Celebrating the Patient Support Centre, a critical first step in our campus redevelopment journey

Posted on September 29, 2023

Summary:

The Patient Support Centre (PSC) ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrates the end of end of major construction activities on the building. This is the latest milestone in our campus redevelopment journey.

A group of children and adults, including one adult holding a large pair of scissors, gathered around a staircase that is roped off with a large ribbon and balloons

A lot can change in a year! Last September, we reached the highest point in construction on the Patient Support Centre (PSC), which is a milestone known as Topping Off. 377 days later, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and SickKids Foundation welcomed board members, campaign donors, government officials, SickKids staff and patient ambassador families to the PSC for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the end of major construction activities on the building. The PSC is a 22-storey education, training and administrative tower and a critical first step for Project Horizon, SickKids’ multi-year campus transformation project.

Attendees gathered in the building’s light-filled lobby for the celebration, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows and playful design elements like the blue-ribbon staircase, the whimsical and dynamic art mobile, and colourful dichroic glass. Speakers included Amanda-Jean/Strong Eagle Woman, who delivered a land acknowledgement, Dr. Ronald Cohn, President and CEO, SickKids and Jennifer Bernard, President and CEO, SickKids Foundation, who shared their reflections on this accomplishment. Staff and members of the public tuned in to the celebration via livestream. A recording of the event livestream is available on the SickKids Foundation Facebook page.

"The PSC is a critical piece of infrastructure that will provide our clinical teams with better facilities for training, simulation and collaboration, so that the staff here at SickKids can continue providing the world class care we are known for, to the rapidly growing number of patient families who rely on the hospital’s services every year."

- Dr. Ronald Cohn, President and CEO

Quais Sultan, SickKids patient and his mother Sumayya also spoke at the event. They reflected on their journeys after Quais' cancer diagnosis, and their experience at SickKids.

"We are proud to be here together as a family and to be part of this historic milestone. This new building will help empower more patients and families to have experiences like ours at SickKids."

- Sumayya Khan, mother of Quias, SickKids patient

Anna, Franco and Mia Di Folco. Their late son and brother, Matteo, was a patient at SickKids who had expressed an interest in working in construction and enjoyed watching the construction of the PSC out of the window of his hospital room. At the Topping Off ceremony last September, Franco reflected on Matteo’s time at SickKids and honoured his memory.

SickKids’ newest building is a crucial enabler in the construction of a new hospital. The PSC will accommodate approximately 3,000 staff members as they to move out of their existing spaces, beginning in October 2023 and until June 2024. With these staff members moving to the PSC, SickKids will be able to proceed with the many renovations and relocations that need to take place to prepare to construct the new hospital.

The building has been designed to meet the needs of patient support functions, including administration, learning, and clinical research. The PSC’s design features and purpose-built spaces, including a new state-of-the-art Simulation Centre, will enable the seamless connection of clinical care, research and learning initiatives taking place across the SickKids campus.

Staff had the chance to explore the new building at an open house earlier this week. It was a day of pride and excitement, as they envisioned the impact this building will have through sustainable and inclusive design, staff wellness spaces, and connections to the hospital and SickKids Research Institute.

Seeing the PSC move from vision to reality is an exciting moment for Project Horizon – and for SickKids. Thank you to our partners for helping us reach this goal – and a big thank you to our staff, who contributed their time, energy and effort to not only help plan and design this building, but also to a future vision of SickKids.

Peter Goldthorpe, Vice-President, Transformation and Creative Arts Therapy staff admire the art mural hanging throughout the PSC lobby.

Rafael Velasquez, Senior Simulation Specialist, demonstrating the features and function of a high-acuity simulation room in the new Simulation Centre.

Information Services staff admiring the view from the top floor of the PSC.

This remarkable milestone would not be possible without the support, dedication and collaboration of staff, patients and families, partners, and donors. Together, we take another step forward towards a hospital of the future.

Learn more about Project Horizon.