Health centre project: getting you excited... getting you involved

Just about one year ago in this space, I wrote about the importance of establishing and maintaining an informed dialogue about the McGill University Health Centre’s new hospital project.

It was clear to those of us who were already familiar with and committed to this project that those people who were championing the new hospital from within the MUHC needed a forum to express their views to the public. We are pleased to have been able to provide this space and look forward to reaching out to you in new ways in the future.

Very early on in this public information exercise we realized that we would never be able to accommodate all of the MUHC-affiliated patients, doctors, nurses, researchers, residents and health-care professionals who wanted to let you know why they feel this project is critical. But we gave voice to as many of them as we could and invited health professionals from non-affiliated organizations to speak to you as well. The consensus from all sides is that the construction of a new university teaching hospital will provide immediate benefits to you, your children and grandchildren. The overall health-care network will benefit as well.

If you would like to re-read some of these articles, they are available for your review on our web site under the heading The Public Record.

In keeping with our commitment to provide as much information as possible to as many people as possible, we also spent much of the past year hosting information sessions on every site of the MUHC. We visited the offices of various members of the corporate community and hosted, together with the Friends of the MUHC, a Walkabout on the Glen site that attracted over 500 people.

Never has the effect of information and seeing the site been so evident: a woman who had been at a presentation at the Montreal General Hospital the previous week and had lambasted us for what she considered an inappropriate site was converted on the road round the Glen when she saw the views of the Mountain to the north and of the River to the south.

We brought with us to many locations a virtual tour and a maquette of the site to better illustrate the broad concepts growing out of the planning process. We also answered as many questions as we could and obtained answers when these weren’t readily available. What we repeatedly witnessed firsthand was an overwhelming hunger for information. The enthusiasm we encountered was encouraging; the scepticism about whether the project would ever get off the ground was evident at many presentations.

But as events over the past year indicate, plans for the design and construction of the new MUHC health centre are progressing at quite a steady clip.

As we were moving forward with our information sessions, the project itself was advancing on many fronts. Planning moved from "master programming"—where the broad concepts of how care would be delivered are ironed out—to "functional programming" where the specific needs of all departments are examined in greater detail.

The provincial government acquired the Glen site from CP Rail and formalized the Société d’implantation du Centre universitaire de santé McGill. This development corporation has been given the mandate to oversee all aspects of project management and financing of the new health centre.

Furthermore, the Consultative Committee on the Reuse of the Existing Buildings of the MUHC presented its findings to the MUHC Board. These findings acknowledged that the reuse of the MUHC’s current buildings is as important as the establishment of a new health centre and that a mix of public and private uses of the sites was recommended. All of these factors indicate that the momentum for the Glen project is beginning to gather speed.

From Dr. David Mulder’s statement that the decision to create a facility “such as the one proposed for the Glen site is a no brainer...” to Suzanne Tremblay’s appeal for far better facilities for the Children’s, we hope we have persuaded you of the advantages and need for this new facility.

Your support is critical. Your understanding just as important.

To that end you can always contact us with your questions and concerns or simply volunteer to help pass the message on to your fellow citizens.

The more I travel through the MUHC and talk with professionals and volunteers, the more I am convinced that we must provide for the future of our health-care network while ensuring that the present needs of our hospital are met.

The more I have traveled to other provinces and the United States the more I am convinced we must provide for Montrealers new medical facilities to meet the standards of this century.

As this is the final column of this public information initiative, I would like to thank you for responding so clearly and eloquently to the MUHC’s Glen project. Your support, ideas and criticism have and will contribute to a better hospital. The MUHC Foundation will be continuing to spread the word and will always be willing to respond to your questions, ideas and suggestions.

Published by the MUHC Foundation in The Gazette