

[Lucky 24]

How's London, Ontario the medical capital of Canada? It doesn't have many medical facilities or hospitals compare it to like Toronto. Not even close. :eek2:

It doesn't matter that Toronto has more hospitals or medical facilities. London has been the leader of medical research in this country....there are several MASSIVE hospital complexes in this city and it's all interconnected so well with medical programs at the university of Western Ontario. And the research facilities are second to none.....why else do you think Canada's 10th biggest city is doing so well in swaying the shriners away from Canada's 2nd and 4th largest city?

 

[ldoto]

London lands pioneering surgeon

:eek2: London lands pioneering surgeon to national research and training centre
(LONDON, Ontario) London has attracted an internationally renowned surgeon and scientist to further develop its world-class program of research in minimally invasive surgery and interventions at London Health Sciences Centre.

Dr. Christopher Schlachta has joined the senior leadership team at CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics) as Medical Director, to facilitate further academic and scientific growth as well as provide leadership in new research grant development and recruitment of scientists.

“In the face of a national demand for hospitals to recruit the best, we are pleased that Dr. Schlachta chose to come to London”, says Tony Dagnone, President and Chief Executive Officer, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). “It further strengthens the hospital’s commitment to providing the best possible care.”

Dr. Schlachta comes to London from Toronto where he held a leadership role at St. Michael’s Hospital as Division Head of General Surgery. Originally from Montreal, Dr. Schlachta trained in general surgery at The University of Western Ontario where he developed an interest in laparoscopic surgery and minimally invasive surgery. He has since gone on to establish a national and international reputation for clinical excellence and innovation in the field.

“I am very excited to be working with the outstanding research teams at CSTAR to build on its reputation as a world leader in discovery, development, training, and most importantly to continue to advance patient care”, says Dr. Schlachta. “Research has proven that the benefits of minimally-invasive surgery including robotics, are less trauma to the patient, quicker recovery time and a shorter hospital stay. The future potential of these technologies is limitless.”

Dr. Schlachta will also practice as a general surgeon at both LHSC and St. Joseph’s Health Care London (SJHC) and will join The University of Western Ontario’s Department of Surgery as an Associate Professor.

“As Londoners, we are proud of our city’s strong reputation as a centre of health excellence,” notes Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco. “And, Dr. Schlachta’s welcome arrival at CSTAR once again reinforces our keen ability to recruit the best and the brightest to our community.”

“Dr. Schlachta’s appointment as Medical Director is an important step in the continuation of CSTAR’s international leadership position in the area of minimally-invasive surgical and interventional technologies and techniques”, explains Dr. Joseph Gilbert, Chief Administrative Officer at Lawson Health Research Institute.

“He is a welcome addition to our league of scientists at Lawson who perform leading edge clinical and basic research which ultimately benefits patient care.”

According to Dr. John Denstedt, Citywide Chief of Surgery at LHSC and SJHC, “Dr. Schlachta is part of the new wave of professionals that is helping to bring life and time-saving techniques into operating rooms for patients in London, across Canada and around the world. Continued collaboration between all partners, including the Department of Surgery at The University of Western Ontario, will enable optimal success of this pioneering program.”

Bigraphy:
Dr. Christopher M. Schlachta is originally from Montreal, where he completed his undergraduate degree and medical school at McGill University.

After interning at the Toronto General Hospital he trained in General Surgery at the University of Western Ontario. It was there that he first developed an interest in laparoscopic surgery and returned to Toronto as the inaugural fellow of the Minimally Invasive Surgery Training Program at the former Wellesley Hospital.

After two and half years of subspecialty training in laparoscopic surgery and a certificate in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Care Research from U of T he joined the staff at Wellesley and the faculty of the University of Toronto.

Just four years into practice he was appointed Division Head of General Surgery at St. Michael’s Hospital where he has received awards for medical student and resident teaching as well as authoring more than 100 published abstracts, journal articles, and textbook chapters.

Dr. Schlachta is an active member of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and Chair of the Canadian Association of General Surgeons’ Committee on Endoscopic and Laparoscopic Surgery.

CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics) is Canada's national centre for developing and testing the next generation of minimally invasive surgical and interventional technologies and techniques, including robotics. CSTAR trains the surgeons of the future and shares expertise around the world.

Building on world and national firsts pioneered by surgeons in London, CSTAR was launched in December 2001.

