Official Opening of the North Tower at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital

Official Opening of the North Tower at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital Special Event hosted by London Health Sciences Centre

IABC Virtuoso Awards Submission

Division 1: Communication Management Category 13: Special Events – Internal or External

Submitted by: Mary Gillet

2012 IABC Virtuoso Award Submission Mary Gillet, London Health Sciences Centre

Division 1: Communication Management - Category 13: Special Events – Internal or External Time Period: October 2010 – September 2011

Official Opening of the North Tower at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital - A special event to commemorate the official opening of a new building at London Health Sciences Centre’s Victoria hospital.

Table of Contents

Tab 1 Work Plan including electronic version (CD) Tab 2 Work Sample

1) Communications and event planning a. Communications Plan - North Tower Opening Activities: Communications Launch, June

2011 b. North Tower Official Opening Event: Media Relations Strategy and Communications

Roll-Out c. Activity Chart

2) Launch a. All staff broadcast email from Bonnie Adamson “Save the Date: Official Opening of the

North Tower” sent on June 22, 2011 b. Save the Date email invitation from Bonnie Adamson, sent on June 30, 2011 c. Article in the Page staff newsletter, July 2011

3) Event invitations a. Sample letter invitation to government official b. Print invitation with RSVP

4) Program and commemorative pin a. Print program with agenda and lyrics to “What a Wonderful World” b. Photo of commemorative pin, shown also on a LHSC staff lanyard

5) Event displays a. Floor Displays, including display board for restructuring b. Display of congratulatory messages from government officials

6) Time Capsule a. Mock-up of plaque b. Photo of container

7) Event photos 8) Special element – video of choir 9) Comments and feedback

a. Sample emails from event guests, project committee member and LHSC leaders 10) Media relations

a. Media advisory sent September 26, 2011 b. Media release sent September 28, 2011 c. Media coverage – “Newest LHSC building officially opened” in London Community

News (2 versions) 11) Post event internal communication

a. All staff broadcast email from Bonnie Adamson “What a Wonderful Day” sent on September 28, 2011

b. Special edition of the Page staff newsletter 12) Special section

a. “A new era in health care” insert in The London Free Press on October 1, 2011 13) Thank you letter to key event participants

a. Letter to Joe Fontana, mayor, City of London, from Bonnie Adamson

1 Official Opening of the North Tower at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital, Mary Gillet

2012 IABC Virtuoso Award Submission Mary Gillet, London Health Sciences Centre

Division 1: Communication Management - Category 13: Special Events – Internal or External Time Period: October 2010 – September 2011

Official Opening of the North Tower at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital - A special event to commemorate the official opening of a new building at London Health Sciences Centre’s Victoria hospital.

1. Need/opportunity London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is one of Canada’s largest acute care, multi-site teaching hospitals with over 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers providing health care for more than one million patients a year. After years of planning and redevelopment, the impending closing of South Street Hospital and opening of the new North Tower created a unique communications opportunity to highlight the past, and future, of health care in London and area; to strengthen the LHSC brand in the public eye; to provide a sense of closure for audiences associated with the past of South Street; and to create a sense of new beginning for those involved with the North Tower opening. The new North Tower at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital is a state-of-the-art, 10-storey, 600,000-square foot facility and represents the pinnacle of hospital redevelopment in London.With one hospital closing and another hospital building opening an important historical moment for health care in London was being created. The challenge of having both buildings closing and opening in phases meant the events would be largely symbolic (i.e. not a grand opening per se for the North Tower as floor by floor occupancy had been occurring in the preceding months). The official opening of North Tower needed to celebrate the historic opening of a large hospital building and the end of construction of this new structure; thank contributors for their work and support; create a sense of new beginnings for patients and staff; as well as serve to inform the public of the programs and services being delivered in the new building. Lead by LHSC’s Corporate Communications and Public Relations Department, an official opening event for the North Tower at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital was held on Tuesday, September 27, 2011. 2. Intended audiences Internal: Internal audiences who supported and/or worked directly with the planning, construction and transfer of programs and services. External: Government, donors, community partners, architects and contractors who contributed to and supported the hospital. The community also relies on LHSC to provide health care services in the region and they have a stake in learning about the facilities in which these services as provided. 3. Goals and objectives Goal: Celebrate the historic official opening of the North Tower as significant milestone for LHSC and the community. Objectives: 1. Community Relations: Commemorate this historic occasion by inviting the community to share in an opening celebration of the new facility, recognizing the journey to get there and many contributions along the way. Provide information to the public about the services provided in the new space, recognizing that hospital tours would not be possible given the full building occupancy. MEASURES: Target of 500 event guests (external and internal audiences) based on an average attendance of 200 guests at the Annual Community Meeting; positive feedback from guests; positive coverage by local media outlets consistent with key messaging. 2. Internal Relations: Bring together current staff, physicians and volunteers for a celebratory event recognizing the historic accomplishment of constructing the North Tower and transferring programs and services into the new space. It was also important to communicate a sense of inclusion, highlighting all programs in the North Tower and not only the Children Hospital or the Grace Donnelly Women’s Health Pavilion. Provide opportunities for participation in the event, and a sense of ownership for the building and the event. MEASURES: Attendance by internal audiences at event; participation in planning and implementation of tactics; positive feedback on elements of event; feeling of celebration and recognition for the work being done at LHSC. 4. Solution overview


Planning and research regarding how to best acknowledge the opening of the North Tower began in 2008 by the Joint Communications Framework Committee (consisting of the CEOs and Communication leaders from the hospital, its two foundations and its research institute). An independent consultant was hired to develop scenarios and a communications plan. Crucial to the timing of the event was the issue of parking which was extremely limited at the site until the completion of the parking garage. In addition the program moves into the building, started in Dec. 2010 and continued until August 2011, moving in floor by floor. The date set for the event was Tuesday, September 27, giving programs some time to settle into their new space, but occurring soon enough after the program moves to be “top-of-mind” for the internal and external audiences. This timing also allowed for the Celebrating South Street Hospital event to occur 10 days before and create a historic continuum of closing and opening LHSC’s hospitals. With all programs in their new spaces and providing care, event guests would not be able to tour the new spaces. Instead, elements would be weaved into the opening presentation and event venue to represent the areas, for example, video tours of the new spaces and poster boards with floor displays. The main presentation would take place in the new 350-seat auditorium on the second floor near the entrance of the new building. The presentation would be broadcasted into the first and second floor of the atrium, a large informal gathering space. Key Messages 1. The completion of the North Tower is a significant milestone for London Health Sciences Centre. Building on LHSC’s 136-year history in the London, Southwestern Ontario and beyond, we are continuing our legacy of excellence in patient care, teaching and research in new, state-of-the-art facilities. 2. With all programs now providing services and patient care in the new space, an official opening ceremony for the new building is being held on Tuesday, September 27, 2011to celebrate this momentous achievement. 3. Thank you to LHSC staff and other contributors for their support, commitment and hard work throughout the largest health care restructuring project in Ontario’s history. Together, we will continue to build exceptional experiences, extraordinary people, and engaging partnerships. Event and communication Tactics - implemented a wide range of tactics for intended audiences Event logistics – Official opening - Program: Since many guests would be standing during the opening presentation, the program was planned to be only 30-40 minutes. For a more creative and interesting program, four different video segments were shown between speaking remarks by Bonnie Adamson, president and CEO and LHSC’s board chair. Video segments featured the redevelopment project and construction of the building; all program and services were highlighted floor by floor; messages from government officials and partners; thank you message to donors; and images of patient care in the new space set to the song “What a Wonderful World,” instrumental version. After this final video, a children’s choir whose members were seated or standing among the guests, performed the song “What a Wonderful World.” This surprise element was not introduced by a speaker or included in the program as it was meant to be an emotional and climactic moment before the end of the presentation. -Staging: A time capsule with items contributed by all clinical areas was sealed during ceremony. The official red ribbon was cut by a child who had been a patient of the Children’s Hospital. The ribbon was tied to two poster boards on easels - one board with an artist’s rendering of the building and one with a photo of the finished building. The ribbon represented the long journey between the dream and the eventual reality of the new building. Other: Refreshments and food available in the atrium following the event. Event directional signage was posted in the parking garage and hospital to direct guests to the event venue; balloons and a jumbo mobile sign placed outside to direct guests to building entrance and parking garage. Event programs and commemorative pins were given to guests upon arrival. Creative: Honey Design Marketing and Communications created the event logo and design for communication tactics. LHSC provided all content and overall direction for design of the logo and tactics. Banner: A banner, 20 by 2 feet, was produced with the LHSC, Children’s Hospital and official opening logos. The first person to sign the banner was Bonnie Adamson at the LHSC’s Annual Community Meeting in June 2011, marking the announcement of the opening event date. From June to September, the banner travelled to different areas of the hospital for staff, physicians, volunteers, patients, families, visitors and others to sign. The banner was displayed in the atrium for the event and referenced in speaking remarks. Invitation: “Save the date” e-blast sent to distribution list following launch in June; formal invitation with RSVP (email and print) sent in August. Distribution list: current and past LHSC corporate and clinical leaders and board


members; donors; leaders of partner organizations; and selected stakeholders and vendors in the community. An invitation package was sent to selected government officials from Bonnie Adamson - contents included invitation, details of event, opportunities for participation (e.g. speaking remarks and/or print or video message of greetings and congratulations) and background information on LHSC, redevelopment project and the North Tower. Floor displays: Since guests were not able to tour the building, display boards were created to feature the following: programs and services delivered on each floor; the background of the development project which included the construction of the North Tower; and the design elements and other efficiencies that assist in patient care and the work environment. Communications team worked with the staff from each area for information and photos included in the floor displays. There was also a display of congratulatory messages from government officials. Time capsule: Each program area in the North Tower was asked to submit items for a time capsule to be sealed at the opening ceremony. Corporate materials, such as the 2011 annual report, were also placed in the capsule. The container was created by a hospital donor, using natural wood to reflect the design elements of the North Tower. The container and a plaque are now displayed near the atrium with a message to the community to open the time capsule 50 years from when it was sealed. Commemorative Pin: North Tower pin was created – a rendition of the outer façade of the building. Providing guests with these pins upon arrival holds a significance in health care, as nursing students traditionally received pins at graduation ceremonies. Among LHSC staff, it is tradition to wear pins on name badges or lanyards to mark celebrations and milestones (e.g. years of service). Internal communications: Launch and event promotion (June-Sept) - all-staff email from Bonnie Adamson; article in the Page staff newsletter, messages in weekly all-staff broadcast email E-Cast, feature on intranet website homepage; listing in corporate event calendar. Post-event - all staff email; feature on intranet homepage; special edition of the Page featuring the opening event. External communications: Media advisory sent Sept. 26 inviting local media to attend event; media release sent Sept. 28 with number of guests who attended the event, a link to the LHSC website with a video clip of the special element (choir), and backgrounders on redevelopment and the North Tower; feature on homepage of external website; thank you letters from Bonnie Adamson to event partners and contributors. Special Section: 16-page special section in The London Free Press newspaper distributed on Saturday, October 10 featuring event review and photos, greeting messages from government officials, overview of the redevelopment project and the programs and services delivered on each floor of the North Tower. 5. Implementation and challenges Resources -Initial strategy and planning developed by LHSC corporate communications and public relations, both hospital foundations, and external communications consultant Kelly Rowcliffe. - A steering committee, chaired by Mary Gillet, was created with members who were critical in planning and implementing the event, with representatives from internal departments, such as facilities, customer support, program transfers and leaders of clinical areas in the North Tower; and LHSC’s partner foundations (communications and donor relations). It was important to include leaders of clinical areas to encourage greater participation and ownership in the event by staff and physicians who work in those areas - often these staff feel separated from corporate events. -Members of the corporate communications and public relations team implemented key communications and event tactics. They were also on-site during the event with roles such as media liaison, A/V coordinator, stage assistant, photography liaison, and greeters to assist event guests as needed and ensure hallways clear for staff and patients. A communications associate, Laura Tyrrell was hired on contract to support the implementation. Budget Cost for this initiative was covered by a designated budget to celebrate the milestones of the redevelopment project. Costs of the special section were partially covered through advertisement purchases by LHSC’s partners and vendors. Total cost was $56,333.45. All items completed on time and within budget.

ITEM COST ITEM COST Banner 406.80 Pin 4639.65 Creative / Printing 11468.13 Posters / Signage 4533.70 Special Section 4455.00 Presentation videos 11785.90 MPP Interview footage 1005.70 A/V Services 8537.15


Special element - Choir 356.00 Special element - Filming 2401.25 Catering 5161.26 Time capsule - container 565.00 Time capsule - plaque 480.00 Balloons 169.39 Stanchions 122.04 Jumbo Sign 246.48

Challenges -1. Given that the event was to be broadcasted from one location to the atrium (a standing room only space) the program need to accomplish many things while still being short enough for people to comfortably stand for the duration of the event. The program needed to tell the story of the building and provide a floor by floor description, provide speaker opportunities for key contributors, acknowledge many contributors, highlight the patient care and inspire and inform the community. Solution: The planning committee agreed at the onset that the program would not be just “a bunch of talking heads”. Through the use of videos and limiting the speakers to the CEO/President and the Board Chair, all program objectives were achieved. The surprise element of the children’s choir launching into song at the end of the final video created a dramatic and emotional highpoint to the event. -2. A new parking garage was scheduled to open in September, ensuring enough parking spaces for regular use and approximately 500 event guests. Due to a construction delay, the committee learned two weeks before the event that only the first three floors of the new garage would be open. In addition, the rsvp list indicated nearly double the number of expected guests. There would not be sufficient parking spaces for event guests. Solution: Parking garage closest to the event venue was reserved for patients and event guests on September 27. Parking attendants onsite directed staff to other parking locations and additional shuttle buses from other sites were scheduled. An all-staff communication was sent from the CEO to notify and encourage staff to use other parking lots (Victoria Hospital and other sites) and carpooling. Jumbo mobile sign also onsite starting the week prior to the event with parking notice. -3. The provincial election was scheduled for October 6, 2011, occurring about two weeks after the proposed date for the opening celebration. As major funders of the project and the hometown of the Minister of Health and Long-term Care, careful consideration needed to be given to elected officials and their level of event participation as LHSC always assumes a non-partisan position during elections. Solution: Research and consultations were done to better understand the options of having elected representatives participate in the event during a political campaign period. While entirely appropriate to have them speak at the event, they chose not to but agreed that videotaped messages could be shared during the program. This solution eloquently recognized the contribution and support of the provincial government and provided messages of congratulations from others. In addition LHSC invited current government officials and candidates from all parties of the October election to attend as guests. 6. Measurement / evaluation of outcomes 1. Community Relations: Almost 1,000 guests attended the event, 200% higher than the target. Guests were from external and internal audiences - internal audiences were asked to stand and be recognized during opening presentation. The Communications team and committee reported positive feedback from event guests on the opening presentation and other elements, including the opportunity to sign the banner. A/V services, speeches, and other event tactics all executed as planned. Journalists from four media outlets attended the event - 2 print (The London Free Press and London Community News), 1 radio broadcast (106.9 CIXX-FM) and 1 TV broadcast (CTV Two). In addition to filming video footage of the event, journalist from CTV 2 interviewed Bonnie Adamson and broadcasted live from the North Tower for the 6 p.m. news. Coverage was consistent with key messaging and the tone was positive. Special section distributed by The London Free Press, a print publication with a weekly reach of 245,100 on Saturday, October 1 and also posted online. 2. Internal Relations: Committee members and organization leaders reported positive feedback from internal audiences about the event. Several positive responses by email after the post-event all-staff email, with references to the format of the event and the special element. Almost 2500 commemorative pins were distributed, with several staff members requesting pins to distribute to their colleagues who were not able to attend the event. The 20 foot banner was filled with signatures and had to be flipped over to allow more room for staff and patients to sign in the days leading up to the event. Key to success was inclusion of clinical areas at the planning level by having clinical leaders sit on the committee – and contributed to a better understanding of the perspective of the staff and physicians in clinical areas; higher attendance and participation in event / communication tactics than is typical for LHSC corporate events.

North Tower Opening Activities – ACTIVITY CHART

TACTIC Last Updated: August 29, 2011

TIMEFRAME RESPONSIBILITY

Creative Design RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Meet with Honey Design to discuss project April Laura / Cathy Send Honey creative brief and material required to produce logo concept

April Laura / Cathy

Review critical path As needed Laura Logo concept By June 9 Laura – present

to Committee Members

Banner artwork By June 10 Laura – present to Committee Members

Save the Date e-blast By June 21 Laura Commemorative pin – vector art By June 10 Laura – present

to Committee Members and consult with vendor

Template – Signage By July 29 Laura Program By Aug. 12 Laura Event Invitation By July 29 Laura Planning Management - NT Steering Committee RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Establish larger steering committee and schedule meetings

March Laura

Book and confirm meeting rooms / t-con number. Every two weeks

Laura

Prepare agenda and meeting minutes / action items; send to committee members with any needed additional materials.

