Pointe-Claire (Québec) – January 30, 2017 – The Centre intégré universitaire de santé de services sociaux de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal and the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation have jointly announced today the opening of four new Intensive Care rooms at the Lakeshore General Hospital. The inauguration took place in the presence of elected representatives Mr. Geoffrey Kelley, Member of National Assembly for the riding of Jacques-Cartier, and Mr. Carlos J. Leitao, Member of National Assembly for the riding of Robert-Baldwin. The total number of Intensive Care beds has now increased from 11 to 15 beds, which will enable the treatment of an additional 270 patients per year.
These new facilities, equipped with the latest technology, represent the Phase 1 of a project to reconfigure and integrate the Intensive Care and cardiology units. The project is financed by the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation, thanks to a $2 million donation made by the Trottier Family Foundation. The two phases of the project are evaluated to be a $4.9 million undertaking, which will need to be raised through public donations. The ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux is allocating the budget to cover the operating costs.
The addition of four Intensive Care rooms will help ease overcrowding in the emergency room, as patients in need of an Intensive Care can now be transferred more quickly. The project is a response not only to the higher number of patients, which has quintupled since the hospital’s opening in 1965, but also an aging population, whose medical needs are more complex. Given that more than 50% of the Intensive Care beds are occupied by patients aged 75 years or older, improvements in this sector as well as in the cardiac care available on the West Island had become essential.
While Phase 1 of the project has brought four new Intensive Care beds and state-of-the-art equipment essential to the quality of care offered to patients, Phase 2 will bring the reconfiguration of the space to reflect current best practices, the consolidation of all 8 cardiology beds on the 2nd floor, and the amalgamation of vital care expertise in one efficient multifunctional location.
“This major announcement represents a substantial move forward in terms of the services offered to the West Island population and bears witness to the success of our collaborative efforts in recent years. Thanks to donations from the Trottier family and the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation, not only will we see the authorized increase of our Intensive Care capacity by four new rooms, but the overall infrastructure of our Intensive Care facility will be rebuilt to offer a clinical environment among the best equipped in Québec. I extend my warmest thanks to the numerous people involved in this major achievement,” highlighted the president and CEO, Mr. Benoit Morin.
“We enthusiastically embrace the idea that our mission allows us to save an additional 270 lives each year, thanks to these four new rooms,” said Heather Holmes, Managing Director of the Foundation. “We are particularly grateful to the Trottier Family Foundation, who entrusted us with a significant donation toward this project. That said, much work remains to be done to complete the financing effort for Phase 2 of the project. In that regard, I would like to thank the 40 Westt and the West Island Muslim Community for their contributions,” added Mrs. Holmes.
“The Trottier Family Foundation is happy to contribute to the improvement of hospital services that will benefit everyone. This project is all the more significant for the people of the West Island as it will serve to reduce the number of ambulance transports and hospital transfers toward the downtown area, and can save previous minutes in critical life-and-death situations,” added Mrs. Louise Rousselle-Trottier.
About the Lakeshore General Hospital Foundation
Founded in 1964, the Foundation’s mandate is to collect the necessary funds to improve patient care at the Lakeshore General Hospital. In this way, it contributes to the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment, major structural renovations, and assists in supporting programs and specialized training for the professional staff, providing funding to initiatives not supported by the government.
About the CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal
The CIUSSS de l’Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal emerged from the grouping of West Island HSSC, CSSS Dorval-Lachine-Lasalle, St. Mary’s Hospital Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, West Montreal Readaptation Centre, Grace Dart Extended Care Centre, Batshaw Youth and Family Centres and Ste. Anne’s Hospital. Over 10,500 employees and 750 doctors work for the organization.