CSTAR is as a collaborative research program of London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and Lawson Health Research Institute (Lawson), and is affiliated with The University of Western Ontario.
Visit CSTAR today at www.c-star.ca

 

[ldoto]

Keep Shriner lobbying fair

Individuals across Canada are contacting London Health Sciences Centre in hopes of pursuing a medical career at the proposed $100-million Shriners children's hospital, hospital president Tony Dagnone said yesterday. "We are getting many, many calls," said Dagnone, who is head of London's bid committee for the project.

"I think that really speaks well of the Shriners name and of the London community."

In the tug of war between London and Montreal, the top two contenders for the Shriners' Canadian hospital, staffing has been raised as a crucial issue.

Members of Montreal's bid committee have suggested top researchers would never want to locate in London and that there aren't enough qualified medical staff to take care of thousands of patients.

Dagnone labelled the Montreal comments as "fiction" and said he hopes they aren't used by Montreal Shriners who are launching a telephone campaign to stop London from getting the hospital.

"I don't mind people lobbying for their vote, but it should be based on facts, not fiction. I do worry about the amount of fiction that is going to be incorporated in those telephone calls."

One specific claim has been that London only has 1.5 orthopedic physicians to take care of the children, Dagnone said.

The truth is, he said, that London has two children's orthopedic surgeons and has recently hired another orthopedic surgeon who works on spine problems in children.

He said a job offer has been made to an additional pediatric orthopedic surgeon from Western Canada.

There are another dozen specialists in London who work with children in such areas as hand deformities and plastic surgery.

"We have some of the best you will find anywhere," he said. "That is what is so disappointing to us is that they (Montreal) are doing everything possible to push us into the ground."

Dagnone declined to disclose how the city plans to get its message out to the 1,440 delegates who will be making a final decision on where to build a new Canadian hospital at a convention in Baltimore in early July.

"We are not going to tip our hand, but we are spending some time thinking about this."

London has the unanimous backing of the hospital site selection committee and the international board of the 500,000-member fraternity, but the city needs two-thirds of the delegates to vote in favour of moving the hospital out of Montreal.

The hospital selection committee report that outlined the reasons for picking London has come under fierce attack in Montreal this week because it didn't detail the incentives offered to the Shriners, including $5 million in free land and a $5-million donation to the Shriners.

The report did explain that London is willing to sell the Shriners a site for $2 million, the appraised value of the land.

Dagnone said there is no chance London will increase its incentives to win the hospital.

"We will not sweeten the pot. Our proposal is what it is right now."





Copyright © The London Free Press

 

[ldoto]

The Ivey Heart Centre

London Health Sciences Centre opens The Ivey Heart Centre.
London, Ontario, January 28, 2005 – London Health Sciences Centre opened the doors today to The Ivey Heart Centre, one of Canada’s largest cardiac care facilities, located at the hospital’s University Campus. The $31 million Heart Centre will serve more than 5,250 patients annually and will provide a seamless continuum of care for cardiac patients and those at high risk for cardiac events, encompassing education, ambulatory care, diagnostics, interventional cardiology, surgery and rehabilitation.

“The Ivey Heart Centre will be one of Canada’s premier centres for the treatment of heart disease – a centre that will drive change and make a difference in the lives of heart patients,” said Tony Dagnone, President and CEO of London Health Sciences Centre, at the grand opening celebration today.

Poised to take its place among the world’s leading heart institutes, The Ivey Heart Centre is a comprehensive, integrated regional facility located primarily on the fifth and sixth levels of London Health Sciences Centre’s University Campus. As part of London hospitals’ rebuilding initiative, it is a consolidation of existing advanced cardiac care services, which were previously spread across three hospital sites. Designed as a self-contained unit, The Ivey Heart Centre will house 94 inpatient beds, specialized areas for coronary care, arrhythmia monitoring, cardiac catheterization, pacemaker implementation and electrophysiology procedures.

The Ivey Heart Centre will have the best minds, in the best place, developing remarkable programs that will have tremendous impact at the bedside in our own clinics and those of other hospitals. “This state-of-the-art facility will be more than a London resource; it will also be an international resource,” added Mr. Dagnone.

The Ivey Heart Centre was supported by London’s well-known philanthropists and community leaders Richard M. Ivey and Beryl Ivey and The Richard Ivey Foundation through their gift of $6.5 million. “Thanks to the Iveys’ foresight and generosity, today we mark the realization of their gift and vision for the next era of cardiac care,” expressed Mr. Dagnone.