Every two weeks

Laura

Budget monitoring As needed Cathy/Mary Communications Launch – June 22 RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Media prep with spokesperson By June 22 ACM planning

team; Laura to provide key messages, Q&A

Memo to LHSC Board June 22 – a.m. Laura – sent to Tammy



Announcement during ACM – Bonnie Adamson’s remarks

June 22 Laura to provide key messages; ACM planning team drafting speeches

Display of NT Banner at ACM June 22 Laura / Marek All staff email from spokesperson Email sent

June 22 after post-ACM message

Laura and ACM planning team

Opening event listed on LHSC Corporate Events Calendar

June 23 Laura

E-Cast message – June 24 Submitted by June 22

Laura

Article in the Page – July 15 edition Submitted by July 4

Laura

Intranet Feature TBD Laura Invitation to “VIPs” RESPONSIBILITY: Mary Compile and confirm invitation list May 26 Committee

members Initial contact by phone / email By June 29 Mary Draft and send formal invitation letter By July 22 Laura Follow up re: invitation letter Mid-August Mary Manage RSVPs August /

Sept. Mary / Laura

Save the date E-blast RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Create template based on ACM distribution list and send to committee members

Mid-April Laura

Lists of external stakeholders from LHSC, foundations, facilities & planning and program areas sent to Laura

End of April Committee members

Sort lists and remove duplicates By June 17 Laura Draft invitation content By June 15 Laura Prepare invite for email June 30 Greg Send save the date invitations June 30 Marek NT Banner RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Printing and delivery by Signature Graphics By June 20 Laura Display locations – create and populate schedule First display

June 23 Laura – based on decisions from



committee Arrange logistics of banner display Selected dates

in June, July August

Laura - confirm details with Security and Customer support

Provide markers for signatures By June 23 Laura Signage / instructions By June 23 Laura Follow-up with facilitators re: display, feedback and storage of banner

As needed Laura

LHSC Internet – NT Opening webpages RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Determine content By Sept 2 Laura Identify resources; select photos, videos and other material

By Sept 2 Laura

Draft copy By Sept 9 Laura Review / approval process By Sept 23 Mary / Cathy /

Laura Post content Sept 27 Greg Time Capsules RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Locate VH time capsule By July 31 Committee

Members Retrieve VH time capsule By August 31 Facilities Create or select NT time capsule display By June 30 Facilities –

present to board Create NT time capsule container By August 31 Lions’ Club via

CHF Collect items / communication to program areas in Zone B requesting items

By August 12 Laura

Select and prepare items for sealing By September 9

Laura

Signage By September 9

Laura

Presentation Video RESPONSIBILITY: Cory / Bärbel FOLDER: S:\LS\CORPCOMM\Assignment_Laura\NT Opening Activities\Presentation Video Brief of video (content, timing) for review by steering committee

May 26 Laura



Selection of individuals to be highlighted in video By July 15 Committee Members

Arrange filming of interviews with Ministers during June 28 visit to North Tower

June 28 Laura

Quote from videographer By July 20 Laura Identify resources; select content and visual material By Aug 5 Laura / Cory Contact and schedule individuals for interviews By Aug. 19 Mary / Cory /

Bärbel Facilitate interviews and other footage By Aug. 26 Cory / Bärbel Assist with scriptwriting, editing and duplication as needed

By Aug. 26 Cory / Bärbel

LFP Special Insert – Oct 1 RESPONSIBILITY: Mandy FOLDER: S:\LS\CORPCOMM\Assignment_Laura\NT Opening Activities\LFP Insert Meet with Editor and Director of Advertising from LFP May 13 Laura / Cathy /

Mary Review and confirm quote and options for insert By June 30 Cathy / Mary /

Laura – committee members

Provide outline of content and resources By June 30 Laura / Mandy Provide list of LHSC vendors and partners By July 27 Laura Draft and send FYI letter to LHSC vendors and partners By July 27 Laura Select photos and draft copy By Aug. 26 Mandy Submit to LFP By Sept. 6 Mandy Approval process Last changes

complete by Sept. 28

Mandy

Print and distribute Oct 1 LFP Commemorative Pin RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Quote from vendors By June 23 Laura Confirm vendor and assess production capabilities before vector art can be completed

By June 30 Laura

Production of pins By early September – order week of June 4

Laura – arrange with vendor



Volunteer Management – “Pinners” RESPONSIBILITY: Julia FOLDER: S:\LS\CORPCOMM\Assignment_Laura\NT Opening Activities\Commemorative Pin Develop list of volunteers (Leaders)

• Identify number of volunteers required and locations

• Draft and send email to program leaders

By August 26 Julia

Brief volunteers re: roles and locations By Sept. 27 Julia Arrange for commemorative pins to be available to “pinners” to distribute to event guests in designated areas

By Sept. 27 Julia

NT Program Displays RESPONSIBILITY: Rachelle to coordinate; Consultants to implement with clients in Zone B Restructuring Display: Mandy *Foundations also preparing displays FOLDER: S:\LS\CORPCOMM\Assignment_Laura\NT Opening Activities\NT Program Displays Determine format and content guidelines for displays By August 8 Rachelle Work with program leaders to develop display content By August 19 Consultants Select photos or arrange for photography as needed By August 19 Consultants /

Mandy Complete display boards – content and photos By August 24 Consultants /

Mandy Send to Honey for formatting and print By August 26 Rachelle Select location of boards and ensure set up / tear down of display boards.

Sept. 27 Rachelle

Event Invitations RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Update lists from Save the Date distribution Mid-July Laura, LHSF, CHF Sort list and remove duplicates By August 2 Laura Draft invitation content By July 15 Laura Prepare invite for email By August 15 Greg Work with Honey re: approval, mailing house process and printing

By August 8 Laura



Send invitations (email and print) Week of August 15

Mailing House / Laura (internal)

Create RSVP system and manage – online, mail and telephone (Ext. 76760 or special line)

August – September

Greg / Laura / Michele L.

Send RSVP report to Foundations By Sept. 9 Laura / Michele L.

Internal Communications RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Staff invitation via E-cast September Laura Staff invitation via upcoming events in the Page September 15 Laura Notice to clinics of event time and expected number of guests

By August 26 Laura / Program leaders

October Special Edition of the Page Newsletter RESPONSIBILITY: Kelly FOLDER: S:\LS\CORPCOMM\Assignment_Laura\NT Opening Activities\the Page Special Edition Confirm date for special edition Week of Oct.

10 Mary / Cathy / Laura - consult with Kelly

Meeting with the Page editor to discuss requirements for special edition – timing, budget, etc.

July 20 Laura / Kelly

Gather material Laura / Kelly Draft copy Kelly Select photos Kelly Edit / approval Kelly Print and distribution Kelly Media Relations RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Develop media relations plan / schedule By Aug 31 Laura Media Release – with Infrastructure Ontario Sept. 27 Laura Media Advisory – with Infrastructure Ontario Sept. 26 Laura Media Prep / Q&A By Sept. 23 Laura Backgrounder(s) By Sept. 27 Laura Kits for media attending By Sept. 27 Laura Facilitate media interviews with spokesperson(s) Sept. 27 Comm team Communications Material RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Program Laura Signage (Directional, Registration) Laura Signage (NT Floor displays) Laura Develop supporting material for speeches / program elements (PowerPoint)

Laura



Program RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Determine list of speakers Committee

Members Determine time allotment for other elements – video, time capsule, ribbon cutting, special element

Working group

Draft speeches for CEO, Board Chair Laura Share speech outlines with other speechwriters; share time allotment for speeches from VIPs who will speak

Laura

Book group run-through Laura Provide advice and consultation on speeches Cathy Prepare time capsule, banner and ribbon, as per needs of program

Laura – with Facilities

A/V Services including Photography and Videography RESPONSIBILITY: Marek FOLDER: S:\LS\CORPCOMM\Assignment_Laura\NT Opening Activities\Opening Ceremony Determine service and equipment needs and capabilities, including consultation with vendors

- A/V for main presentation - Video conferencing / telemedicine (into

auditorium and patient room monitors if possible)

ASAP Laura / Marek

Book A/V services and equipment By August 26 Marek Confirm event photographer By July 15 Laura Confirm event videographer By August 26 Laura Liaise with vendors to ensure set-up As needed Marek Logistics RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Confirm date, time and location April Committee

members Plan layout – presentation, overflow, catering, NT floor displays, pin ceremony

Laura

Ensure catering, housekeeping and A/V can access all areas

Laura

Seating arrangements – speakers, special guests Laura Book staging equipment – platform, tables, podium, pop-ups

Laura

Notify Security of event details – media, restricted areas for guests

Laura

Book auditorium and additional room(s) Laura



Decorations Laura Catering RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Determine catering needs Committee

Members Catering for set-up crews Laura Provide all tables and chairs Laura Parking RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Contact parking office – provide passes or open lot for guests

By August 31 Laura

Volunteer Management – Day-of event logistics RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Develop list of volunteers and roles required By August 31 Laura Briefing meeting(s) with volunteers Week of Sept.

19 Laura

Greeting and Directing Guests RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Assess traffic flow in atrium July Committee

members Determine locations of guest greeters Laura Determine locations of guest “pinners” Julia / Laura Identify VIP guests to be greeted; pair with liaison as needed

August / early Sept.

Laura / Mary

Prepare and post signage By Sept. 27 Laura Remove unofficial wayfinding signs Sept. 27 Comm team Remove signage post-event Sept. 27 Comm team Housekeeping RESPONSIBILITY: Laura Ensure with housekeeping all event areas are cleaned Sept. 26 Laura Post-Event RESPONSIBILITY: Laura All-staff email from spokesperson Sept. 27 Laura Web Feature Sept. 28 Laura Intranet Feature Sept. 28 Laura Time Capsule By Oct. 3 Laura – consult

with Facilities Opening display (Banner, Dedication plaque complete) By Oct 3 Laura – consult

with Facilities

CONFIDENTIAL

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North Tower Opening Activities: Communications Launch, June 2011

COMMUNICATIONS PLAN

(May 17, 2011, Draft #1)

Laura Tyrrell, Communications Associate

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Purpose of the Document: This document describes and defines the communications strategy for the communications launch of opening activities of the new tower / new building (NT) at Victoria Hospital (VH). The aims of the document are to:

• Outline the objectives for communication • Define the strategic communications approach • Define the key messages • Identify target audiences and key spokespeople • Identify channels, tactics and tools of communications • Define the critical path of activities

Scope: This is a draft communications plan done in consultation with the Director and Manager of Corporate Communications and Public Relations, LHSC. The steering committee for the NT opening activities with representatives from the foundations, corporate communications, facilities, planning, customer support, mental health, women’s and children ambulatory care, laboratory services, surgical care, and perinatal and women’s health services will review this communication plan and provide input. Communication Objectives:

1) To provide a sense of celebration and pride for the successful completion of the new, state-of-the-art facility at Victoria Hospital.

2) To announce that the official opening ceremony for the new building will take place on Tuesday, September, 27, 2011.

3) To recognize the contributors who have supported the restructuring project and construction of NT.

4) To announce that a ribbon celebrating the opening of NT will be displayed at different locations in VH during the coming months.

5) To encourage staff, patients, family and visitors, and community and project stakeholders to sign the ribbon as the contributors to the project and the first to provide and receive care in the new building.

Situation Analysis: Milestone 2, Phase 2 of the overall restructuring of London’s hospitals is nearing completion. At the end of this phase in June 2011, construction of NT will be

CONFIDENTIAL

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finished, as well as all transfers of programs into the new spaces. The last program moves into NT on Friday, June 17, 2011. As approved by the Joint Communications Committee and LHSC’s Senior Leadership Team, the official opening event for NT will take place in the afternoon on Tuesday, September 27, 2011. The steering committee for NT Opening Activities has approved that the launch of communications and selected tactics for the event take place as part of LHSC’s Annual Community Meeting (ACM) on Wednesday, June 22, 2011. Considerations

1) Transition period for staff Many of the staff, nurses and physicians who have recently moved into the new larger space will be experiencing a transition period, especially those moving from other LHSC locations or transferring from St. Joseph’s Health Care, London. With ongoing construction and frequent changes to parking, entrances, elevators, etc., it will take some time for staff to adjust to the new surroundings.

2) Name of the new building

The name “North Tower at Victoria Hospital” has been used in public communication and the term “Zone B” is used for internal and way finding references. The term North Tower will continue to be used in absence of an “official name.” Target Audiences Internal

• LHSC physicians, nurses, staff, students and volunteers • Hospital patients, families and visitors • Leaders of partner organizations: Children’s Health Foundation (CHF),

Fanshawe College, Lawson Health Research Institute, London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF), The University of Western Ontario

• Current and past LHSC board members and senior leadership External

• Community stakeholders • National and provincial government officials • City of London – Mayor and Councilors • Media • Infrastructure Ontario (IO)

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• Contractors, architects, vendors, etc. for construction of NT • LHIN • Project donors - coordinated by Foundations

Spokesperson: Bonnie Adamson, President and CEO, LHSC For specific issues related to Facilities and Restructuring: David Crockett, IVP Facilities Management and Restructuring, London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care, London Key Messages:

1) The completion of the new tower is a significant milestone for London Health Sciences Centre. Building on LHSC’s 136-year history in the London community, we are continuing our legacy of excellence in patient care, teaching and research in new, sate-of-the-art facilities.

2) To celebrate this momentous achievement, the official opening ceremony for the new building is being held on Tuesday, September 27, 2011.

3) It is not often that a hospital opens a new building. Thank you to LHSC staff and other contributors for their support, commitment and hard work throughout the largest healthcare restructuring project in London’s history.

4) A ribbon to represent the accomplishment of the new building will be displayed at several locations in Victoria Hospital during the coming months. All members of the LHSC community are invited to sign the ribbon as the first to provide and receive care in the new facility.

Strategy: Communications for the NT opening activities will be launched as part of LHSC’s Annual Community Meeting (ACM). The ACM is linked to the theme of “New Beginnings” from the Annual Report, is attended by a mixed audience of hospital leaders, staff and community stakeholders, and may garner positive media coverage. This event provides an appropriate platform for the communications launch of opening activities. It is also important that the launch occur before the summer months (July and August). Communications Tactics: Announcement at LHSC’s ACM

CONFIDENTIAL

5

The ACM is being held in Auditorium A at LHSC’s University Hospital on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Bonnie Adamson will present the Report from the LHSC President & CEO, which includes:

• Introduction and welcome • Link to theme “New Beginnings” (from Annual Report) • Significant accomplishments • Key directions / priorities • Acknowledgement of Board • Acknowledgement of staff, physicians, students, volunteers, etc.

The communication launch for NT opening activities will occur at the start of this speech, with a sneak peek video and speaking notes for the following:

• Announcement of NT Official Opening event scheduled for Tuesday, September 27, 2011; invitations to come.

• Announcement of NT ribbon to be displayed in various locations at VH until the opening ceremony.

Official opening ribbon

• Create ribbon featuring iconic image / logo created for the project. (Ribbon will be cut during the opening ceremony in September.)

o Artwork by Honey Design o Vendor for printing

• Create Ribbon display o Physical display o Signage o Markers available

Since the ACM takes place at University Hospital at the end of the business day, the first location for the NT ribbon should be displayed starting Thursday, June 23, 2011. Options for the first location of the NT ribbon in Zone B: near Zone B entrance, admitting area on the second floor or area near future Tim Horton’s on second floor. Internal Communication

• Presentation and memo to LHSC Board members • Media prep for spokesperson (CEO), in consultation with Communications

Consultants and spokesperson for facilities management and restructuring.

CONFIDENTIAL

6

• Paragraph in all staff broadcast e-mail from Bonnie Adamson following ACM (subject: 2011 ACM and Report to the Community).

• All staff broadcast email from Bonnie Adamson • Official opening event listed on Corporate Events Calendar • Submission to LHSC staff newsletter the Page - announcement and

promotion of the official opening ceremony in September and the NT ribbon

• E-cast submission • Intranet Feature – NT ribbon

External Communication

• Save the Date Invitations o Designed by Honey Design – electronic and print. o Sent to identified project stakeholders and all internal audiences.

• LHSC Website o Posted in News and Event section

Communications Critical Path: Date and Time Tactic TBD As part of overall media prep for ACM

Media prep reviewed with Spokesperson (CEO)

TBD Agenda item for board meeting

Presentation and memo to LHSC Board members – project update and FYI on announcement and ribbon

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 4 p.m.

Spokesperson (CEO) to announce NT opening event and NT ribbon as part of ACM speech

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 4:30 p.m. Sent by Comm staff for ACM project

All-staff broadcast email from Bonnie Adamson. NT Opening and ribbon listed as part of event highlights.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 Following ACM presentation

Media Interviews with Spokesperson (CEO)

Thursday, June 23, 2011 9 a.m.

First display location of NT ribbon set up

Thursday, June 23, 2011 9 a.m.

All staff broadcast email from Bonnie Adamson

Thursday, June 23, 2011 Electronic Save the Date invitations sent Thursday, June 23, 2011 NT Opening event listed on LHSC

CONFIDENTIAL

7

Corporate Events Calendar Thursday, June 23, 2011 NT Opening posted in News and Events

section on LHSC website Thursday, June 23, 2011 and ongoing

E-Cast Submission – Announcement of official opening event and NT ribbon

July edition (Deadline July 4) Submission to the Page TBD – after ACM feature Intranet homepage feature

Laura Tyrrell, Communications Associate CONFIDENTIAL

North Tower Official Opening Event

Media Relations Strategy and Communications Roll-Out Communications Objectives: 1) To provide a sense of celebration and pride for the successful completion of a new, state-of-the-art building at Victoria Hospital. 2) To provide information to the public about the services provided in the new space, recognizing the efficiencies and progressive nature of the space that assist in patient care and the work environment. 3) To recognize all contributors who have supported the project. Spokespeople: Bonnie Adamson, President and CEO Peter Johnson, Board Chair Audiences Internal

• LHSC physicians, nurses, staff, students and volunteers • Hospital patients, families and visitors • Partner organizations: Children’s Health Foundation (CHF), Fanshawe College,

Lawson Health Research Institute, London Health Sciences Foundation (LHSF), The University of Western Ontario

• Current and past LHSC board members and senior leadership External

• Community stakeholders • National and provincial government officials • City of London – Mayor and Councillors • Media • Infrastructure Ontario (IO) / Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care • Contractors, architects, vendors, etc. for construction of NT • LHIN • Project donors - coordinated by Foundations


Main Messages:

1) The completion of the North Tower is a significant milestone for London Health Sciences Centre. Building on LHSC’s 136-year history in the London community, we are continuing our legacy of excellence in patient care, teaching a research in new, state-of-the-art facilities.

2) Thank you to LHSC staff and other contributors for their support, commitment and hard work throughout the largest restructuring project in Ontario’s history.

a. The North Tower would not have been possible without the support of our government partners and the investment of taxpayers.

b. Our partners at St. Joseph’s Health Care London have been paramount to the successful transfer of many programs and services.

c. Many corporations and businesses and thousands of citizens, both individually and through services organizations, generously gave their time and resources to the fundraising efforts. In total $55 million was raised for development of this building through Children’s Health Foundation and London Health Sciences Foundation.

3) The opening of the North Tower not only allows us to better meet the expanding needs of the communities we currently serve, but also symbolizes the beginning of the next chapter of our history. With its purposefully-designed patient care spaces it represents the future of acute care delivery in London and the region.


