Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC), commonly known as Sunnybrook Hospital or simply Sunnybrook, is an academic health science centre located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest trauma centre in Canada and one of two trauma centres in Toronto, the other being St. Michael's Hospital. Sunnybrook is a teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. The hospital is home to Canada's largest veterans centre, in the Kilgour Wing and the George Hees, which cares for World War II and Korean War veterans.
Sunnybrook has made surgical breakthroughs in its history, including the world's first non-invasive opening of the blood–brain barrier being performed in 2015.
History
Sunnybrook Hospital had its origins as the Toronto Military Orthopaedic Hospital at 350 Christie Street, which was also known as the Christie Street Military Hospital and, after 1936, the Christie Street Veterans' Hospital. The Collegiate Gothic building had originally been the site of the National Cash Register Company Factory in 1913 by the architects Page and Warrington, but it was converted for use as a military hospital in 1919 to house soldiers injured during World War I as well as some veterans disabled in the Boer War and the Fenian Raids. The influx of disabled soldiers returning from World War II led to overcrowding and required a new hospital. The original site was demolished in 1981 and replaced by Christie Gardens Apartments and Care Facility, at 600 Melita Crescent.
Joseph and Alice M. Kilgour, a wealthy Toronto couple, purchased 154 acres (62.3 ha) in the nearby town of Leaside and created Sunnybrook Farm, where they raised horses and hosted fox hunts. In 1928, after Joseph's death, Alice Kilgour donated Sunnybrook Farm to the City of Toronto in his memory for use as a public park.
With the consent of the Kilgour heirs, part of the parkland was transferred to the Canadian government to build a hospital for veterans to replace the Christie Street Hospital. The new building was designed by Allward and Gouinlock (Hugh Allward was the son of the sculptor Walter Seymour Allward, and George H. Gouinlock is the son of the architect George Wallace Gouinlock).
The first patient was admitted to Sunnybrook Military Hospital in September 1946. The hospital officially opened its doors in June 1948. The Christie Street hospital was converted into a senior citizens' home, Lambert Lodge.
In 1973, Sunnybrook Military Hospital became Sunnybrook Medical Centre, and in 1976, it established Canada's first regional trauma unit.
In 1991, the Province of Ontario opened major research facilities to house the rapid growth of on-campus research. The hospital merged with Women's College Hospital and the Orthopaedic and Arthritic Hospital in June 1998 under the provisions of Bill 51, but Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre was deamalgamated in April 2006 to create Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the separate Women's College Hospital.
On July 1, 2012, Sunnybrook and St. John's Rehab Hospital, which had complementary programs and services, voluntarily merged to provide a continuum of care from acute injury or illness to rehabilitation and recovery.
As of 2016, Sunnybrook maintains three campuses, with its main campus (Bayview) on Bayview Avenue in North York, the satellite Holland Centre (orthopaedic and arthritic care) on Wellesley Street East, and St. John's Rehab on Cummer Avenue. SHSC became affiliated with the University of Toronto in 1966.
On January 25, 2020, Canada's first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 was brought into Canada by a man in his fifties who had recently travelled to Wuhan, China. The man, who called 9-1-1 soon after he had become ill with minor symptoms, was placed in isolation in Sunnybrook. On January 27, the National Microbiology Laboratory, in Winnipeg, confirmed that the man in isolation was the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the country. By January 31, the man felt well enough to return home.
Areas of focus
Veterans Program
Sunnybrook has the largest veterans care facility in Canada. It is partnered with Veterans Affairs Canada, and provides long-term and complex hospital care to about 500 World War II and Korean War veterans. Staff provide three categories of care to veterans: physical support, cognitive support and palliative care. The Veterans Centre is located in the Kilgour and George Hees wings of the hospital.
Research is conducted through the Veterans & Community research program through Sunnybrook Research Institute.