New Humber River Hospital celebrates ribbon cutting; to open for patient care on Sunday, October 18th

TORONTO, Oct. 1, 2015 /CNW/ - Officials from Humber River Hospital joined with Premier Kathleen Wynne, Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins and community representatives today to celebrate the ribbon cutting for the new Humber River Hospital.

The event was held in advance of the new hospital opening its doors for patient care on Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 6:00AM.

The new hospital is the first fully digital hospital in North America, with some of the latest technology available today integrated throughout to support excellence in care. At 1.8 million square feet, it took 43 months to build.

Quotes:

"Some years ago, this community embraced a bold new vision for the future of hospital care in northwest Toronto. They entrusted their representatives to the hospital, the Board of Directors, to deliver the acute care facility the community needed and deserved.

Today, on behalf of the members of the current and previous Boards, I am pleased to be here to celebrate this great day, and to say to them: mission accomplished. Welcome to the new Humber River Hospital."
Paul D. Allison, Chair, Board of Directors, Humber River Hospital

"This hospital is designed and built with patients and families in mind, using some of the latest technologies available to enhance the hospital experience in exciting new ways. It will support a team dedicated to providing the highest quality care with respect and compassion, in partnership with our patients and their care needs at all levels."
Rueben Devlin, President & CEO, Humber River Hospital

About Humber River Hospital
Humber River Hospital serves a catchment area of more than 850,000 people in the northwest Greater Toronto Area. The hospital currently operates on three sites with a total of 549 beds, 3,000 staff, approximately 600 physicians and 400 volunteers. It is affiliated with the University of Toronto and Queen's University Medical Schools.

Humber River Hospital is currently commissioning its new hospital for opening day on October 18, 2015. North America's first fully digital hospital, it is a lean, green and digital showcase facility. Learn more about Humber's redevelopment at www.hrh.ca/redevelopment. Follow Humber River on Twitter at @HRHospital.

Facts about the Humber River Hospital Redevelopment:

The NEW Humber River Hospital: build using the design principles of Lean, Green, and Digital.
Lean: Maximize clinical design efficiency to enable high quality, cost-effective care.
Green: Minimize the environmental impact of the new facility wherever possible.
Digital: Develop an affordable, fully integrated and interoperable digital hospital, utilizing the best possible technology to support the delivery of compassionate, respectful, patient-centred care.

• North America's first fully digital hospital
• 656 acute patient beds, including 48 critical care beds
• 80% single patient inpatient rooms
• 450,000 ambulatory clinic visits in Year One
• Approximately 117,000 ER Visits to the new hospital in the first year
• 42,000 surgeries performed in Year One
• 32: the distance in feet from portal of care to clinic reception
• 75 per cent of supplies delivered by automation: AGVs; computerized pneumatic tube
• 100 per cent fresh air throughout
• 42 per cent less energy consumption according to ASHRAE* standards
  * American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers
• 35 per cent less water used
• 700 new jobs as hospital activity ramps up
• 95 per cent of construction waste diverted from landfill
• 5 national/international awards for the project financing model
• Contracted to be LEED Silver Certified – on track for LEED Gold
• 20,000 equivalent savings in tons of CO2 due to green initiatives

Project Key Dates:

• Redevelopment Approved: December 19, 2005
• Site Approval: August 31, 2007
• Ground-breaking: December 2, 2011
• Excavation starts: January 6, 2012
• First Concrete Pour: March 24, 2012
• First technology installation (MRIs): October 24, 2014
• Substantial Completion: May 11, 2015
• Patient Move Day: Sunday, October 18, 2015

SOURCE Humber River Regional Hospital

Gerard Power, Director, Public & Corporate Communications, Humber River Hospital, 416-242-1000 ext. 81607, [email protected]