Communications Roll-out DATE / TIME TACTIC September Update to LHSC Board September 8 E-Cast message September 15 Event promotion in the Page staff

newsletter By September 23 Media Prep (key messages and tough

Q&A) Monday, September 26 Media Advisory

Follow up calls to media Tuesday, September 27 4:00 p.m. Official Opening of the North Tower

Presentation - speeches and video Displays in event space to highlight the programs in the North Tower, features of the building and the redevelopment project. Media interviews with spokespeople following presentation (Media prep prepared in advance)

September 28 All staff broadcast email September 28 Media Release and

Backgrounders: 1) Hospital Restructuring 2) North Tower

Posted September 28 Web Feature Posted September 28 Intranet Feature Saturday, October 1 The London Free Press Special Section Week of October 10 Special Edition of the Page staff

newsletter

“Official Opening of the North Tower at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital” Work Sample

1) Communications and event planning a. Communications Plan - North Tower Opening Activities: Communications

Launch, June 2011 b. North Tower Official Opening Event: Media Relations Strategy and

Communications Roll-Out c. Activity Chart

North Tower official opening ceremony planned for September 186 Words At the 2011 Annual Community Meeting, it was announced that the official North Tower opening ceremony will be held on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 to commemorate this historic milestone for London Health Sciences Centre. “It is not often that a hospital opens a new building. The completion of the North Tower is a significant and meaningful achievement for the community,” says Bonnie Adamson, President and CEO, LHSC. “We are taking this opportunity to host a special event to celebrate a new era in health care built on LHSC’s proud tradition of compassionate and innovative care.” A large banner will be used during the ribbon cutting to officially open the North Tower. This banner is a symbol of years of planning and collaboration made possible by extraordinary people and engaging partnerships, as well as the exceptional experiences already taking place the new, state-of-the-art facilities. The North Tower banner will be displayed at several locations throughout the Victoria Hospital site during the coming months. Patients, visitors, staff, physicians and volunteers are encouraged to sign the banner as those first to provide and receive care in the new facility. Photo: the Page July 15 Bonnie BANNER.jpg Cutline: Bonnie Adamson, president and CEO, signs the North Tower banner which will be used during the ribbon cutting to officially open the new building.


2) Launch a. All staff broadcast email from Bonnie Adamson “Save the Date: Official Opening

of the North Tower” sent on June 22, 2011 b. Save the Date email invitation from Bonnie Adamson, sent on June 30, 2011 c. Article in the Page staff newsletter, July 2011

2010FACTS & STATS

One of Canada’s largest acute care teaching hospitals, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the most medically complex and critically ill patients in the region.

Located in London, Ontario, Canada, LHSC is the largest employer in London and encompasses South Street Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria Hospital and Children’s Hospital, Byron Family Medical Centre and Victoria Family Medical Centre, and is the home of the Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Centre, CSTAR (Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics), Lawson Health Research Institute, Children’s Health Foundation and London Health Sciences Foundation.

CLINICAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES LHSC provides the broadest range of patient services of any hospital in Ontario.

CANCER SERVICESMedical and Surgical Oncology• Hematology• Psycho-Social Oncology• Radiation Therapy• Chemotherapy• Support Services •

CLINICAL SUPPORT SERVICESImaging • Laboratory Medicine• Nuclear Medicine• Pathology• Pharmacy•

Caring for you. Innovating for the world.®

CARING FOR YOU London Health Sciences Centre has a proud tradition of care. For more than 135 years our hospitals have cared for the people of London, southwestern Ontario and beyond. We are committed to providing compassionate, high quality care to our patients and their families. Saving lives and changing lives–we are here when you need us.

TEACHING AND RESEARCH Our staff, physicians and scientists are recognized internationally for the signifi cant contributions they have made towards the advancement of health care.

We teach thousands of health care professionals from across Canada and around the world. In 2009/10, LHSC provided training to 1,503 medical students, residents and fellows. We also trained 1,544 non-medical students during the year, including 880 student nurses.

Lawson Health Research Institute, the joint research institute of LHSC and St. Joseph’s Health Care, London, is one of the largest hospital based research institutes in Canada. Lawson has 1,813 active clinical trials in 2009/10, and over 605 new clinical trials started at LHSC. The total amount held in research accounts at LHSC is $63.7 million.

MEDICINE SERVICESAllergy & Immunology• Clinical Neurological Sciences• Clinical Pharmacology• Emergency Medicine• Endocrinology & Metabolism• Family Medicine• Gastroenterology• General Internal Medicine• Geriatrics• Haematology• Nephrology• Respirology• Rheumatology•

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICESAdult Mental Health Care• Child and Adolescent • Mental Health Care

SURGICAL SERVICESAnesthesia & • Perioperative MedicineCardiac Care• Critical Care• Dentistry• General Surgery• Multi-Organ Transplantation• Ophthalmology• Orthopaedics• Otolaryngology• Plastic Surgery• Thoracic Surgery• Regional Trauma Program• Urology• Vascular Surgery•

WOMEN’S & CHILDREN’SGeneral & Specialty Paediatrics• Medical Genetics • Fertility Clinic • Mother Baby Care • Gynaecology• Obstetrics• Paediatric Critical Care• Perinatology • Women’s Ambulatory Care•

INNOVATING FOR THE WORLDLHSC is improving the lives of people everywhere. Since 1948 LHSC has achieved over 50 Canadian, North American and world fi rsts.

Breakthroughs in robotic surgery include: Canada’s fi rst totally endoscopic closed-chest robotic coronary artery bypass surgery on a patient’s beating heart (2007); Canada’s fi rst robotic-assisted common bile duct exploration using a da Vinci robot (2007); the world’s fi rst closed chest, robotic-assisted beating heart coronary artery bypass graft (1999); the world’s fi rst robotic-assisted surgery using telementoring (2001); the fi rst time in North America minimally invasive robotic-assisted heart bypass surgery and angioplasty with stenting are performed at the same time in the operating room (2004); and the world’s fi rst robotic-assisted left atrial appendage ligation (2005).

The multi-organ transplant team performs the world’s fi rst liver-bowel transplant (1988); Canada’s fi rst patient-to-child living donor liver transplant (1993); and transplantation for the world’s youngest multi-organ recipient (1997).

Breakthroughs in technology include the development of the fi rst artifi cial kidney machine in Canada (1948); the fi rst cobalt bomb in the world used to treat cancer patients (1951); the acquisition of North America’s fi rst digital angiography system (2005) and Canada’s second helical tomography system (2004) for treating cancer patients.

For a complete listing of medical breakthroughs visit our website at www.lhsc.on.ca.

For more information, contact us:

Corporate Communications & Public Relations800 Commissioners Road East, Box 5010London, Ontario Canada N6A 5W9Telephone: 519-685-8500 ext. 76760, or visit: www.lhsc.on.ca

LAST YEAR AT LHSC

LHSC’s London Regional Cancer • Program (LRCP), unveiled two new, state-of-the-art linear accelerators allowing healthcare workers to see a patient’s anatomy in three dimensions, and thereby provide image-guided treatment

LHSC and Lawson Health Research • Institute (Lawson) announced a Canadian fi rst in the treatment of lung cancer; removing a small wedge from the patient’s lung and applying a surgical mesh interwoven with radioactive seeds to where the lung was resected

A North American fi rst in providing • peritoneal home dialysis patients with touch screen technology and access to a health coach from home was achieved at LHSC

2,662 babies were born• - 49.9% girls - 50.1% boys

780,990 meals were served • to patients in hospital

1.9 million calls were • received by switchboard

353,000 surgical masks were used•

275 nurses were hired•

63 physicians were hired•

7.2 million visits to the LHSC • website: www.lhsc.on.ca

3.3 million square feet of building • space - making LHSC the largest hospital in the province

LHSC’s operating budget • was $886 million

PATIENT CARE 2009/2010

Emergency visits 149,482

Ambulatory visits 712,834(excluding emergency)

Admissions 39,935

Patient days 292,374

Average length of stay (days) 7.50

Operating room

Day surgery 9,398

Inpatient 14,294

Endoscopy 8,236

Beds 846

Bassinets 20

Statistics based upon data for the period April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010

WORKING AT LHSC 2009/2010

Physicians, dentists 744and midwives

Nursing 3,408

Residents and fellows 742

Medical Students *761

Research personnel 875

Technicians and labs 873

Clerical 2,297

Service 1,147

Management 309

Allied health 525

Other 820

Volunteers 800

Non-medical students 1,544

Student nurses 880

*Senior medical students (3rd and 4th year) who receive training at LHSC throughout the year

Opening of the North Tower

You are invited to celebrate the

at London Health Sciences Centre’s Victoria Hospital

Join staff, physicians, volunteers, donors and special guests to commemorate this historic milestone.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 4:00 p.m.

Attend the offi cial opening ceremony and view displays of programs and services provided in the North Tower.

LOCATION:

LHSC’s Victoria Hospital, North Tower (Zone B) Atrium Enter from Baseline Road, London, ON, B Entrance

Staff and visitor parking garage P8

Peter Johnson, Chair of the Board of Directors, and Bonnie Adamson, President and

Chief Executive Offi cer, London Health Sciences Centre

Please RSVP at www.lhsc.on.ca by September 19, 2011 or call 519-667-6760. You can also reply using this card:

NAME

ADDRESS

CITY/PROVINCE POSTAL CODE

EMAIL

Yes, I plan to attend. No, I cannot attend.

NUMBER OF GUESTS (INCLUDING MYSELF)

Please RSVP by September 19, 2011


invite you to celebrate the




Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 4:00 p.m.

Backgrounder

Victoria Hospital’s north tower (zone B)

What is the north tower?

The north tower is Victoria Hospital’s newest building. The 600,000 square foot,

ten-story tower is representative of eight years of planning and construction. As a

part of the hospital’s lettered way finding system, the north tower is referred to as

zone B.

When was the north tower (zone B) built?

Construction of the outer shell of the north tower (zone B) began in 2003 and was

substantively complete in 2007. Interior construction and infill of the north tower

was completed largely on a top-down floor-by-floor basis and was fully complete in

May 2011. The first inpatient was admitted to level 9 of the north tower on

October 2, 2010.

Why was the north tower (zone B) built?

Development of the north tower (zone B) at Victoria Hospital was required in order

for LHSC and St. Joseph’s to meet the directives mandated by the Health Services

Restructuring Commission (HSRC) in 1997. New, larger spaces were needed to

consolidate acute care services, meet today’s hospital building codes and infection

control standards and allow for the decommissioning of patient care at the aging

South Street Hospital facilities.

How much did it cost to build the north tower (zone B)?

The total building cost of the north tower (zone B), including financing, ancillary

and construction was $360 million.

Construction costs for the entire physical building were shared with the Ministry of

Health and Long-term Care. The cost for the exterior was shared 70/30 while the

in-fill was shared 90/10.

The Ministry’s share funded construction of the base building, while the remaining

costs were covered by a local share. The local share was provided through hospital

funds that were explicitly earmarked for restructuring and generous donor

support.

What programs are located in the north tower (zone B)?

As of June 17, 2011, the north tower (zone B) will be fully occupied with the

following programs/services:

Level 10 Clinical laboratories

Level 9 Adult general and orthopaedic surgery inpatient unit

Level 8 Children’s Hospital child and adolescent mental health care

Level 7 Adult mental health care inpatient unit

Level 6 Children’s Hospital paediatric inpatient unit

Level 5 Women’s ambulatory care and medical genetics clinics

Level 4 The birthing centre and neonatal intensive care unit

Level 3 Ear, nose and throat clinic

Level 2 Patient Registration/admitting, nuclear medicine imaging,

endoscopy, medical day unit and I.V. therapy, and urgent

neurology clinic

Level 1 Children’s Hospital paediatric medical day unit and hospital

pharmacy

July 20, 2011

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper Prime Minister of Canada 80 Wellington Street Ottawa ON K1A 0A2 Re: Event invitation to celebrate the official opening of the North Tower at London Health Sciences Centre’s Victoria Hospital, London Ontario. Your Honour, The completion of the North Tower at London Health Sciences Centre’s Victoria Hospital is a significant and meaningful milestone in the redevelopment of hospital services in London. We are taking this opportunity to host a special event to celebrate a new era of health care built on our proud tradition of care.

On behalf of London Health Sciences Centre, I invite you to attend the official opening of the North Tower at Victoria Hospital, taking place on Tuesday, September 27, 2011. As an honoured guest, you are also invited to share greetings and a celebration message as part of the event program and participate in the ribbon cutting to officially open the building. If unable to attend in person, other opportunities to participate in this historic event can be arranged, for example a video greeting. Over 500 guests are expected to attend this event, including LHSC staff, physicians, volunteers, patients and visitors; hospital donors; members of the media; and, members of the community from London, Southwestern Ontario, and beyond.

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 4 p.m. • Address: 800 Commissioners Road East, London Ontario • Venue: Atrium of North Tower (Zone B) of LHSC’s Victoria Hospital, including the

ground and second floors. • The venue, stage and arrival/departure areas are fully accessible. • Arrival / Departure Area: Zone B Entrance • Host: Bonnie Adamson, President and CEO, London Health Sciences Centre

• Agenda: o 3:30 p.m. Arrival and welcome of dignitaries by hospital leadership o 4:00 p.m. Official Opening program o 4:30 p.m. Ribbon cutting to officially open the North Tower o 4:40 p.m. Reception and display of hospital programs and services o 5:00 p.m. Departure

Thank you for your consideration in attending LHSC’s special event celebrating a new era of health care. I have asked Mary Gillet, Director, Corporate Communications and Public Relations, to follow up directly with your office to answer any questions you may have. Yours sincerely, Bonnie Adamson President and Chief Executive Officer Contact Mary Gillet Director, Corporate Communications and Public Relations London Health Sciences Centre 800 Commissioners Road East, P.O. Box 5010 London, ON Canada N6A 5W9 T: 519-685-8500 Ext. 77718 F: 519-667-6797 [email protected] Enclosed

1. Facts & Stats – London Health Sciences Centre 2. Backgrounder – Restructuring at London’s Hospitals 3. Backgrounder – Victoria Hospital’s North Tower ( Zone B) 4. Map – LHSC’s Victoria Hospital

mailto:[email protected]

Backgrounder

Restructuring at London’s Hospitals

This June, Milestone 2, Phase 2 (M2P2), a joint restructuring initiative between

London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph's Health Care, London will be

completed. It will represent the largest hospital restructuring project in London's

history.

M2P2 is part of a larger overall hospital redevelopment project to reorganize and

align the delivery of acute care services in London. Since 1997, LHSC and St.

Joseph’s have been working together to accomplish the following:

2008-2011

Milestone 2, Phase 2 began in 2008 and will be completed in June 2011.

This Milestone includes 23 internal hospital moves and 5 clinical program

transfers between LHSC and St. Joseph’s. Completion of M2P2 means we will

have realigned and consolidated most of the clinical and support services

between the two organizations so that each hospital will have a defined and

distinct role – reducing duplication of work and improving the overall

patient care environment. For a complete schedule of M2P2 moves, please

visit: http://www.lhsc.on.ca/About_Us/Restructuring/Schedule.htm.

M2P2 also represents an unprecedented amount of construction as 106,000

sq. ft. of space was renovated at St. Joseph’s and the interior construction

of the north tower was completed at Victoria Hospital. Total construction

costs for Milestone 2, Phase 2 are $211 million for LHSC and $49 million for

St. Joseph’s.

At the end of M2P2, we will see a consolidation of services, particularly in

women’s and children’s programs, new and renovated spaces and improved

patient care environments.

The completion of Milestone 2, Phase 2 does not mean the end of our

journey to complete hospital renewal. Milestone 2 Phase 3, the final phase,

will bring to a close the completion of the HSRC directives. M2P3 is set to

begin this August, pending the expected project approval in July. It is

anticipated that this final phase of acute care restructuring will be fully

complete in 2015.

http://www.lhsc.on.ca/About_Us/Restructuring/Schedule.htm

2007-2009

Milestone 2, Phase 1 began in 2007 and was focused on construction and

renovations at various St. Joseph’s and LHSC hospital sites. Construction of

the outer shell of the north tower at Victoria Hospital was completed in

2007. M2P1 also included the construction and renovation of at least 10

major care delivery areas along with clinical support services.

2006

In the time between the completion of Milestone 1 and the start of

Milestone 2, St. Joseph’s Hospital celebrated the opening of the new

Diagnostic Imaging Centre and the G.A. Huot Surgical Centre.

2003

Construction of the outer shell of the north tower at Victoria Hospital

begins.

1998-2005

Milestone 1 began in 1998 and was completed in June 2005. This milestone

represented 42 internal hospital moves and 23 clinical program transfers

between LHSC and St. Joseph’s. It culminated in 2005 with the consolidation

of emergency care, the creation of urgent care and the move of inpatient

services, with the exception of acute mental health care, from the aging

South Street Hospital facilities to Victoria hospital.

Construction costs for Milestone 1 were $216 million for LHSC and $69

million for St. Joseph’s.

1997

London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care, London began

working together to reorganize and align the delivery of acute care services

in London, as prescribed by the Health Services Restructuring Commission

(HSRC) directives.


3) Event invitations a. Sample letter invitation to government official b. Print invitation with RSVP

Commemorative pin shown on LHSC staff lanyard

AGENDAWelcome

Message from Peter Johnson, LHSC Board Chair

Journey to today

Time capsule dedication

Greetings from our partners

Thank you to our community

Official ribbon cutting

Message from Bonnie Adamson, LHSC President and CEO

Reception

Exceptional Experiences • Extraordinary People • Engaging Partnerships

What a Wonderful World

I see trees of green, red roses too

I see them bloom for me and you

And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white

The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night

And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky

Are also on the faces of people going by

I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do

They’re really saying I love you.

I hear babies crying, I watch them grow

They’ll learn much more than I’ll never know

And I think to myself what a wonderful world

Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.

Written by: Bob Thiele and George David Weiss

Development of the North Tower at London Health Sciences Centre’s Victoria Hospital has been a significant component of a large-scale joint acute care restructuring initiative between LHSC and St. Joseph’s Health Care London.

Following the directives prescribed by the Health Services Restructuring Commission (HSRC) in 1997, London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care London began working together to reorganize and align the delivery of acute care services in London. This partnership and work, which involves the achievement of two major milestones and several phases, continues today. It is a tremendous undertaking, in which more than 2,500 staff and physicians have moved locations to date. While construction of the North Tower began in 2002 during the first Milestone, its completion and occupation took place as a part of the Milestone 2, Phase 2 (M2P2) stage of the overall redevelopment project.

Restructuring Acute Care at London’s Hospitals

The following is a summary of our accomplishments to date.

Milestone 1: 1998-2005

• Completion of 42 internal hospital moves and 23 clinical program transfers between LHSC and St. Joseph’s.

• Included the consolidation of emergency care at UH and VH, the creation of urgent care at St. Joseph’s Hospital and the move of inpatient services, with the exception of acute mental health care, from the aging South Street Hospital facilities to Victoria Hospital.

• Construction of the outer shell of the North Tower at Victoria Hospital.

• Construction costs for Milestone 1 at LHSC were $216 million.

Milestone 2, Phase 1 (M2P1): 2007-2009

• Construction and renovation of at least 10 major care delivery areas along with clinical support services.

• Completion of the construction of the outer shell of the North Tower.

• Total costs for M2P1 at LHSC were $13 million (including construction, equipment and ancillary financing).


• Completion of 23 internal hospital moves and 5 clinical program transfers between LHSC and St. Joseph’s.

