Ontario to expand St. Joseph’s Health Centre
By Adam Freill
Construction InstitutionalProvince announces $1 billion plan to build new facilities and expand existing hospital in Toronto.
The Ontario government has announced over $1 billion in funding to redevelop and expand Unity Health Toronto’s St. Joseph’s Health Centre. The plans call for a new state-of-the-art patient care tower along with renovations to the existing hospital.
“Our government continues to make key investments to build the infrastructure needed to end hallway healthcare and create a stronger, more resilient healthcare system,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This over a billion-dollar investment to redevelop Unity Health Toronto’s St. Joseph’s Health Centre will ensure that patients and families can receive high-quality care when they need it.”
St. Joseph’s Health Centre is a community teaching hospital that serves the diverse and growing needs of the west Toronto community of nearly half a million people. Every year, more than 100,000 patients visit the emergency department.
“St. Joseph’s has been a staple of our community for many generations, delivering world-class research and innovative treatments,” stated Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure and MPP for Etobicoke Centre. “As our community of Etobicoke is growing, so does the need for more healthcare.”
The redevelopment will include a new patient care tower with an expanded emergency department and new spaces for operating rooms, critical care, and medical, surgical and mental health inpatient programs. Over 100 new beds are planned to be added to St. Joseph’s Health Centre, to bring the facility to a total of over 400 beds.
The updated infrastructure, new beds and enhanced services will help the world-class team at Unity Health Toronto continue to provide high-quality, compassionate care for families in Toronto.
“Today’s announcement represents a major milestone in St. Joseph’s century-long legacy that will bring high-quality care in modern spaces with the latest technology, and more private rooms,” said Dr. Tim Rutledge, president and CEO of Unity Health Toronto. “Once complete, this project will help reduce wait times, improve access to care and end hallway healthcare.”
Ontario is working with Unity Health Toronto to advance to the next stage of the planning process, which includes finalizing programming, operational and space requirements and assessing how the project can meet the healthcare needs of patients and families in the region. Once planning is completed, the hospital is expected to begin construction in the next few years based on current planning.