The Ivey Heart Centre will enable London Health Sciences Centre the opportunity to establish national and international leadership in minimally invasive cardiac surgery and advanced cardiac imaging utilizing leading-edge technology and expertise. Included in The Ivey Heart Centre is a clinical evaluation program, which entails a system capable of confidentially capturing information related to cardiac patients. This information will be available for analysis with the goals of advancing clinical research and developing best patient care practices.

London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is one of Canada's largest acute-care teaching hospitals and is dedicated to excellence in patient care, teaching and research. LHSC has pioneered many national and international medical breakthroughs. Located in London, Ontario, LHSC has three sites - University Campus, Victoria Campus, and the South Street Site, along with two family medical centres and the London Regional Cancer Program. LHSC is the home of the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario and CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics). The research arm of LHSC is Lawson Health Research Institute, which is also partnered with London's other teaching hospital, St. Joseph's Health Care, London. LHSC is affiliated with The University of Western Ontario. Physicians and staff at LHSC number close to 8,000 and together they provide care for more than 600,000 patients each year

 

[oceanmdx]

What are those idiots in Montreal talking about? I think they are jealous sore losers.

Here are some facts regarding London, Ontario:

"Biotechnology/Life Sciences: London's growing strength as a national Centre of Excellence for biomedical technology has its roots in the diverse areas of research and expertise developed at such institutions as the London Health Sciences Centre, the John P. Robarts Research Institute - Canada's largest privately-funded medical research facility; the Lawson Health Research Institute, including the Child Health Research Institute and the London Regional Cancer Centre. Areas of expertise include biomedical, biotechnology, medical devices, clinic trials, medical imaging, xenotransplantation, advanced robotic surgery, and animal research. Identified as a key economic growth sector, the Life Sciences industry is one of London's largest and most enduring industries with over 20,000 people employed at London hospitals and research institutions, including over 1,000 researchers, and over $130 million spent annually on research.

London was chosen as one of three centres in Ontario for biotechnology commercialization. The London Biotechnology Commercialization Centre, made possible through a grant of $5 million by the Province of Ontario and matching funds from the City of London, will house and grow early stage biotech companies."

The London Health Sciences Centre alone has 7,400 employees.

http://www.ontario-canada.com/ontcan/en/expanding/ued/ued_london.jsp


Maybe London should cry about how Quebec - with Montreal - will separate one day and be cut off from the rest of civilization?

 

[miltopolis]

Massive medical facilites?

London does have large medical facilities but I think Toronto's are larger take into consideration University Ave. where you have 5 very large hospitals interconnected with underground tunnels through University Avenue and Queens Park. The largest and one of the best childrens hospitals in the world "The Hospital for Sick Children".
and also Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre a massive hospital facility just like London Health science centre.

:runaway:

 

[Oaronuviss]

/\ aaaaaaaaaaaand dispite all these, London is still better. Believe us when we tell you.

 

[ldoto]

Cost big reason Shriners selected London

Cost big reason Shriners selected London



Cost and environmental issues were among the biggest reasons London was recommended over two rival cities for a new Canadian Shriners children's hospital, a just-released report says.

The report, detailing the issues, recommendations and reasons behind the Shriners Canadian hospital study committee's decision, indicates why London beat out Montreal, home of the existing Shriners hospital.

Ottawa, the other city bidding for the project, was given little attention in the report released yesterday.

Among the reasons London was chosen over Montreal:

- The London site is highly visible and terms of the London offer were "fair."

- The new hospital would be connected to the Children's Hospital of Western Ontario.

- Unlike the Montreal site, a former railroad yard, the London site needs no environmental cleanup.

- The cost of building the hospital in London, an estimated $3.3 million less than in Montreal, also influenced the recommendation of the Shriners site-selection committee.

Other factors such as provincial funding, transportation to the hospital and affiliation with major health care centres were also addressed, but both locations offered similar incentives.

Grant Fotheringham, potentate of the Mocha Temple in London, said yesterday he's optimistic the recommendation will be accepted at a key vote at a Shriners convention in Baltimore in July.

"This is two years in a row all six members of the committee have reported that London is the best choice," he said.





Copyright © The London Free Press

 

[worldwide]

good for london, as much as montreal complains, london deserves it