• Successful realignment and consolidation of many clinical and support services, particularly in women’s and children’s healthcare programs.

• Conclusion of an unprecedented amount of construction as the interior construction of the 600,000 square foot North Tower was completed at Victoria Hospital.

• Total costs for M2P2 at LHSC were $279 million (including construction, equipment and ancillary financing).


• Represents the final phase of redevelopment, which will bring to a close the completion of the HSRC directives.

• Renovations to space at Victoria Hospital began in late August 2011.

• Total costs for M2P3 at LHSC will be $123 million (including construction, equipment and ancillary financing).

• Milestone 2, Phase 3 is expected to be fully complete in 2015.

PharmacyThe pharmacy provides inpatient medication dispensing to LHSC’s Victoria Hospital and Children’s Hospital. Annually, the VH pharmacy processes over 700,000 prescriptions; dispenses 3 million unit dose medications; and prepares over 300,000 sterile intravenous doses.

Patient safety is enhanced through the use of automated dispensing technology and a modern pharmacy environment. The dispensing robot (Swisslog PillPick) dispenses unit dose medications and is capable of automatically bar coding, packaging, storing and dispensing individual doses of medications.

Sterile intravenous medication doses are prepared in a dedicated “clean room” environment. The clean room provides an environment where air is filtered through bacterial filters. This, along with the aseptic technique employed by pharmacy personnel, reduces the risk of product contamination.

Wireless network access is available to pharmacists, enabling connection to the electronic patient care system through hand held computer tablets. The pharmacy includes work space for pharmacists and a team work room, where staff meet to participate in educational sessions.

Paediatric Medical Day Unit (PMDU)The PMDU includes treatment and clinic spaces and sees approximately 32,000 patient visits yearly. The space includes a fish tank and bubble wall, which enthrall young patients while they wait for their appointments. Those coming for treatment have their own waiting space to protect them since their immune systems are not currently functioning at their full potential.

Art therapy rooms, blood collection stations and treatment rooms allow more therapy and procedures to be completed in a paediatric environment. Medical hubs keep the physicians and health care providers within close proximity of the children they are seeing.

Paediatric Family Resource CentreThe Resource Centre offers patients, family members and staff easy and convenient access to reliable information about children’s health and medical care.

The Resource Centre provides unbiased information that helps families make informed decisions about their child’s care through a variety of resources including: medical reference books; computer programs; parent guides about health and illness; bereavement books; children’s story books on health issues; information about parent support groups; literature searches; and, video and audio information on health issues.

Parents visiting the Resource Centre can also use a variety of resources to help stay in touch with work, friends, or family, including: email; fax; internet; photocopying or scanning; phone line for local calling; and desk areas.

LEVEL 1Pharmacy Pharmacy Paediatric Medical Day Unit (PMDU) Paediatric Family Resource Centre

Endoscopy, IV Therapy, and Medical Day UnitIn the Medical Day Unit, highly skilled nursing staff provide care to over 10,000 visitors per year, for pre- and post-procedural care to patients receiving care in Interventional Radiology, Cardiology and Endoscopy.

The nurses in the IV therapy program administer medication and blood products to patients that require treatment and monitoring on an outpatient basis. These treatments are done in hospital for patient safety reasons but do not require an overnight stay. With four procedure rooms and a recovery room within the unit, the Endoscopy program provides screening and over 3,600 endoscopic procedures each year.

Urgent Neurology Clinic The clinic is home to 2,500 ambulatory visits each year and provides a range of services supporting adults’ neurologic symptoms related to the brain, spinal cord, or nerves throughout the body that need to be investigated within a 72-hour period. Patients are referred to this clinic from local emergency departments, community medical specialists as well as family practitioners. Typically, patients with recent onset of symptoms such as headache, blurred vision, unsteady gait, unmanageable pain, and area numbness are seen in the Urgent Neurology Clinic by a staff neurologist often assisted by a medical resident in training.

In an effort to improve patient access, service availability as well as patient safety, this clinic has been recently relocated from South Street Hospital into this B2 Level space for the interim time period of 24 months. After this time, the Clinic will move into its permanent space at Victoria Hospital, Level 5, Zone E.

Patient Registration and AdmittingPatient registration and admitting is responsible for providing bed management and admission services for the entire hospital.

Nuclear MedicineNuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material, referred to as radiotracers, to diagnose or treat a variety of diseases, including many types of cancers, heart disease and certain other abnormalities within the body.

Depending on the type of nuclear medicine exam you are undergoing, the radiotracer is either injected into a vein, swallowed or inhaled as a gas and eventually accumulates in the organ or area of the body being examined. Images taken can offer details on both the structure and function of organs and tissues. The Nuclear Medicine Department performs about 9,000 diagnostic and therapeutic procedures each year and is one of the largest departments in North America. With 23 staff and physicians, the department also provides educational training for nuclear medicine technologists and physicians.

Health Sciences LibraryThe Health Sciences Library is a centre of excellence that links patient care providers, clinical educators, health researchers and health care administrators to published evidence through client-focused relationships and strategic partnerships. The portfolio-based professional services include: customized and comprehensive literature searching; publishing support for LHSC authors; one-to-one, small group and corporate instruction sessions on various research topics; and document delivery service (obtaining articles from other institutions).

Auditorium and Meeting RoomsHealth care learning and education for physicians, staff, students, patients and the public will occur in the 350 seat state-of-the-art auditorium and in adjacent meeting rooms, all equipped with the latest in educational technology, including video-conferencing.

These spaces reflect the hospital’s continued commitment to its teaching mandate and to its reputation as a centre of teaching excellence.

LEVEL 2Endoscopy, IV Therapy and Medical Day Unit Nuclear Medicine Urgent Neurology Clinic The Health Sciences Library

LEVEL 3

Head and Neck Surgery Clinic The Head and Neck Surgery Clinic provides care to patients with cancers of the throat, tongue, mouth, face and thyroid, in an innovative care setting. Treatment rooms are equipped with beds and operating room quality lights, with cautery machines and supply carts readily accessible. This state-of-the-art patient centred care setting allows for rapid diagnosis and in some cases, immediate treatment. The Clinic treats over 95% of head and neck cancers diagnosed in southwestern Ontario.

Through the Translational Head and Neck Cancer Research Program, clinicians are also working to improve the effectiveness of patient treatment and protect and enhance patient quality of life.

The Paediatric Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery ClinicThe Clinic provides care to children of southwestern Ontario in a state-of-the-art clinic that emphasizes a patient-centred approach in disorders of the ear, nose and throat (ENT). The types of problems that are seen range from common ENT issues to more complex illnesses that require multidisciplinary care.

The Clinic is specially designed to include digital microscopes and endoscopic digital towers with television monitors to optimize care and aid in patient and family involvement. The Clinic space and waiting room have a number of enhancements to help to decrease a child’s anxiety and promote comfort.

The Paediatric Otolaryngology team is actively involved in both innovative and nationally recognized research in disorders of the ear, nose and throat in children.

Audiology and Speech-LanguagePathology ServicesAudiology, in close partnership with the Paediatric Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Clinics, provides a full range of hearing assessments for all age groups. In addition, the prescription and assessment of hearing aids, FM Systems and other amplification devices are offered in a setting that includes sound treated rooms with the most current technology. Close ties with The University of Western Ontario are maintained through participation in research and student training opportunities.

Speech-Language Pathology provides care to patients in many areas of the hospital such as Cancer Care, Medicine, Critical Care, Trauma, and Palliative Care. In the Outpatient Clinic, patients with conditions treated by the Head and Neck Team are seen for speech and swallowing management using specialized equipment. Speech-Language Pathology strives to ensure a high quality patient experience, in a rich learning environment for students and colleagues.

The Vocal Function Clinic is a specialized service offered through collaboration between Otolaryngology and Speech-Language Pathology. The physician and speech-language pathologist examine the appearance and movement of the vocal cords using highly specialized equipment connected to a video camera and recorder. Patients with voice disorders come here from across southwestern Ontario to learn the cause and recommended management of these problems.

Head and Neck Surgery Clinic Head and Neck Surgery Clinic The Paediatric Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery Clinic Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Services

Neonatal Intensive Care UnitThis 42-bed, 23,000 square foot care unit serves the southwestern Ontario region and the two northern cities of Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie. The NICU consists of three pods and sees approximately 650-700 admissions annually, with an average length of stay of 23 days. Infants are admitted from 24 weeks to greater than 42 weeks gestation, for reasons such as prematurity, anomalies, surgical intervention or sepsis.

Pod A houses eight single room “Care by Parent” spaces, where parents can live for up to several weeks prior to discharge. The state-of-the-art cardiorespiratory monitors and equipment have created an environment dedicated to family centred care and privacy for infants and families.

Obstetrical Care Unit Home to the Birthing Centre, Antenatal Unit and the Obstetrical Triage, this area provides birthing services to 6,000 women and their families in16 labour and birth recovery rooms. These rooms all have fantastic views of the city, as well as private bathrooms with large whirlpool tubs. The 21-bed antenatal unit supports women who are admitted to the hospital before their baby is born. The Obstetrical Triage area assesses over 12,000 women each year during their pregnancy.

LEVEL 4Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Obstetrical Care Unit Obstetrical Care Unit

Women’s Ambulatory CareThe Women’s Ambulatory Care unit sees over 100,000 ambulatory visits each year and provides a range of services supporting women for basic and complex obstetrical and gynecological needs.

To improve patient care, other services have been located to the fifth floor, including ultrasound services, a lab test centre, the urodynamics program and the medical genetics program.

Medical GeneticsThis program provides a range of comprehensive services to individuals, couples, and families in a caring, respectful, and compassionate environment. The purpose of genetic assessment is to evaluate individuals or families who are potentially at risk of having a genetic condition that could be passed on to their children.

Through the course of the assessment, a family history is taken and analyzed, and relevant records are reviewed. Clinical examination and diagnostic testing may also be performed to establish a diagnosis. Genetic counseling helps to provide an understanding of the diagnosis, the recurrence risk and options available to individuals and families.

Services available include: general genetics, cancer genetics, inherited metabolic disorders, newborn screening, and prenatal genetics.

LEVEL 5Women’s Ambulatory Care Women’s Ambulatory Care Women’s Ambulatory Care Medical Genetics

Children’s Hospital Inpatient UnitThis 64-bed paediatric unit provides care to patients up to 18 years of age, from across southwestern Ontario, with approximately 3,500 admissions per year.

The philosophy of family centered care coupled with state-of-the-art technology ensures an approach that enables parents and staff to partner in the care of children. Children requiring care have access to expert paediatric care givers, diagnostics and therapies.

Each patient room includes an entertainment system, as well as large windows to let in the healing light and for children to view the many trees in London. The floor has activity areas geared to various age groups as well as rooms designed for specific treatments and procedures, so that children feel their rooms are a “safe” haven.

Rooms of special mention on the floor include: Ashley’s Backyard, a play area for infants to 5-year-olds; The National Bank Room, a play room for crafts and messy play for children ages 6-11; and the Starlight Teen Room, where computers and games delight 12-18-year-olds.

Other floor features include: a new gym for strength and mobility training; a family lounge for children and families to relax in; and the Ronald McDonald rooms where parents can live while their child is in hospital. The floor provides an amazing space for amazing children!

LEVEL 6

Adult Mental Health Inpatient UnitThe Adult Mental Health Care program provides care to adults who present with a wide spectrum of mental health difficulties that include mood disorders, suicidal behavior, schizophrenia, psychotic disorders and acute symptoms of distress related to family, personal crises or traumatic experiences.

The program helps patients to stabilize during their admission to hospital, offers treatment and support, and enables individuals to return as much as possible to full and productive lives. The program collaborates closely with community agencies and service providers to ensure a smooth transition for patients upon discharge from hospital. Several community partners have office space located on the unit to facilitate patient access to services prior to discharge.

The floor has laundry facilities, quiet rooms for reading or listening to music, and areas for group activities or visits with families. There are occupational therapy assessment and treatment rooms, and spaces for private interviews and consultations.

LEVEL 7

Child/Adolescent Mental Health Unit The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Care Program provides clinical services for outpatients, inpatients, and day treatment patients. Services include individual, group, and family therapy and/or pharmacotherapy (therapy combined with medication), with interventions tailored to meet individual patient needs. Interdisciplinary teams work with children, youth and families, along with community agencies and schools, to address mental health concerns and facilitate normal growth and development.

The program serves children and adolescents with mental health difficulties including mood and anxiety disorders, suicidal behavior, psychotic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, psychosomatic disorders, eating disorders, and symptoms of distress related to family or personal crises or traumatic experiences. In addition, the program offers consultation to medical-surgical areas of Children’s Hospital. The integration of all services in the new facility allows smooth transitions in care and continual support for children and families within a single program.

The new space includes an exercise room, Thames Valley District School Board classrooms, areas for both quiet and interactive activities, and spaces for visits and meetings with families. Patient rooms and common areas are bright, open, and comfortable; staff members are able to supervise the youth without being intrusive. Children and teens are encouraged to choose healthy activities that mirror their interests when they are not in hospital.

LEVEL 8

Adult Medical/Surgical Inpatient UnitThe first adult inpatient service to move into the North Tower, the Unit has 78 beds: 38 for General Surgery and 40 for Orthopaedic/Trauma.

The Unit cares for patients that have undergone general surgery procedures related to colorectal, liver, gall bladder or bile duct obstructive disorders and cancers, as well as patients that have undergone elective and emergency orthopaedic procedures, spinal surgeries and trauma patients post injury.

The Unit has many features including: special furniture for orthopaedic surgery patients including easy access chairs and step-in showers; advanced bedside monitoring in many of the rooms; two quiet rooms for private patient and family meetings with the care team; an on-site physiotherapy and occupational therapy gym is to enhance the abilities for orthopaedic/trauma patients; new hand washing stations with splash-proof sides to minimize the spread of bacteria; and new education rooms for staff.

LEVEL 9

Clinical LaboratoriesAfter operating for many years in various locations throughout London, nine service areas of the London Laboratory Services Group (LLSG) - a joint venture of London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care, London – are now consolidated into a single space at Victoria Hospital.

Formed in 2000, LLSG provides a range of both routine and specialized laboratory testing and clinical consultation to support the diagnoses and treatment of patients, not only within southwestern Ontario, but nationally and internationally as well.

LLSG also provides educational training opportunities and continuing education for a broad range of health care professionals, including medical residents, pathology residents, medical laboratory technology students, laboratory assistant students and pathologists’ assistants.

LLSG’s 448 employees perform more than 2,700 different types of laboratory tests, and more than seven million tests each year. It is one of only a handful of laboratories in Canada to perform testing on trace elements such as blood mercury levels, one of five labs in Ontario to perform maternal serum screening, and is a centre of excellence in flow cytometry (used for identification of leukemias and lymphomas).

As an integral part of the health care system, LLSG’s technologists, biochemists, scientists and laboratory medical staff that are dedicated to providing vital and accurate information that contributes to effective patient care.

LEVEL 10


I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone celebrating the official opening of the North Tower at London Health Sciences Centre’s Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario. The completion of the North Tower is the result of a visionary and successful partnership between the London Health Sciences Centre and St. Joseph’s Health Care Centre committed to enhancing health care delivery in southern Ontario. This new building has added 600,000 square feet to Victoria Hospital and now houses a number of crucial medical programs and services that will strengthen the London Health Science Centre’s outstanding patient care, teaching, and medical research capabilities. I would like to congratulate everyone responsible for bringing this remarkable project to fruition, including private donors, community leaders, staff members, and volunteers. You can take pride in knowing that your efforts are making a positive difference in the health and well‐being of your fellow citizens. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish you a memorable day.

The Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.

OTTAWA 2011

Premier of Ontario - Premier ministre de l’Ontario

September 27, 2011

A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM THE PREMIER

On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I am delighted to extend warm greetings to everyone attending the official opening of the North Tower of London Health Sciences Centre’s Victoria Hospital.

Ensuring the continued good health of our citizens is one of our province’s top priorities. And to meet that priority, we rely on Ontario’s hospitals to deliver quality health care. This special occasion not only underscores the integral role that London Health Sciences Centre plays in ensuring quality care in London — but also pays tribute to the community spirit that helped build the North Tower.

I commend everyone who worked tirelessly to make this new building possible. Know that your fine efforts have helped to usher in a new level of care at London Health Sciences Centre. Our government is proud to have been a partner in this important project.

Please accept my best wishes for a memorable ceremony.

Dalton McGuinty Premier


1ST FLOORMAIN ENTRANCE AND LOBBY, PAEDIATRIC FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE, PAEDIATRIC MEDICAL DAY UNIT, PHARMACY, LONDON HEALTH SCIENCES FOUNDATION, CHILDREN’S HEALTH FOUNDATION, GIFT SHOP

2ND FLOORPARKING GARAGE ENTRANCE, NUCLEAR MEDICINE,

IMAGING, URGENT NEUROLOGY CLINIC, ENDOSCOPY, MEDICAL DAY UNIT, IV THERAPY, AUDITORIUM ,

EDUCATION CENTRE, LIBRARY, TIM HORTONS

3RD FLOORHEAD AND NECK SURGERY CLINIC, PAEDIATRIC OTOLARYNGOLOGY AND HEAD AND NECK SURGERY CLINIC, AUDIOLOGY AND SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY CLINIC, SIMPLY PUUR CAFE

4TH FLOOROBSTETRICAL CARE UNIT AND

NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE

5TH FLOORWOMEN’S AMBULATORY CARE AND MEDICAL GENETICS CLINIC 6TH FLOOR

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL INPATIENT UNIT

7TH FLOORADULT MENTAL HEALTH INPATIENT UNIT

8TH FLOORCHILD/ADOLESCENT

MENTAL HEALTH UNIT

9TH FLOORADULT MEDICAL/SURGICAL INPATIENT UNIT

10TH FLOORCLINICAL LABORATORIES


5) Event displays a. Floor Displays, including display board for restructuring b. Display of congratulatory messages from government officials

Event guests - first and second floor of the atrium

Event guests - first floor of the atrium

North Tower banner on display, with signatures on both sides

Opening presentation - sealing of the time capsule by Peter Johnson, board chair and Bonnie Adamson, president and CEO

Ribbon cutting

Special Element – Choir singing “What a Wonderful World

Event guests in auditorium

Event guests Deb Mathews, Ontario Minster of Health and Long-Term Care, and Chris Bentley, local member of provincial parliament (MPP)


7) Event photos


8) Special element – video of choir

Official Opening of the North Tower at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital – Comments and feedback

9/28/2011 Dawn Fugina Hi. I attended the opening of the North Tower and was really pleased with the presentation of the official opening. It was a fantastic event. I was also quite surprised to find out in your Communication Broadcast that the beautiful voices singing "What a Wonderful World", was a "flash mob" performance. Impressive! I was sharing the stream with my family on the LHSC Website, hoping they would hear the amazing voices of the Amabile Choir singing. I was just wondering if there was a way of obtaining a full recording of the performance at this exciting event. It would be something I would love to listen to every now and then to reflect on the event of the North Tower's official opening and what a fantastic presentation the event was. Thanking you kindly, Dawn Fugina 10/4/2011 Wendy Gallagher Wow that was beautiful Thanks :-)

9/29/2011 Val Rousom, committee member Just wanted to add to the many congratulations about a job well done. The Amabile choir(s) were amazing and the whole timeline was well done and built the momentum to the end. It was a privilege to have been on this committee and I look forward to the debrief. Thanks Val

9/28/2011 Glen Kearns, LHSC Integrated Vice President, Diagnostic Services and CIO Hi Mary and Tony The Grand Opening was such a huge success! I was in the 2nd floor lobby - the buzz of people was incredible! Congratulations on a amazing event! Glen

9/28/2011 Bonnie Adamson, LHSC President and CEO A special thanks to you and your team for an outstanding series of events.. You truly lived our vision- exceptional, extraordinary and engaging.. Sincere thanks, Bonnie


9) Comments and feedback a. Sample emails from event guests, project committee member and LHSC leaders


6) Time Capsule a. Mock-up of plaque b. Photo of container

thePageA newsletter for the staff of London Health Sciences Centre

The floors were polished,

hallways were full,

excitement was high; and

with the snip of the scissors, LHSC

officially opened the North Tower at

Victoria Hospital.

