Supporting excellence from behind the scenes
Behind every great health care organization is a flurry of behind-the-scenes activity that supports excellence. Toronto Rehab is no different. The value these support activities bring to our work in patient care, education and research is immeasurable. From simplifying access to and exchange of timely information to enabling construction and supporting research and fundraising to further advance rehabilitation care, every activity has a specific contribution to make to our ability to speed and enhance the recovery of the individuals who need our specialized services.


Supporting enhanced patient care through information management
Delivering optimum care to our patients means enabling clinicians to access timely patient information when and where they need it. Thanks to our partnership with Shared Information Management Services (SIMS), Toronto Rehab is among 13 health care organizations working together to develop a better coordinated health care system through the application of information technology that will support improved patient care, safety and satisfaction.

The foundational blocks for an electronic patient record system were placed last year with the implementation of our patient registration system. Integrated across five sites, the new system is expected to standardize our systems, eliminate duplication and improve efficiency.

Not only will these improvements support better patient care, they will be equally as helpful to us in terms of furthering our research and realizing operational efficiencies while providing greater opportunities for information gathering, knowledge-sharing, and for tracking and trending important patient care and financial data.
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Raising public awareness
Our work at Toronto Rehab relies on the generous support of individuals and organizations who share our vision for helping those whose lives can be dramatically altered by sudden illness and traumatic injuries.

With a $60 million dollar capital campaign to support, we seized the opportunity last year to heighten public awareness of rehabilitation and to highlight how we’re making a difference in people’s lives. Through an ambitious advertising campaign, created with the generous and insightful assistance of BBDO Toronto, we placed a series of provocative ads on television, radio and in print. The results have been impressive, generating a significant increase in traffic to our website, and generating a substantial increase in online donations while boosting awareness levels.
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Making room for more patients and new discoveries
Last summer, we received government approval to proceed with the Early Works phase of our redevelopment and expansion project at University Centre. The successful relocation of close to 100 support staff made room for patient services to be moved out of the south tower while allowing renovations to move forward. Demolition of the four-storey south tower is now underway to make room for a new 13-storey facility. The provincial government is currently reviewing construction bids submitted by builders and the contract will be awarded this summer with construction to follow soon thereafter.

This multi-year redevelopment project promises to transform University Centre into a state-of-the-art rehabilitation hospital with more appropriate and accessible facilities that will better serve the rehabilitation needs of our patients and the community. The changes will result in increased inpatient space as well as outpatient and on-unit therapy spaces. They will also result in over 17,000 square feet of new space dedicated to our iDAPT research initiative and education space to accommodate the more than 1,000 students who come to Toronto Rehab to complete their clinical training. This initiative is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Toronto Rehab Foundation, as well as by federal and provincial infrastructure grants.

The $10 million refurbishment of our E.W. Bickle Centre for Complex Continuing Care is also scheduled to begin in the fall of 2008. Responding to patient and family calls for an improved living environment, the project will include major improvements to patient rooms, bathrooms and public spaces such as the main lobby, patient and family lounges and activity rooms. Patients, families and staff continue to play a key role in ensuring the renewal plan improves accessibility, the living environment and overall quality of patient life in Complex Continuing Care.

The Toronto Rehab Foundation has been and continues to be a significant partner in supporting our growth at Toronto Rehab and our vision for advancing rehabilitation and enhancing quality of life. Thanks to the tireless efforts of a dedicated team of volunteers, the Foundation is 75 per cent of the way towards reaching its first capital campaign goal of $60 million – a remarkable achievement.

In the coming year, we will focus our attention on the capital redevelopment projects at our University and Bickle Centres, move closer to realizing an electronic patient record with the continued implementation of our five-year information management strategy, and ambitiously pursue fundraising opportunities to help us achieve our capital campaign goal.
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