Research Stories
SNC-Lavalin gives $750K to the MUHC

SNC-Lavalin gives $750K to the MUHC
SNC-Lavalin has donated $750,000 in support of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundations. The $500,000 donated to the MUHC Foundation will support the MUHC Interprofessional Skills and Simulation Network (ISSN), a new initiative to provide on-site training to the MUHC’s medical staff to build Canada’s best skilled team.
“We are thrilled to support these institutions and the incredible work they do in our community to help change the course of medicine and ultimately, people’s lives,” said Erik Ryan, Executive Vice President, Strategy, Marketing and External Relations, SNC-Lavalin.
The ISSN is boosting lifesaving skills and teamwork across the MUHC by offering simulation training for health care teams. Simulation training involves creating true-to-life scenarios using high-tech simulation mannequins. These life-like “patients” can simulate heart attacks, respiratory distress and dozens of other medical situations to allow health care workers to practice their skills before they perform them on a real patient.
“Keeping critical skills sharp and updated are the very essence of a teaching hospital. We are grateful to SNC-Lavalin for recognizing the MUHC’s excellence in this area,” says Julie Quenneville, President of the MUHC Foundation.
Training to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic is a perfect example of the power of simulation training. The MUHC was able to train its staff to respond to COVID-19-related medical emergencies before they ever stepped onto the ward. Staff practiced caring for COVID-19 patients in respiratory distress, ensuring that they don proper PPE and take all necessary safety precautions when tending to the patient.
“Pandemic or not, simulation training is essential to ensuring our staff keep up their skills and learn to work in teams,” says Dr. Elene Khalil, Director of Education at the MUHC.
SNC-Lavalin’s gift will help ensure that the MUHC has the staff, equipment and infrastructure to provide simulation training for all of its medical staff in situ, or in their own work environments. This new support will ensure continued excellence in care for the 1.9 million Quebecers the MUHC serves. Even just knowing where a piece of equipment is kept can speed up response to a medical emergency, and the ISSN will help ensure staff know how to perform their role as part of a cohesive health care team.
The MUHC Foundation is raising $10 million to Build Canada’s Best Skilled Team through the Interprofessional Skills and Simulation Network. This initiative is a priority of the Foundation’s new Dream Big campaign, which is raising $200 million to change the course of lives and medicine.
To learn more about the ISSN, visit muhcfoundation.com/dreambig/interprofessional
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