On Sept. 27, 2011, less than 10 days

after LHSC celebrated its legacy of

care at South Street Hospital,

hundreds gathered once more to

commemorate the culmination of years

of planning, partnerships, construction

and health care restructuring.

With a program led by president and

CEO Bonnie Adamson, those in

attendance were treated to compelling

videos featuring footage of each floor

and department in the North Tower,

the sealing of a time capsule that will

be opened in 50 years, and a surprise

“flash mob” courtesy of some very

talented kids. (A link to all of these

videos is available at

Interest in this opening event was

huge, with hundreds of overflow

guests watching the proceedings

happening inside the new 350-seat

Sumner Auditorium from screens

placed throughout the atrium. In all,

close to 1,000 people took part in this

special event that marked an important

milestone for LHSC.

Following are excerpts from

Adamson’s remarks that highlight

some of the key elements of the

program and demonstrate why this was

such an important occasion for London

Health Sciences Centre.

What a wonderful day for LHSC

Bonnie Adamson, President and CEO of LHSC gets some help from paediatric patient TravisCudney as they cut the official opening ribbon that connects two images of the North Tower,one a graphic rendering and the other a photo of the finished building. They are joined by(from left): Joe Fontana; Michael Lerner, Peter Johnson, Terrence Donnelly; and KirkBaines. See sidebar to right for the significance of who each represents.

Continued on next page

The people who joined Bonnie in

cutting the official opening ribbon

represented many of the

partnerships that helped to make the

North Tower a reality:

• Peter Johnson to represent the

Board of Directors

• To represent Children’s Health

Foundation and all of the children

and families for whom it has made

a difference, Board Chair, Michael

Lerner and patient Travis Cudney

• To represent London Health

Sciences Foundation and all of the

individuals for whom it has made

a difference, Board Chair, Kirk

Baines and donor, Terry Donnelly

• To represent all of the citizens of

London, whom we serve, Mayor

Joe Fontana

thePage Anewsletter for the staff of London Health Sciences Centre

It was an event 136 years in the

making, with hallways that have sat

quiet and nearly empty for years filled

to bursting with laughter, tears, memories

and a tangible sense of nostalgia.

With nearly 6,000 in attendance, over

200 volunteers, and more than $6,000 in

merchandise sold, there are no statistics

to measure what this event meant to so

many who came out for one last visit to

South Street Hospital.

“It’s bittersweet, really,” says Teena

Hansen, a retired nurse. “As a nurse

who trained here, I have lived here and

worked here. My Dad died here, my

kids were born here. It just holds so

many memories.”

Hansen’s sentiments were echoed by

many others who eagerly roamed the

halls, pointing out various rooms to

family members in tow while telling

stories and anecdotes of their time as a

patient at, visitor to, or staff member of

“old Vic.”

The Celebrating South Street Hospital

event, part of Doors Open London,

drew a record-breaking crowd over the

Sept. 17 and 18 weekend with dozens

lining up before the event even began.

Within the first hour, more than 600

people filled up the hallways and

elevators of SSH, on their way to

explore the old emergency department,

morgue, Colborne wing, chapel, labs,

Busby Lecture Theatre, catheterization

lab, operating rooms, and critical care

trauma centre.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime type of

event, so it was difficult to predict

what we should expect in terms of

attendance,” says Mary Gillet, chair of

the Celebrating South Street Hospital

Steering Committee. “Needless to say,

we were thrilled with the turnout and

interest our community has in the

history and legacy of care at South

Street Hospital.”

Thousands help celebrate legacyof care at South Street Hospital

More than 600 people passed through the doors of South Street Hospital within their firsthour of opening. By the end of the weekend, nearly 6,000 had come through for self-guided tours of the facility.

Continued on next page

SPECIALEDITIONSPECIALEDITION

Excerpts from Bonnie Adamson’s remarks

“This state-of-the-art facility is home

to many of Victoria Hospital’s

programs and services, as well as

those of Children’s Hospital and the

Grace Donnelly Women’s Pavilion,

and is the culmination of a more than

14-year journey of restructuring to

better serve patient needs in London

and the region.

This certainly is a wonderful day. It is

a day about new beginnings, and we

are honoured to have so many of you

join us for this milestone.

The large group here today is a

testament to the significance of this

hospital in this community and a

tribute to the incredible staff and

physicians who work so hard, every

day, to make a genuine difference to

those in need of care.

Those of you here in the Sumner

Amphitheatre are sitting in the very

seats where tomorrow’s visionary

minds will be taught and inspired to

carry forward our long legacy of

quality health care and innovation.

And to those individuals out in the

overflow areas, you are surrounded by

the many purpose-designed spaces

that will foster better care and

exceptional experiences for

generations to come.

I began in my role as president and

CEO about 11 months ago, but my

history with LHSC goes much further

back. I had the privilege of spending

20 years at South Street Hospital in

various nursing and nursing leadership

roles. From that, I have an intimate

connection to our past as well as a

strong appreciation for the journey

that has brought us to the present.

Today, we will open a building that

represents the future of this

organization – a future that is built

upon a remarkable past, a future that I

am excited to help define.”

*********

“The North Tower is an important

milestone in our redevelopment

journey. This building truly represents

the future of health care delivery and

to commemorate this achievement,

we’d like to seal a time capsule.

Made for us by one of our donors, Mr.

Brian McIntosh, this beautiful time

capsule is made of cherry, walnut and

maple woods. It is a reflection of the

design elements of the building – natural

colours, natural materials and natural light.

Each program that calls the North

Tower home has contributed unique

and inspiring items for the capsule that

are representative of this point in time.

The capsule is very full, but I am

going to squeeze in four more items –

today’s newspaper, a program from

today’s event, a commemorative North

Tower pin and – to acknowledge the

rich history upon which we are

building - the South Street Celebration

newspaper publication.

This building represents our future and

will serve this community for

generations to come. The capsule is to

be opened 50 years from today, two

generations from now on September 27,

2061. It will be kept in the display case

on the second floor for all to see. We

hope that the spirit and excitement from

today can still be felt at the half century

celebration of this building. This is our

contribution to that future event.”

*********

“You may have noticed a large banner

hanging out in the atrium that is

Requiring months of planning, this

event could not have been possible

without strong partnerships with Doors

Open London and Museum London,

who displayed several historical

artifacts throughout the hospital.

Visitors had an opportunity see an old

‘iron lung’, a negative-pressure

ventilator from the 1950s that was

used to keep patients with polio alive.

Down in the old Colborne

Street wing, nursing

uniforms from different

eras were on display along

with a replica of a patient

room from the 1920s.

“It was wonderful to see

visitors viewing artifacts

from our collection and

reflecting on their own

experiences at the hospital.

It was a great pleasure to

partner with LHSC to

make a unique heritage site

come to life – Doors Open

was a huge success!” says Maya

Hirschman, curator of regional history

at Museum London.

In fact, Doors Open was such a success

that it set a new record for the most

number of visitors to any Doors Open

London event in its 10-year history.

By far one of the most popular draws

to the event was the chance to view

the morgue, with lineups throughout

most of the weekend just to get into

the space. Some lucky visitors were

treated to stories and knowledge from

two first-hand accounts, Drs. Ross

Armstrong and Michael Shkrum.

Both pathologists, Dr. Armstrong

retired in 1996 having spent almost

his entire career in the South Street

Hospital morgue.

“When I started on staff in

1972, we performed about

500 autopsies per year, and

by the time I retired in

1996 that number was

down to about 300,” recalls

Armstrong, who credits the

drop in procedures to

newer and more advanced

diagnostic techniques that

allowed health care

providers to know what the

patient was dying of before

they passed away.

For Dr. Shkrum who now works at

University Hospital, coming back to the

SSH morgue gave him the opportunity

to show family members where he had

worked, and having the opportunity to

chat with Dr. Armstrong allowed for

further reflection.

“It really brought back a lot of

memories and shared experiences,” he

says. Shkrum hopes the original

porcelain slab where autopsies were

performed for decades can be

showcased for interested onlookers after

the aging building is closed for good.

While the morgue and its porcelain slab

drew the morbidly curious, every area

on display held lasting memories in the

hearts of many, some of whom traveled

from great distances (like British

thePage • 2thePage• 2

For coverage of ourcelebrating South StreetHospital event, flip this issueof the Page upside down!

For coverage of NorthTower official opening,flip this issue of the Pageupside down!

Continued from page 1Continued from page 1

North Tower opening celebrates new beginnings andDoors open event so popular, new record set

The 350-seat Sumner Auditorium (bottomphoto) was filled to capacity during theofficial North Tower opening celebrationswhile hundreds of overflow guests watchedthe proceedings from the beautiful atrium onlevels 1 (top photo) and 2 (middle photo).

Barbara Haggarty-Hebert, Bonnie Morgan,Linda MacDonald-Cooper, and Kathy Allendecided to dress the part as they revisitedplaces at SSH where they used to nurse.

At times the hallways were so crowded itwas hard to believe many have been lockedand silent for years!

This “iron lung” ventilator was displayed by MuseumLondon, and drew thousands of curious people whocouldn’t imagine how patients used to have to lie insidefor months at a time.

The original porcelain slab sits beside a newer, stainless-steel table in the morgue at SSH. Both were used to performautopsies, but Dr. Armstrong said most preferred theporcelain slab because it was narrower and easier to use.

covered in signatures. For the last four

months, this banner has travelled

throughout our buildings, from

cafeterias, to entryways to special

events. It has become part of the

LHSC family as literally thousands of

our staff, patients and visitors have

signed it.

Originally, the plan was to cut this

banner to officially open the North

Tower. As the numbers of signatures

grew, it quickly became obvious that it

was becoming a symbol of what this

milestone day is about – the coming

together of many people – and it just

felt wrong to cut it.

As illustrated by the thousands of

names on this banner, the story of this

hospital has never been about bricks

and mortar; it has been, and always

will be, about people.

During our 136-year history, Board

Chairs and politicians have laid many

cornerstones, cut a number of ribbons

and even sealed a few time capsules.

However, our true cornerstone isn’t

one mined at a quarry. It is our 136-

year legacy of excellence in patient

care, teaching and research.

This brand new facility allows us to

carry that heritage forward and we

will continue to put the patient at the

centre of everything we do as we

usher in a new era of health care.

The opening of the North Tower not

only allows us to better meet the

expanding needs of the communities

we currently serve, but also

symbolizes the beginning of the next

chapter of our history. It represents the

future of acute care delivery in

London and the region and provides a

new backdrop for the realization of

our vision of exceptional experiences,

extraordinary people and engaging

partnerships.

Here, we will serve this community for

many years to come and will educate the

next generations of health care providers.

Here, we will make new discoveries and

pioneer medical breakthroughs that we

cannot even begin to envision today.

Here we will attract the best and the

brightest health care professionals, use

the finest and most sophisticated

technology, secure important research

grants and focus on what is at the heart

of our vision – our patients.

I have no doubt that right here we will

help to shape the future of health care

as we serve our patients for

generations to come.

Today we celebrate our future.”

As visitors to the Celebrating South

Street Hospital event streamed in and out

of the doors to the nearly vacant facility,

many paused to write a few words and

mark their names in guest books which

will become a part of the history and

legacy of the hospital.

With dozens of comments like “fond

memories!” and “excellent tour!” the

comments from both the guest book and

the virtual Celebrating South Street

Hospital website capture the essence of

what this event — and the hospital itself

— meant to so many.

“Wonderful training here @ Vic”

~Marilyn Dustin, class of ‘67

“Born second floor, April 15, 1937”

~Ken Campbell

“The best part of the tourwas

listening to formeremployees,

meeting and recounting

memories. ☺☺”

~Pete and Kimber Bogema

“Spent many hours, days, weeks,

months here. Thanks!”

~Mel Swain

“Alot of good care received here!”

~Janice Hodgins

“My two sons were born here. We

will miss this old hospital.”

~John & Barb

“My dad spent his 69th birthday in

CCTC here in 1989. He’s still

kicking now – 2011. THANK YOU!”

~Lara Hicks

“Many memories brought to life!”

~Lynda & Joe Clymans

“My family were born here, died

here, trained here, but more

importantly were cared forhere.”

~Gwen Jones

“I will be sad to see it torn down. I

was born here.”

~Alvin Reeve

thePage• 3thePage • 3

Memories and thanks as thousands mark a moment in LHSC historyimportant milestone in redevelopment journey

Peter Johnson and Bonnie Adamson place the final items into the commemorative timecapsule, to be opened in 50 years.

The North Tower banner is covered in signatures from hundreds of staff, patients andvisitors, and now hangs in the second level atrium out front of Tim Hortons.

Columbia!) just to be a part of this one-

in-a-lifetime event.

One of those who traveled from a

distance was Beth (Parker) Duff, who

graduated from nursing in 1964 and

lived in the Nurses Residence while she

trained and then worked at SSH. Duff

arrived for her three-hour volunteer shift

all the way from Kingston, Ont.

“I met some lifelong friends here,” she

explains as to why she came back after

more than 45 years. “There’s just a draw

to this hospital. Everything made an

impression at 18 so I wanted to come

back and see what had changed.”

Celebrating South Street Hospital could

not have been possible without the

commitment and generosity of

volunteers such as Duff, many of whom

could share their own stories and

expertise of the various areas on display.

While this unique knowledge gave many

event-goers a more rewarding

experience, some volunteers themselves

felt like the lucky ones.

“Thank you for giving me this

opportunity,” said Anne Salmon to the

volunteer coordinators after finishing her

shift. “I’ve run into so many people I

haven’t seen in years, heard so many

stories and memories. So thank you.”

In addition to volunteers like Salmon,

several departments and partners

played a key role in supporting the

Celebrating South Street Hospital

event, including biomedical

engineering, corporate

communications and public relations,

corporate customer support, facilities

engineering, maintenance services,

security, volunteer services, LHSC

auxiliary, London Health Sciences

Foundation and Children’s Health

Foundation.

“Thanks to all who helped make this

memorable event a reality,” says Bonnie

Adamson, president and CEO of LHSC.

“Without a doubt, the South Street

Hospital celebration embodied our

vision of exceptional experiences,

extraordinary people and engaging

partnerships - a proud day for London

Health Sciences Centre.”

While the walls of South Street Hospital

may not stand forever, the memories

and emotions experienced by those who

spent time within them will certainly

last a lifetime.

President and CEO Bonnie Adamson greetedevent-goers at the main entrance on bothdays of the Celebrating South StreetHospital event.

More than 200 volunteers helped make thisevent such a huge success. Many werecurrent or former staff with knowledge of thevarious areas on display.

Continued from page 2

thePage • 4thePage• 4

Guests at the official opening, including

former presidents and CEOs Tony

Dagnone and Cliff Nordal (far right,

second row) were treated to a surprise

element at the end of the program, thanks

to a group of talented young people.

Members of the Amabile Choir of

London, who were located throughout the

crowds in both the auditorium and atrium,

closed the ceremony by singing “What a

Wonderful World.” You can view video

footage of this “flash mob” online (a link

is available at ).

1st floor• Gift shop

• London Health Sciences Foundation

• Main entrance and lobby

• Pharmacy

2nd floor• Auditorium

• Education centre

• Endoscopy

• Imaging

• IV Therapy

• Library

• Medical day unit

• Nuclear medicine

• Parking garage entrance

• Tim Hortons

• Urgent Neurology Clinic

3rd floor• Audiology and Speech Language

Pathology Clinic

• Head and Neck Surgery Clinic

• Simply Puur Café

Children’s Hospital

• Paediatric Otolaryngology

4th floor• Obstetrical Care Unit

Children’s Hospital

• Neonatal Intensive Care

5th floor• Medical Genetics Clinic

• Women’s ambulatory Care

6th floorChildren’s Hospital

• Inpatient Unit

7th floor• Adult Mental Health Inpatient Unit

8th floorChildren’s Hospital

• Child/Adolescent Mental Health Unit

9th floor• Adult Medical/Surgical Inpatient Unit

10th floor• Clinical laboratories

Official opening concludes on a surprise noteof harmony

North Tower at a glance - floor by floor

Dr. Steve Lownie, neurosurgeon, was

joined by his daughters Clara and Anne

(pictured at right) as he set up an

impromptu display of photos, journal

articles, artifacts and a video that

highlighted the work of Dr. Charles

Drake, world-renowned neurosurgeon

who worked at LHSC.

“For Dr. Drake, as well as many of the

things that made London famous, it

happened here at South Street,” said

Lownie, who trained with Drake years

ago and was interested to hear about a

story told by Nancy McGuire, a visitor

to the Celebrating South Street

Hospital event.

McGuire, who came to the event from

Tillsonburg, recalled a story told to her

by her mother years

ago about a teenage

boy who lived

down the street in

what is now

London’s old north

neighbourhood.

This boy had a

skull that he carried

around with him

everywhere. She

said he would

polish it up and

always seemed

fascinated by it.

Years later when

her mother was in hospital delivering

McGuire (nee Kendall), that teenage

boy had become an intern at South

Street Hospital and would come to visit

Mrs. Kendall during her hospital stay.

That boy turned out to be Dr. Charles

Drake who would go on to pioneer

techniques to treat brain aneurysms.

A remarkable physician remembered for contributions

Members of the LHSC Auxiliary display

some of the special commemorative

items sold during the Celebrating South

Street Hospital event (below). The gift

shop had closed its doors on May 31,

2011 but was re-opened for the weekend

so that visitors could purchase special

SSH mugs, magnets and bookmarks.

The book “Growing to Serve,” a history

of South Street Hospital up until 1985,

was also available for purchase and

quickly sold out.

In all the commemorative items were so

popular that the auxiliary raised more

than $6,000 in one weekend.

South Street Hospitalmerchandise a popular purchase

Warm words of congratulationsThere were many warm words of thanks

and congratulations to be heard during the

North Tower’s official opening.

“Guests at the event have shared with me

how moving and memorable this

ceremony was to them and it was truly a

special moment that none of us will ever

forget,” says Bonnie Adamson, LHSC

President and CEO.

Some people who were unable to attend

in person to share those warm wishes sent

them via letter or video. The following is

an excerpt from a letter sent by Premier

Dalton McGuinty:

“This special occasion not only

underscores the integral role that London

Health Sciences Centre plays in ensuring

quality care in London — but also pays

tribute to the community spirit that helped

build the North Tower.

I commend everyone who worked

tirelessly to make this new building

possible. Know that your fine efforts have

helped to usher in a new level of care at

London Health Sciences Centre.”

Check out the Page Online where you

will find links to videos and letters from:

• Stephen Harper, Prime Minister

• David Johnston, Governor General of

Canada

• Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario

• David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor

of Ontario

Do you have any special

memories or photos that you’d

like to share? Visit the Celebrating

South Street Hospital website

(http://www.lhsc.on.ca/About_Us

/LHSC/Who_We_Are/SSH/)and

click on the Share Your Memories

tab where you can upload your

own photos and stories.

This website also contains

hundreds of historical photos and

information about South Street

Hospital, as well as the video that

was shown in the Busby Lecture

Theatre throughout the weekend.

The Busby Lecture Theatre was hoppingthe whole weekend as event-goers tooka break to watch a video about thehistory of South Street Hospital.


11) Post event internal communication a. All staff broadcast email from Bonnie Adamson “What a Wonderful Day” sent on

September 28, 2011 b. Special edition of the Page staff newsletter

Newest LHSC building officially openedhttp://www.londoncommunitynews.com/2011/09/newest-lhsc-building-officially-opened/Februray 7, 2012

By Mallory Clarkson

Victoria Hospital’s newest addition officially opened Tuesday (Sept. 27) to much fanfare. Theannouncement for the hospital’s 600,000 sq. ft. north tower brought out hundreds of people, packingthe facility’s second floor auditorium and main and second floor lobbies where people watched ontelevision monitors.

While $305 million of the $360 million project came from government contributions, London HealthSciences Centre (LHSC) president and CEO Bonnie Adamson said the building was built for thecommunity, by the community.

“I’m sure you’re all familiar with the saying, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ Well, I think that in thestory of LHSC, the saying would be, ‘It takes a community to build a hospital’,” Adamson told thepacked auditorium. She added, while the project wouldn’t be possible without government support,it wouldn’t have been enough.

“Hospital foundations have changed from optional to essential,” Adamson said. “As all of you know,foundations rely on the generosity of corporations and businesses, but they also rely on thethousands of citizens who give their time and resources to our fundraising efforts whetherindividually or through a service of agreement.”

In total, between the Children’s Health Foundation and the London Health Sciences Foundation,$55 million was raised for this project.

Construction costs for the building was shared with the Health and Long-term Care ministry — thefacility’s exterior and interior were cost-shared 70/30 and 90/10, respectively.

The 11-floor building is occupied with many programs and services, which include laboratories andsurgical, mental health and pediatric units.

The idea of creating this facility has been talked about since the 1990s. Peter Johnson, LHSCboard chair, said building Victoria’s newest building came about when the closure of the SouthStreet Hospital became immanent.

“The north tower provides the new larger spaces needed in order to consolidate a number of areasof acute care,” Johnson said. He added that unlike the South Street Hospital, the north tower alsomeets today’s hospital building and fire marshal codes, as well as the infection control standards.The extra capacity also allowed for the decommissioning of South Street facility.

http://www.printfriendly.com/print/new?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.londoncommunitynews.com%2F2011%2F09%2Fnewest-lhsc-building-officially-opened%2F


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2| LHSC~A New Era in Health Care•Saturday,October1,2011

I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone

celebrating the official opening of the North Tower at London Health Sciences

Centre’s Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario.

The completion of the North Tower is the result of a visionary and

successful partnership between the London Health Sciences Centre and St.

Joseph’s Health Care Centre committed to enhancing health care delivery in

southern Ontario. This new building has added 600,000 square feet to Victoria

Hospital and now houses a number of crucial medical programs and services that

will strengthen the London Health Science Centre’s outstanding patient care,

teaching, and medical research capabilities.

I would like to congratulate everyone responsible for bringing this

remarkable project to fruition, including private donors, community leaders, staff

members, and volunteers. You can take pride in knowing that your efforts are

making a positive difference in the health and well�being of your fellow citizens.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish you a memorable

day.


OTTAWA

2011

I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone

celebrating the official opening of the North Tower at London Health Sciences

Centre’s Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario.

The completion of the North Tower is the result of a visionary and

successful partnership between the London Health Sciences Centre and St.

Joseph’s Health Care Centre committed to enhancing health care delivery in

southern Ontario. This new building has added 600,000 square feet to Victoria

Hospital and now houses a number of crucial medical programs and services that

will strengthen the London Health Science Centre’s outstanding patient care,

teaching, and medical research capabilities.

I would like to congratulate everyone responsible for bringing this

remarkable project to fruition, including private donors, community leaders, staff

members, and volunteers. You can take pride in knowing that your efforts are

making a positive difference in the health and well�being of your fellow citizens.

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish you a memorable

day.


OTTAWA

2011


September 27, 2011



Ensuring the continued good health of our citizens is one of our province’s top priorities. And to meet that priority, we rely on Ontario’s hospitals to deliver quality health care. This special occasion not only underscores the integral role that London Health Sciences Centre playsin ensuring quality care in London — but also pays tribute to the community spirit that helped build the North Tower.

I commend everyone who worked tirelessly to make this new buildingpossible. Know that your fine efforts have helped to usher in a new level of care at London Health Sciences Centre. Our government is proud to have been a partner in this important project.


Dalton McGuinty

Premier


September 27, 2011



Ensuring the continued good health of our citizens is one of our province’s top priorities. And to meet that priority, we rely on Ontario’s hospitals to deliver quality health care. This special occasion not only underscores the integral role that London Health Sciences Centre playsin ensuring quality care in London — but also pays tribute to the community spirit that helped build the North Tower.

I commend everyone who worked tirelessly to make this new buildingpossible. Know that your fine efforts have helped to usher in a new level of care at London Health Sciences Centre. Our government is proud to have been a partner in this important project.


Dalton McGuinty

Premier

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|3LHSC~A New Era in Health Care•Saturday,October1,2011

Since its humble start as the London General Hospital in 1875, London Health Sciences Centre has provided compassionate, innovative and high-quality care to the people of London and the region, challenging the limits of the practice of medicine each step of the way as it grew and evolved.

Whether teaching tomorrow’s brightest health-care professionals, or developing medical, technological and surgical firsts, we have always been at the leading edge of care. The opening of the North Tower at Victoria Hospital is a clear demonstration that, 136 years later, that spirit of innovation is alive and well.

The North Tower is home to many of Victoria Hospital’s clinical programs and services, as well as those of Children’s Hospital and the Grace Donnelly Women’s Pavilion, and is the product of eight years of planning and collaboration between many partners across London, the region and the province.

Beyond being an appealing environment, the North Tower was purposefully designed based upon input from our own health-care practitioners, patients and their families. The result is a beautiful, safe and highly functional design that truly sets a new standard. It represents a new era of health care in London and the region and provides us with a new backdrop for the realization of our vision of exceptional experiences, extraordinary people and engaging partnerships.

Already, staff and physicians in the North Tower remark about how the new facilities enable excellent quality of care. And, most importantly, the tremendously positive feedback of patients treated in the new facility tells us we’ve got something really special here.

There are many people to thank for making it a reality. We’d like to first recognize all of the individuals that have

worked diligently behind the scenes over these past eight years - your time, perseverance and dedication to the project have helped to ensure a smooth transition for patients, families, physicians and staff.

We’d also like to acknowledge the efforts of all those who work directly with patients, as your commitment to the provision of exceptional patient care never waivered during times of great change and transition. We thank you for all that you have done and all that you do each and every day.

Another important thank you goes to the architects, engineers and construction workers who have brought our plans to life in a spectacular fashion.

Next, we’d like to thank our many partners, especially the provincial government and our local representative members, Infrastructure Ontario, the South West Local Health Integration Network and our two Foundations; Children’s Health Foundation and London Health Sciences Foundation and their generous donors.

We would also like to recognize St. Joseph’s Health Care London. Together, we have been on an almost 14-year journey to reorganize and align the delivery of acute care services in London. You have been paramount to the successful transfer of many staff and clinical programs that are now home in our North Tower. With the transfer of perinatal and neonatal intensive care programs, you have shared with us a special piece of your organization’s history, one that we will look to build upon as we embrace the future in our new spaces. We look forward to continuing our restructuring journey with you.

The opening of the North Tower reflects a new day in patient centred health care and is an example of what true collaboration can accomplish. It reflects the underlying values that will guide us as we look to the future and redefine our legacy of care.

A message to our community

Bonnie Adamson,President and Chief Executive Officer

Peter Johnson,Chair, Board of Directors

BONNIE ADAmSON

PETEr JOHNSON

“ExcEptional ExpEriEncEs · Extraordinary pEoplE · Engaging ExpEriEncEs”

Patient rooms• All patient rooms are on the outside walls to

maximize natural light and provide beautiful views of the city

• An increased number of private rooms with attached three-piece washrooms

• Patient lifts in rooms to assist nursing staff with patient moves

• Bedside patient entertainment systems with patient monitoring capability

• Low-level lighting and noise control to minimize patient disturbances

• Automatic adjustable beds

Visitors• Comfortable waiting and family seating areas• Quiet rooms on each floor• Large healing garden in the atrium

infection control• Isolation rooms to minimize the spread of

infections on each floor• Dedicated hand wash sinks in each patient and

treatment room• Six dedicated patient elevators for patient transport• Dedicated soiled and clean elevators for transport• Use of non-toxic, easy-to-clean, durable materials

education centre• A 350-seat, state-of-the-art auditorium• Several meeting rooms with the latest in educational

technology including video-conferencing• A new library with customized and comprehensive

literature searching

Construction began on the 600,000 square-foot building, home of Children’s Hospital and the Grace Donnelly Women’s Health Pavilion at London Health Sciences Centre in the summer of 2002 and was completed in spring 2011. The project began during milestone 1 and its completion and occupation took place as a part of the milestone 2, Phase 2 stage of the overall redevelopment project. This new addition makes LHSC’s Victoria Hospital the largest health care campus in Ontario. The building was designed by HDr Inc. and constructed by EllisDon. The total building cost of the North Tower including financing, ancillary and

construction was $360 million. This exciting journey began with an underlying philosophy that ‘nature’ is another word for healing, which set the foundation for design decisions ranging from location of the patient rooms to the colour of each and every wall. The inclusive design process encouraged the voices of all stakeholders to become collaborative partners with facilities planning. The environment speaks to a welcoming, caring, sensitive, comfortable and compassionate place committed to patient healing, safety and well being; where patients and families are encouraged to participate in their care.

We believe this building is a reflection of our dedication and commitment to creating a therapeutic state-of-the-art environment for patients and families.

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4|

cElEbrating a new erA of hEalth carE

to london hEalth sciEncEs cEntrE’s nEWEst additionWElcomE

fEaturEs of thE north toWEr

LHSC~A New Era in Health Care•Saturday,October1,2011

Phot

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A number of people representing London Health Sciences Centre, its Foundations, donors and individuals in the communities it serves participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the North Tower.

Pictured from left: Mayor Joe Fontana; Children’s Health Foundation Board Chair, Michael Lerner; child representative, Travis Cudney; LHSC Board Chair, Peter Johnson; LHSC President and CEO, Bonnie Adamson; donor Terrence Donnelly and London Health Sciences Foundation Board Chair, Kirk Baines.

1st floor• Gift Shop• London Health Sciences

Foundation• Main Entrance and Lobby• Pharmacychildren’s hospital• Children’s Health Foundation• Paediatric Family

resource Centre• Paediatric Medical Day Unit

2nd floor• Auditorium• Education Centre• Endoscopy• Imaging• IV Therapy• Library• Medical Day Unit• Nuclear Medicine• Parking Garage Entrance• Tim Hortons• Urgent Neurology Clinic

3rd floor• Audiology and Speech

Language Pathology Clinic• Head and Neck

Surgery Clinic• Simply Puur Cafechildren’s hospital• Paediatric Otolaryngology

4th floor• Obstetrical Care Unitchildren’s hospital• Neonatal Intensive Care

5th floor• Medical Genetics Clinic• Women’s Ambulatory Care

6th floorchildren’s hospital• Inpatient Unit

7th floor• Adult Mental Health

Inpatient Unit

8th floorchildren’s hospital• Child/Adolescent mental

Health Unit

9th floor• Adult Medical/Surgical

Inpatient Unit

10th floor• Clinical Laboratories

At a special ceremony attended by hundreds, the new North Tower at London Health Sciences Centre’s Victoria Hospital was officially opened on Tuesday, September 27, 2011. recounting the story of the multi-year journey to develop the North Tower, LHSC president and CEO, Bonnie Adamson and board chair, Peter Johnson, thanked the numerous LHSC teams and the many other external contributors for their support, commitment, hard work and generosity in making the North Tower a reality. Special video presentations were woven throughout the program which not only brought the new patient care spaces to life for the attending audience, but also shared the most important part of the building’s story, the exceptional experiences of the people who work, practice and receive care in the North Tower. The historic moment was commemorated with the sealing of a beautiful time capsule containing items from each of the programs and services that call the building home and a very special ribbon-cutting ceremony. A surprise element, a flash mob singing “What a Wonderful World” closed the ceremony, with voices filling the auditorium and atrium spaces where guests had gathered. For more information, or to view video footage of the special choral element, please visit, http://www.lhsc.on.ca/About_Us/LHSC/Publications/Features/NTOpening.htm.

sunday, december 12, 2010 It was a momentous occasion for Children’s Hospital as 51 paediatric inpatients were moved to their new sixth floor home in the North Tower. The move to the new Children’s Hospital inpatient unit began shortly after 7 a.m. with staff support from clinical team members, facilities planning, information technology, housekeeping, portering and security. Dr. Beary Goode was on-hand to conduct special “welcoming rounds”, in which he delivered a commemorative move teddy bear to each child in their new room. Laurie Gould, LHSC’s executive vice president, patient centred care, was also there speaking with patients and families as they settled in to their new rooms. Patients and their families were very quick to share their happiness about the increased privacy, light and family-friendly features present in the new Children’s Hospital unit. To mark this significant milestone for Children’s Hospital, a special ribbon cutting ceremony was held. Six-year- old Olivia romkes, the first patient to move into the new B6-100 unit, cut the ribbon alongside her parents, Carolyn and David, brother Joshua, hospital and unit leadership and staff, Ollie the Clown and Dr. Beary Goode.

tuesday, may 31, 2011 LHSC joined proud parents Candi and Peter Boultbee in celebrating the birth of the first baby born in the North Tower. Arriving just before 1 a.m. baby girl rowen weighed seven pounds, 13 ounces. New mom Candi was happy to deliver at LHSC and thanked staff for her care. “I truly feel like part of the hospital family; everyone has been very kind and helpful.” LHSC’s obstetrical care unit, along with an early transfer team of nurses, physicians and specialists from St. Joseph’s, moved into their brand new space in the Grace Donnelly Women's Health Pavilion at Victoria Hospital just the day prior on May 30. Dr. Kirk Hamilton, a family physician who also specializes in obstetrics, was part of baby rowen’s care team and delivery. “I am very excited to be a part of the first birth in the new North Tower. The new facility is amazing and I am especially pleased to be working side-by-side with my new colleagues from St. Joseph’s.” LHSC president and CEO, Bonnie Adamson was on-hand to congratulate the family and thank the health-care team. “This is an historic moment as we welcome the first baby born in our new North Tower and as we welcome St. Joseph’s physicians and staff to LHSC. Together we will continue to provide our outstanding tradition of care to mothers, babies and families.” A beautiful gift basket was presented to the Boultbee family by LHSC and the London Health Sciences Foundation. The following companies were thanked for their generous contributions to the gift basket:• CIBC Masonville Branch, for their gift of

a $2,500 bank account in the baby’s name.

• Gordons Gold Jewellers, for their gift of a silver Baby’s First Curl keepsake box.

• Shoppers Drug Mart, 1051 Wonderland road South, for their gift of baby care products.

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chErishEd firsts

The north tower has provided lhsc with a host of new “firsts” over the past year. these firsts remind us that the

building is only the backdrop to the real stories of our organization. the true stories that live on are never just about bricks and mortar – they have and always will be about the people who work, practice and receive care within our walls.

over the past year, we have had many reasons to celebrate as we’ve moved into our newest spaces in the north tower. the following cherished firsts highlight what we’re most proud of – exceptional experiences, extraordinary people and engaging partnerships.

saturday, october 2, 2010

It was a day of celebration as the first inpatients were moved into the new North Tower. Sixty patients (26 general surgery patients and 34 orthopaedic surgery patients) were moved to level 9 of the new North Tower, a floor specially constructed to meet the care needs of surgical patients. The move began at 9 a.m. with staff from various hospital areas – surgery, facilities planning, information technology, housekeeping and portering – all eagerly awaiting the first patient, Kari Odam, who was accompanied by her husband, michael. “Wow,” said Odam, upon first exiting the elevator to a group of smiling faces welcoming her as the first patient to the floor. Upon arrival to her room, Odam was again impressed and said, “the large windows and brightness of the room is wonderful. I am happy that I will get to complete my recovery in this new space!”

sunday, June 5, 2011 The delivery of obstetrical and neonatal care in the city of London forever changed as all obstetric and neonatal care services transferred from St. Joseph’s to LHSC. In a little under four hours, 38 patients, including 23 neonatal infants, were safely moved from St. Joseph's Hospital to the new purposefully built facility at Victoria Hospital. The successful completion of the transfer marked a significant milestone for both hospital organizations. Baby Zoe Puddy was the first of the neonatal infants to be transferred. As such, her first journey outside of the hospital was a special one. riding along with Zoe and her mom was St. Joseph’s president and CEO, Gillian Kernaghan. Upon arriving at LHSC’s North Tower, they were warmly received by LHSC executive vice president, patient centred care, Laurie Gould. The “handover” of Baby Zoe, from Gillian to Laurie, was symbolic of the transfer of all obstetric and neonatal care from St. Joseph’s to LHSC. The safe and seamless transfer of patients, staff and equipment could not have been possible without the coming together of many partners, including, the extraordinary move teams that consisted of staff and physicians from both organizations, Health Care relocations, middlesex-London EmS, Voyageur Patient Transfer Services and Campbell Bros movers.

LHSC~A New Era in Health Care•Saturday,October1,2011

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at homE in thE north tower

pharmacymoving into the first floor of the North Tower in September 2009, the large pharmacy space is an environment designed to enhance patient safety. The modern location is home to a dispensing robot (Swisslog PillPick), which dispenses unit dose medications and is capable of automatically bar coding, packaging, storing and dispensing individual doses of medications. Sterile intravenous medication doses are prepared in a dedicated “clean room” environment. The clean room provides an environment where air is filtered through bacterial filters. This, along with the aseptic technique employed by pharmacy personnel, reduces the risk of product contamination. Wireless network access is available to pharmacists, enabling connection to the electronic patient care system through hand held computer tablets. The new space also includes work space for pharmacists and a team work room, where staff meet to participate in educational sessions. The pharmacy provides inpatient medication dispensing to LHSC’s Victoria Hospital and Children’s Hospital. Annually, the VH pharmacy processes over 700,000 prescriptions; dispenses 3 million unit dose medications; and prepares over 300,000 sterile intravenous doses.

Offering patients, family members and staff easy and convenient access to reliable information about children’s health and medical care, the paediatric family resource centre moved into its new space on June 14, 2011. The resource centre provides unbiased information that helps families make informed decisions about their child’s care through a variety of resources including: medical reference books; computer programs; parent guides about health and illness;

bereavement books; children’s story books on health issues; information about parent support groups; literature searches; and, video and audio information on health issues. Parents visiting the resource centre can also use a variety of resources to help stay in touch with work, friends, or family, including e-mail, fax, Internet, photocopying or scanning, local calling and two desk areas.

On Monday, May 15, 2011, the paediatric medical day unit began to see patients in its new North Tower home. The new space offers a lot of child and family friendly features. It includes a fish tank and bubble wall, which enthrall young patients while they wait for their appointments and those coming for treatment have their own waiting space to protect them since their immune systems are not currently functioning at their full potential. Art therapy rooms, blood collection stations and treatment rooms allow more therapy and procedures to be completed in a paediatric environment. medical

hubs keep the physicians and health-care providers within close proximity of the children they are seeing. The PMDU is the outpatient component of Children’s Hospital. The unit provides care for children in the form of medical/diagnostic interventions/treatments, as well as outpatient clinics. It also includes the developmental follow-up clinic, which serves as an important surveillance program for the neurodevelopment of high-risk infants who have been cared for in the NICU. Approximately 32,000 visits take place in the PMDU each year.

children’s hospital paediatric medical day unit (pmdu)

children’s hospital paediatric family resource centre

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Endoscopy, iV therapy, and medical day unit

Endoscopy and IV therapy moved into the North Tower on Monday, June 13, 2011. Medical day unit followed a couple months later on monday, August 15. With four procedure rooms and a recovery room within the unit, the endoscopy program provides screening and performs over 3,600 endoscopic procedures yearly. The nurses in the IV therapy program administer medication and blood products to patients that require treatment and monitoring on an outpatient basis. These treatments are done in hospital for patient safety reasons but do not require an overnight stay. In the medical day unit, highly skilled nursing staff provide care to over 10,000 visits per year, for pre-and post-procedural care to patients receiving care in interventional radiology, cardiology and endoscopy.

nuclear medicineNuclear medicine moved into its new space in two phases; the first in May 2009 and the second in May 2010. It is a branch of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material, referred to as radiotracers, to diagnose or treat a variety of diseases, including many types of cancers, heart disease and certain other abnormalities within the body. Depending on the type of nuclear medicine exam you are undergoing, the radiotracer is either injected into a vein, swallowed or inhaled as a gas and eventually accumulates in the organ or area of your body being examined. Images taken can offer details on both the structure and function of organs and tissues. The nuclear medicine department performs about 9,000 diagnostic and therapeutic procedures each year and is one of the largest departments in North America. With 23 staff and physicians, the department also provides educational training for nuclear medicine technologists and physicians.

urgent neurology clinic On Friday, June 17, 2011, the urgent neurology clinic moved to its new North Tower space from its previous location at South Street Hospital. The move was an effort to improve patient access, service availability, as well as patient safety. It will remain in its B2 space for an interim time period of 24 months. After this time, the clinic will move into space at Victoria Hospital that is currently being renovated. The clinic is home to 2,500 ambulatory visits each year and provides a range of services supporting adults’ neurologic symptoms related to the brain, spinal cord or nerves throughout the body, that need to be investigated within a 72-hour period. Patients are referred to this clinic from local emergency depart-ments, community medical specialists as well as family practitioners. Typically, patients with recent onset of symptoms such as headache, blurred vision, unsteady gait, unmanageable pain, and area numbness are seen in the urgent neurology clinic by a staff neurologist often assisted by a medical resident in training.

CONGRATULATIONSto the

LHSC

LONDON: 519 672 4510

TORONTO: 416 867 3076

www.lerners.ca

Thank you for yourcontinued commitment

to community anddedication to compassion.

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head and neck surgery clinic

The head and neck surgery clinic moved into the North Tower in March 2009. It provides care to patients with cancers of the throat, tongue, mouth, face and thyroid, in an innovative care setting. Treatment rooms are equipped with beds and operating room quality lights, with cautery machines and supply carts readily accessible. This state-of-the-art, patient-centred-care setting allows for rapid diagnosis and in same cases, immediate treatment. The clinic treats over 95 per cent of head and neck cancers diagnosed in southwestern Ontario. Through the translational head and neck cancer research program, clinicians are also working to improve the effectiveness of patient treatment and protect and enhance patient quality of life.

children’s hospital paediatric otolaryngology

and head and neck surgery clinic

Also moving to the North Tower in March 2009, the clinic provides care to children of southwestern Ontario in a state-of-the-art space that emphasizes a patient- centred approach in disorders of the ear, nose and throat (ENT). The types of problems that are seen range from common ENT issues to more complex illnesses that require multidisciplinary care. The clinic is specially designed to include digital microscopes and endoscopic digital towers with television monitors to optimize care and aid in patient and family involvement. The clinic space and waiting room have a number of enhancements to help decrease a child's anxiety and promote comfort. The paediatric otolaryngology team is actively involved in both innovative and nationally recognized research in disorders of the ear, nose and throat in children.

audiology and speech-language

pathology servicesAudiology, in close partnership with the paediatric otolaryngology and head and neck surgery clinic,

provides a full range of hearing assessments for all age groups. In addition, the prescription and assessment of hearing aids, Fm systems and other amplification devices are offered in a setting that includes sound treated rooms with the most current technology. Close ties with The University of Western Ontario are maintained through participation in research and student training opportunities. Speech-language pathology provides care to patients in many areas of the hospital such as cancer care, medicine, critical care, trauma, and palliative care. In the outpatient clinic, patients with conditions treated by the head and neck team are seen for speech and swallowing management using specialized equipment. Speech-language pathology strives to ensure a high quality patient experience, in a rich learning environment for students and colleagues. The vocal function clinic is a specialized service offered through collaboration between otolaryngology and speech-language pathology. The physician and speech-language pathologist examine the appearance and movement of the vocal cords using highly specialized equipment connected to a video camera and recorder. Patients with voice disorders come here from across southwestern Ontario to learn the cause and recommended management of these problems.

children’s hospital neonatal intensive

care unitOn June 5, 2011, the delivery of neonatal care in the city of London forever changed as all neonatal intensive care services transferred from St. Joseph's Health Care London to the brand new unit at London Health Sciences Centre. The 42-bed, 23,000 square foot care unit serves the southwestern Ontario region and parts of northern Ontario. The NICU consists of three pods and sees approximately 650-700 admissions annually, with an average length of stay of 23 days. Infants are admitted from 24 weeks to greater than 42 weeks gestation, for reasons such as prematurity, anomalies, surgical intervention or sepsis. Pod A houses eight single room “care by parent” spaces, where parents can live for up to several weeks prior to discharge. The state-of-the-art cardiorespiratory monitors and equipment have created an environment dedicated to family centred care and privacy for infants and families.

GENERAL CONTRACTORSCONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT DESIGN BUILD

of LondonHealth Sciences

Centre since1996.

Proud to bepart of the

growthand

development

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children’s hospital inpatient unit

The 64-bed inpatient unit of Children’s Hospital was officially opened on Sunday, December 12, 2010. It provides care to patients up to 18 years of age, from across southwestern Ontario and has approximately 3,500 admissions per year. The philosophy of family centered care coupled with state-of-the-art technology ensures an approach that enables parents and staff to partner in the care of children. Children requiring care have access to expert paediatric care givers, diagnostics and therapies. Each patient room includes an entertainment system, as well as large windows to let in the healing light and for children to view the many trees in London. The floor has activity areas geared to various age groups as well as rooms designed for specific treatments and procedures, so that children feel their rooms are a “safe” haven. rooms of special mention on the floor include: Ashley’s Backyard, a play area for infants to 5-year-olds; The National Bank room, a play room for crafts and messy play for children 6-11; and the Starlight Teen room, where computers and games delight 12- to 18-year-olds. Providing an amazing space for children and their families, other floor features include: a new gym for strength and mobility training; a family lounge for children and families to relax in; and, the ronald mcDonald rooms where parents can live while their child is in hospital.

obstetrical care unit Victoria Hospital’s obstetrical care unit moved into its brand new space in the North Tower on Friday, June 3, 2011. Two days later on June 5, all obstetrical care patients receiving care at St. Joseph’s Hospital were transferred to the new unit at LHSC. Together with the transfer of some women’s ambulatory care services from St. Joseph’s, the moves to the North Tower represented an historic consolidation of many women’s services. Home to London’s only birthing centre, antenatal unit and obstetrical triage, this area provides birthing services to 6,000 women and their families annually in 16 labour and birth recovery rooms. These rooms all have fantastic views of the city, as well as private bathrooms with large whirlpool tubs. The 21-bed antenatal unit supports women who are admitted to the hospital for care before their baby is born. The obstetrical triage area assesses over 12,000 women each year during their pregnancy.

Women's ambulatory care

Moving over the first week of May 2011, the women’s ambulatory care and medical genetics programs at Victoria Hospital now call the North Tower home. In early June, women’s ambulatory care received a number of transferring programs from St. Joseph’s including, obstetrical care and gynecology services, mother-baby wellness, pre-admission and urodynamics. Together with the transfer of all obstetrical care services from St. Joseph’s, the moves to the North Tower represented an historic consolidation of many women’s services. The women’s ambulatory care unit sees over 100,000 ambulatory visits each year and provides a range of services supporting women for basic and complex obstetrical and gynecological needs. To improve patient care, other services have been located to the fifth floor, including ultrasound services, a lab test centre, the urodynamics program and the medical genetics program.

HEALTHCARE

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of the largest teaching hospitals in

Ontario. We share your pride.

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OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL OPENING OFOCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL OPENING OFOCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL OPENING OFTHE NORTH TOWER AT VICTORIA HOSPITAL!THE NORTH TOWER AT VICTORIA HOSPITAL!THE NORTH TOWER AT VICTORIA HOSPITAL!

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Congratulations to LHSC on the official opening ofthe new North Tower at Victoria Hospital. Honeywellis proud to be a part of its development.

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medical geneticsThe medical genetics program, which moved into the North Tower during the first week of May 2011, provides a range of comprehensive services to individuals, couples, and families in a caring, respectful, and compassionate environment. The purpose of genetic assessment is to evaluate individuals or families who are potentially at risk of having a genetic condition that could be passed on to their children. Through the course of the assessment, a family history is taken and analyzed, and relevant records are reviewed. Clinical examination and diagnostic testing may also be performed to establish a diagnosis. Genetic counseling helps to provide an understanding of the diagnosis, the recurrence risk and options available to individuals and families. Services available include: general genetics, cancer genetics, inherited metabolic disorders, newborn screening, and prenatal genetics.

adult mental health inpatient unit

The adult mental health care program departed its aging facilities at South Street Hospital for its brand new space in the North Tower on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. The new inpatient unit has laundry facilities, quiet rooms for reading or listening to music, and areas for group activities or visits with families. There are also occupational therapy assessment and treatment rooms, and spaces for private interviews and consultations. The program provides care to adults who present with a wide spectrum of mental health difficulties that include mood disorders, suicidal behavior, schizophrenia, psychotic disorders and acute symptoms of distress related to family or personal crises or traumatic experiences. The program helps patients to stabilize during their admission to hospital, offers treatment and support,

and enables individuals to return as much as possible to full and productive lives. The program collaborates closely with community agencies and service providers to ensure a smooth transition for patients upon discharge from hospital. Several community partners have office space located on the unit to facilitate patient access to services prior to discharge.

children’s hospital child/adolescent

mental health unit Over four days in October 2010, the child and adolescent mental health care program moved from their previous locations at South Street Hospital to their brand new consolidated space in the North Tower. Serving inpatient, outpatient and day treatment patient populations, the new space includes an exercise room, Thames Valley District School Board classrooms, areas for both quiet and interactive activities, and spaces for visits and meetings with families. Patient rooms and common areas are bright, open, and comfortable; staff members are able to supervise the youth without being intrusive. Children and teens are encouraged to choose healthy activities that mirror their interests when they are not in hospital. Clinical services of the program include individual, group, and family therapy and/or pharmacotherapy (therapy combined with medication), with interventions tailored to meet individual patient needs. Interdisciplinary teams work with children, youth, and families, along with community agencies and schools, to address mental health concerns and facilitate normal growth and development. The program serves children and adolescents with mental health difficulties including mood and anxiety disorders, suicidal behavior, psychotic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, psychosomatic disorders, eating disorders, and symptoms of distress related to

family or personal crises or traumatic experiences. In addition, the program offers consultation to medical/surgical areas of Children’s Hospital. The integration of all services in the new facility allows smooth transitions in care and continual support for children and families within a single program.

LHSCNEW

NORTHTOWER

Congratulationsto the

www.mhalliance.on.ca

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www.schulich.uwo.ca

Building a brighter future for health careLondon is privileged to have Canada’s finest team of health care professionalsworking in our hospitals, doctor’s offices and other health care centres.

Having state-of-the-art facilities like London Health Sciences Centre’s newNorth Tower is critical for providing the best patient care, conducting world-class research and training the next generation of health care professionals.

Western and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry are proud to celebratethis new era in health care for London and region with our close partner,London Health Sciences Centre.

Congratulations.

adult medical/surgical inpatient unit

The first adult inpatient service to move into the North Tower in October 2010, the unit has 78 beds; 38 for general surgery and 40 for orthopaedic/trauma. The unit has many features including: special furniture for orthopaedic surgery patients including easy access chairs and step-in showers; advanced bedside monitoring in many of the rooms; two quiet rooms for private patient and family meetings with the care team; an onsite physiotherapy and occupational therapy gym designed to enhance the abilities for orthopaedic/trauma patients; new hand washing stations with splash-proof sides to minimize the spread of bacteria; and new education rooms for staff. The unit cares for patients that have undergone general surgery procedures related to colorectal, liver, gall bladder or bile duct obstructive disorders and cancers, as well as patients that have undergone elective and emergency orthopaedic procedures, spinal surgeries and trauma patients post injury.

After operating for many years in various locations throughout London, nine service areas of the London Laboratory Services Group (LLSG) - a joint venture of LHSC and St. Joseph’s – are now consolidated in a single space at Victoria Hospital. The move to the new space in the North Tower took place over five weeks beginning on October 25, 2010. Formed in 2000, LLSG provides a range of both routine and specialized laboratory testing and clinical consultation to support the diagnoses and treatment of patients, not only within southwestern Ontario, but nationally and internationally as well. LLSG also provides educational training opportunities and continuing education for a broad range of health-care professionals, including medical residents, pathology residents, medical laboratory

technology students, laboratory assistant students and pathologists' assistants. LLSG’s 448 employees perform more than 2,700 different types of laboratory tests, and more than seven million tests each year. It is one of only a handful of laboratories in Canada to perform testing on trace elements such as blood mercury levels, one of five labs in Ontario to perform maternal serum screening, and is a centre of excellence in flow cytometry (used for identification of leukemias and lymphomas). As an integral part of the health care system, LLSG’s technologists, biochemists, scientists and laboratory medical staff are dedicated to providing vital and accurate information that contributes to effective patient care.

clinical laboratories

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London HealthSciences Centre

on the officialopening of theNorth Tower.

A new era in health care

London Health

health sciences libraryLocated on level two of the North Tower, the Health Sciences Library is a centre of excellence that links patient care providers, clinical educators, health researchers and health-care administrators to published evidence through client-focused relationships and strategic partnerships. The portfolio-based professional services include: customized and comprehensive literature searching; publishing support for LHSC authors; one-to-one, small group and corporate instruction sessions on various research topics; and document delivery service (obtaining articles from other institutions).

patient registration/admitting

Patient registration moved to its new home in zone B, level 2 on May 9, 2011. Patient registration/admitting is responsible for providing bed management and admission services for the entire hospital.

auditorium and meeting roomsHealth care learning and education for physicians, staff, students, patients and the public will occur in the 350 seat state-of-the-art auditorium and in adjacent meeting rooms, all equipped with the latest in educational technology, including video-conferencing. These spaces reflect the hospital’s continued commitment to its teaching mandate and to its reputation as a centre of teaching excellence.

Phot

o by

Dav

e Sa

ndfo

rd

On behalf of London Health Sciences Centre and all of the individuals who

attended the North Tower’s official opening, we would like to extend a sincere thank you

to the Amabile Choir of London for their contribution to our opening program’s

surprise element – an incredible vocal performance of “What a Wonderful World”.

You can view video footage of the performance online at - http://www.lhsc.on.ca/About_Us/LHSC/

Publications/Features/NTOpening.htm.

A sPeciAl thAnk you

cymk

Visiting thE north toWEr? hErE’s What you need to know

THE OPENING OF THE NORTH TOWER AT VICTORIA

HOSPITAL is one of the greatest achievements in the

restructuring of London’s hospitals. St. Joseph’s is proud

to be a partner in the renewal of our hospital system

and how it supports our commitment to providing

compassionate care for generations to come.

CARING FOR THE BODY, MIND & SPIRIT SINCE ��

Congratulations on the opening ofthe North Tower at Victoria Hospital.

Because of ourcommitmentto better

health care...we celebratethis important

milestone.

Renowned for compassionate care, St. Joseph’s is

one of the best academic health care organizations

in Canada dedicated to helping people live to

their fullest by minimizing the effects of injury,

disease and disability through excellence in care,

teaching and research. sjhc.london.on.casjhcfoundation.org

As part of the hospital’s lettered way finding system, the North Tower is referred to as zone B.

location: Zone B is located on the northwest side of the Victoria Hospital site at 800 Commissioners Road East. The most direct way to get to zone B is through our Base-line road entrances. At the three-way stop, turn right.

entrance: Zone B’s main entrance faces Baseline road and the hospital ring road. You can also access zone B di-rectly from the P8 - Parkade 1 parking garage on ground level 0 and the level 2 link. If you use an alternative en-trance, zone B is connected to the rest of Victoria Hospital via zone C on levels 2 and 3 and zone D on level 3 only.

Parking: Patient and visitor parking is available in the P8 - Parkade 1 parking garage, which is located directly to the west of the North Tower. Parking is charged at a rate of $3.50 for the first hour and $1.75 for each additional half hour, up to a maximum of $10.50. Daily, weekly and monthly passes are also available in the parking office, located on the ground floor of the parking garage.

way finding: Signage is the primary tool used to guide patients and visitors from the time they arrive on the hospital property to the time that they reach their intended destination. Interior signage has been designed to orient patients and visitors from the general to the specific in the following order: zone, level, room number. For example, if you were visiting a patient in B4-201, you would come to zone B, take the elevator to level 4 and proceed to room 201.

food services: Zone B offers an On the Go, featuring Tim Hortons on level 2, and a Simply Puur cafeteria on level 3.

General: Visitors are reminded to wash their hands before arriving at the hospital. Hand sanitizing stations are also located at all hospital entrances and outside of patient rooms. Please do not come to visit patients if you are feeling unwell.


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In1941,anewspaperannouncementheraldedtheopeningoftheNorthWingatVictoriaHospitalonSouthStreet,callingthenewbuildingthe“LastWordinHospitalFacilities”.Itwasamomentoftriumph;

thecompletionofaprogressivecarefacilityprovidingstate-of-the-artdiagnostics,labs,obstetrics,ear-nose-and-throatclinics,themostadvancedoperatingroomsandfeaturestoensurethebesteducationofmedicalstudents.

Thatbuilding,likemanyothersbeforeandsince,owesagreatdealtothegenerosityofourcommunity.Fromindividuals,tocommunitygroupsandorganizations,tobusinesses-generousdonorshavealwaysbeenapartoftheteamenablinghealthcaretoadvancebycontinuallysupportingtheinnovationsandtheoutstandingcareofphysicians,nurses,researchers,andstaffatourhospital.

TheofficialopeningoftheNorthToweratLondonHealthSciencesCentre’s(LHSC)VictoriaHospitalwillseesimilaraccoladesgiventothistrulymodernhealthcarefacility.Itisamomentoftriumphforourcommunitytoday,pushinghealthcareforward,notonlyinLondonandregion,butrightacrossthecountryasoneofthemostadvancedmedicalstructuresofitskindinCanada.

TheNorthTowerrepresentsanotherleapforwardincare,justastheNorthWingdid70yearsagoatSouthStreet.

Andjustasitwasthen,donorsstandattheforefrontofthiswonderfulaccomplishment.LondonHealthSciencesFoundation(LHSF)applaudstheirleadershipandtheirgenerosity.

community impact

Redevelopmenthasbeenalongbutnecessaryjourneytoreduceduplicationofhealthcareservices,improvefacilitiesandequipment,respondtotheever-increasingspeedofscientificdiscovery,andfocusonpatient-centredcareforthegrowing

populationofLondonandtheregionservedbyitshospitals.TheopeningoftheNorthToweratVictoriaHospitalmarksanotherstepinthatredevelopmentjourneyandincludessignificantaccomplishmentsliketheconsolidationofwomen’sandchildren’scareunderoneroofforthefirsttimeinourregion’shistory.Whiletheprovincialgovernmentcontributedthelion’ssharetoredevelopment,donorsalsogenerouslysupportedtheseneededupgradesandnewfacilities.From1998to2005,donorscontributedatotalof$121.5million(net)duringaverysuccessfulfundraisingcampaigntosupporthealthcareinitiativesatLHSC,includingredevelopmentandtheconstructionofnewresearchfacilities.Aspartofthatcampaign,donorscontributed$47million(net)throughLHSFtowardstheNorthTower.

donors makE thEsE momEnts possiblE

Ittakesmanyhandstohelpbuildthegreathealthcareweenjoy.Thankyoutoallwhohavehelpedmakethisbuildingareality.CongratulationstothosewhohaveworkedtobuildtheNorthTower.Itisawonderfuladditiontoagreathospital.Congratulationstothephysicians,nurses,researchersandstaffwhowerepartofthevisionofthisnewerainhealthcare-andwhonowdeliverthebestofcarewithinitswalls-andcongratulationstoourdonors,forhavingthewisdom,theconsiderationandtheforethoughttosupporttheirvision.Wethankyouall.Fromthepeoplewhovolunteertheirtimetoraisemoneyatfundraisingevents,tothosewhoattendandsupportthoseevents,tothosewhopurchaseaFoundationlotteryticket,tothosewhomakeaone-timedonationinthecelebrationormemoryofsomeonespecial,toourmonthlydonors,tothosewhomakeaplanned

gift,tothosewhohadthecapacityandtheforesighttopresentalargegift…everyonecanbeproudofbeingapartofthistremendousaccomplishment.Youhavehelpedenhanceandadvancehealthcareinourcommunityandbeyond.Yourgiftsareaninvestmentinthefutureofhealthcare.Wecouldn’thavedoneitwithoutyou.Withyourhelp,wewillensuretheNorthTowercontinuestohaveadvancedequipmenttomatchthisoutstandingnewfacility.Withyourhelp,wewillcontinuetoworkwithcommunitiesacrossourregiontoensurethephysicians,nurses,researchersandstaffatLHSChavetheresourcestheyneedtoprovidethebestcarenowandintothefuture.Wecan’tdoitwithoutyou.

donors support momEnts yEt to comE

ToseehowyourcontributionscreatemomentsoftriumphinthelivesoffamiliesatLHSCandfindoutmoreaboutwhatisneededtokeepmakingsuchanoutstandingdifferenceintothefuture,pleasevisitwww.lhsf.ca.

donors enAble momEnts of triumph14| LHSC~A New Era in Health Care•Saturday,October1,2011

toP: June 21, 2002 - London city councillor Harold Usher applauds as Mrs. Grace Donnelly and children from the Montessori House of Children break ground for the North Tower which is home to Children's Hospital and the Grace Donnelly Women's Health Pavilion, as well as many other important health care programs atLondon Health Sciences Centre's Victoria Hospital.

middle: From left: former LHSC President and CEO Mr. Tony Dagnone, Mr. Keith Sumner, donor Mrs. Loraine Shuttleworth, former LHSC Chair Kelly Butt, and former LHSF Chair John Thompson. The Keith L. Sumner Auditorium is named in honour of Mr. Sumner.

bottom: From Left: Cameron Cross, Miss Lindsay Kennedy, Miss Raegan Kennedy, The Honourable Deb Matthews MPP, Miss Tara Kennedy, and Mrs. Terri Kennedy. The Kennedy Centre for Health Learning was named in honour of Dr. John C. Kennedy.

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TheartistrenderingshaveofficiallycometolifewiththeopeningofthenewChildren’sHospitalatLondonHealthSciencesCentre.Thismomentousoccasion

alsomarkstheendofa30-yearjourneytobringspecializedchildren’shealthcareinsouthwesternOntariounderoneroof.SinceWarMemorialChildren’sHospitalcloseditsdoorsin1985,decadesofplanningandpreparationhavebeeninvestedinthisnewpurposebuiltspaceforchildrenandtheirfamilies.

ThebeautifulChildren’sHospitalinthenewNorthTower,alongwithseveralkeydepartmentsofChildren’slocatedthroughoutVictoriaHospital–Chil-dren’sEmergency,PaediatricCriticalCareUnit,PaediatricCardiacCareandPaediatricRadiology–togetherformthelargestsingle-sitefacilityforacutehospital-basedhealthcareinsouth-ernOntarioandnorthernOntarioforchildrenandyouth.Children’sHospitalatLondonHealthSciencesCentreandwhatitrepresentsisnothingshortofspectacular.

“makE it smEll likE cookiEs”

Whobettertoaskwhatthenewhospitalspaceshouldbelike,thanthechildrenandfamilieswhorelyonChildren’severyday?Manyhoursofwatching,listeningandlearningfromchildrenandtheirfamiliesinspiredthedesignofChildren’sHospital.Fromarequestthatthehospitalsmelllikecookies,tomorepracticalrequestslikemorenaturallight,comfortingcoloursand“homelike”spacesfortheentirefamily,theinputfromchildrenwascrucial.Theirideaswereembracedbyhealthcareprofessionals,staff,architectsanddesignteamswhocarefullyorchestratedkeyelementsintothedesignofthenewhospital.Elementsincludedspecialcurveddoorframesandmillwork,windingpatternsinthefloordesigns,spaciouscorridorsandnaturalspacesthroughoutthehospital.Becausenaturalsettingsarehelpfulwiththehealingprocess,

thehealinggardenfillstheatriumspacewithawaterfeature,poolsandlushgreentrees.Themesofnatureinthearchitecturalelementsoneachfloorpromoteafeelingof“Hope”everywhere.Becauselightcanhelptoeasepain,reducestressandshortenhospitalstays,everypatientroomhaslargewindowstoletinbrightnaturallight-promotinghopeandhealingaschildrenandtheirfamiliesmaketheirwaythroughtheirhealthcarejourneys.

ThedesignofChildren’sincludesmorethanmeetstheeye.Evensoundwastakenintoconsideration.Studieshaveshownthathighernoiselevelsdecreaseoxygensaturation,elevatebloodpressure,increaseheartandrespirationrate,andaffectsleep.ThenewChildren’sHospitalwasbuiltwithsoundabsorbingceilingtiles,flooringandreducednoiselevelsofintercoms,pagingandalarms.Theseallworktohelpreducethestressonachildduringtheirstayandmakeiteasierforthemtorestandheal.Patientmonitorsateachbedsidenotonlyallowsforon-the-spotaccesstomedicalinformationforhealth-careprofessionals,theyalsoprovideessentialitemsforpatients,includingtelephones,Internet,television,moviesandvideogames.

AlsobroughtintoChildren’sHospital’snewdesignwerethreespecializedplayroomswherechildrenandyouthcanplay,relaxorjusthangout–awayfrommedicalprocedures.Thedesignsoftheseage-appropriateroomsrangefrombringingthesunnyoutsidein,toachildren’sfocussedactivityroomthroughtoateenroomsetting,includingvideogames.

Asincerethankyouisrightfullyowedtoallthechildren,youth,theirfamilies,physiciansandhealth-careprofessionals,scientists,planningandfacilitiespersonnel,architectsandalldesignteamsthatcontributedsomuchtothisproject.AveryspecialsalutetotheformerandcurrentChildren’sHealthFoundationBoardsofDirectorsandstaff–yourdeterminationandsupporthasbeenoutstanding.Becauseofeveryone’scollectivevisionandpassionforchildren,youhaveensuredthispurpose-builtfacilitywasthebestitcouldpossiblybeineveryway,forthemanychildrenandyouthofourcommunityandregion.

Toourdonors,aprofoundTHANKYOU.YoumadeChildren’sHospitalareality.Youinvestedinourfutureandthoseofcountlesschildrenandyouth,recognizingtheyareourfuture.ThiswouldnothavebeenpossiblewithoutthesupportofanarmyofdonorswhocontributedsogenerouslytothebuildingofthenewChildren’sHospitalwhilesupportingtheinnovativeresearchtakingplaceatChildren’sHealthResearchInstitute.Whetherindividuals,corporations,businesses,servicesorganizationsorchildrenwhobroughttheirpreciousbirthdaypartydonationsorlemonadestandpennies,youfulfilledmanydreams.

Ourincredibledonorscontributed$8milliontohelpbuildthenewChildren’sHospital,ensuringitwasbuiltwiththebestdesignsinmindandthemostadvancedtechnologyavailable,and$4milliontohelpbuildspecificChildren’sHealthResearchInstitutefloorsattheVictoriaResearchLaboratories.TheentireChildren’steamhasbeenonthisjourneytopromotechildren’shealthcareandresearch,andwearemostgratefulforyourcommitmenttoChildren.AndonSeptember27,2011weallstoodtogether,hand-in-handcelebratingtheopeningournewChildren’sHospital.

childrEn’s is your hospital

TosaythatourcommunityandregionisproudtoseethedreamofthenewChildren’sHospitalrealizedwouldbeanunderstatement.Thesizeandscopeofthisprojecthasbeenamassiveundertaking,andithasbeencompletedwithtremendousattentiontodetailandcare.Itrequiredthehelpandsupportofsomanypeople,forsomanyyears.Theeffort,supportandcommitmenttoexcellencethathavebeendemonstratedinbringingthisdreamtolifearethingsthatLondon,thecommunityandtheregioncanbeproudof.ThistrulyisYOURChildren’sHospital.

The New Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre...

morE sPAce, morE liGht, morE hoPe


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www.ellisdon.com

Congratula�ons to London Health Sciences Centre in theopening of the North Tower at Victoria Hospital.

EllisDon is proud to be a long term partner with LHSC,helping to improve health care in our community.

Building on the Foundation of a GreatHospital and Community.

Photos courtesy of: Dave Sandford


12) Special section a. “A new era in health care” insert in The London Free Press on October 1, 2011

MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release:

September 26, 2011

Celebrate the Official Opening of the North

Tower at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital

(LONDON, Ontario) – Members of the media are invited to attend the official

opening ceremony for the North Tower at London Health Sciences Centre’s

(LHSC) Victoria Hospital. The event will be hosted by Bonnie Adamson, LHSC

President and CEO, and Peter Johnson, Board Chair. Floor tours will not be

available; however, highlights of the programs and services provided in the

North Tower will be on display.

Date: September 27, 2011

Time: 4:00 p.m.

Location: London Health Sciences Centre

Victoria Hospital, North Tower (Zone B) Atrium

800 Commissioners Road East, London, Ontario

Enter from Baseline Road

For media inquiries contact:

Laura Tyrrell

Corporate Communications and Public Relations

London Health Sciences Centre

519-685-8500, ext. 75724

[email protected]


After-hours assistance:

Call LHSC Switchboard at 519-685-8500 and ask to page the communications

consultant on-call.

Visit the LHSC Media web site at www.lhsc.on.ca/media

http://www.lhsc.on.ca/media


13) Thank you letter to key event participants a. Letter to Joe Fontana, mayor, City of London, from Bonnie Adamson

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MEDIA RELEASE For Immediate Release:

September 28, 2011

London Health Sciences Centre Opens New

State-of-the-Art Hospital Facility

LONDON, Ontario - At a special ceremony attended by close to 1000 guests, the

new North Tower at London Health Sciences Centre’s (LHSC) Victoria Hospital was

officially opened on Tuesday, September 27, 2011. Hospital staff, physicians,

donors, government officials and members of the community filled the new

auditorium to capacity, with hundreds of people in the atrium watching the event

on video screens.

“The completion of the North Tower is a significant milestone for London Health

Sciences Centre. Guests at the event have shared with me how moving and

memorable this ceremony was to them and it was truly a special moment that

none of us will ever forget,” said Bonnie Adamson, LHSC President and CEO.

The state-of-the-art facility is home to many of Victoria Hospital’s programs and

services, as well as those of Children’s Hospital and the Grace Donnelly Women’s

Pavilion.

“Thank you to the numerous LHSC teams and the many other external

contributors for your support, commitment and hard work,” said Peter Johnson,

LHSC Board Chair.

During the opening event, the North Tower time capsule was sealed by Bonnie

Adamson and Peter Johnson, Board Chair. Each program that calls the North

Tower home has contributed unique and inspiring items for the capsule that are

representative of this point in time. The capsule is to be opened in 50 years on

September 27, 2061.

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As a surprise element, members of the Amabile Choir of London closed the

ceremony by singing “What a Wonderful World.”

“The opening of the North Tower represents the future of acute care delivery in

London and the region and provides a new backdrop for the realization of LHSC’s

vision of exceptional experiences, extraordinary people and engaging

partnerships,” said Adamson.

About London Health Sciences Centre

London Health Sciences Centre has been in the forefront of medicine in Canada for 136 years and

offers the broadest range of specialized clinical services in Ontario. Building on the traditions of its

founding hospitals to provide compassionate care in an academic teaching setting, London Health

Sciences Centre is home to Children’s Hospital, South Street Hospital, University Hospital, Victoria

Hospital, two family medical centres, and two research institutes – Children’s Health Research

Institute and Lawson Health Research Institute, a joint research initiative with St. Joseph’s Health

Care, London. As a leader in medical discovery and health research, London Health Sciences Centre

has a history of over 50 international and national firsts and attracts top clinicians and researchers

from around the world. As a regional referral centre, London Health Sciences Centre cares for the

most medically complex patients including critically injured adults and children in Southwestern

Ontario and beyond. The hospital’s nearly 15,000 staff, physicians, students and volunteers provide

care for more than one million patient visits a year. For more information visit www.lhsc.on.ca

- 30 –

For media inquiries contact:

Laura Tyrrell

Corporate Communications and Public Relations

London Health Sciences Centre

519-685-8500, ext. 75724

[email protected]

Visit the LHSC Media web site at www.lhsc.on.ca/media

http://www.lhsc.on.ca/About_Us/LHSC/Publications/Features/NTOpening.htm

http://www.lhsc.on.ca/


10) Media relations a. Media advisory sent September 26, 2011 b. Media release sent September 28, 2011 c. Media coverage – “Newest LHSC building officially opened” in London Community

News (2 versions)


4) Program and commemorative pin a. Print program with agenda and lyrics to “What a Wonderful World” b. Photo of commemorative pin, shown also on a LHSC staff lanyard

Official Opening of the North Tower at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital

Documents

Transcript of Official Opening of the North Tower at LHSC’s Victoria Hospital