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The spaces where care is delivered matter. After years of operating in the legacy A and B Wings, several clinical teams have moved to newly renovated spaces designed for modern healthcare delivery.
From the new BMO Child and Youth Centre (Child and Youth Centre) to the Inpatient Stroke Unit on T8 to Inpatient Family Medicine Units on H7 and G6, clinical teams at Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) are seeing firsthand how better spaces can translate to better care.
“For newborns and infants returning for routine check-ups, the Child and Youth Centre makes it seamless to connect families with the services they need,” says Nanda Ramdass, Registered Practical Nurse at MGH. “Almost every day we receive compliments on the new space from patients and their families, especially those who received care in the old space on A4. They’re totally amazed at how bright and comfortable the new space is.”
Some of that difference comes from thoughtful design. Unlike the former locations which were scattered throughout the legacy wings, the Child and Youth Centre brings 20 paediatric clinical services together in one location in a single integrated facility. Procedure rooms, exam rooms and the lab to process bloodwork are all within steps of each other.
“We don’t have to wait for rooms to open after a physician is with a patient if we need to do swabs or simple procedures. This has sped up delivery of care significantly. It’s just phenomenal,” says Ramdass.
For Ramdass, having additional procedure rooms and on-site bloodwork has been particularly impactful for delivering care for paediatric patients. Still, the improvements go beyond just efficiency.
“Paediatric patients can be especially vulnerable, and a negative hospital experience can stay with them for life – I've seen it in adult patients,” says Ramdass. “Making sure paediatric patients have the most positive hospital experience possible, that’s what drives me. It’s why I love this work.”
That commitment to excellence in paediatric care is now supported by a renovated space designed to grow with the community’s needs.
“The best part is that this space gives us room to expand and innovate. Besides SickKids, you don’t see this kind of paediatric centre at many other hospitals. To bring that level of care right here in the community – it makes me feel proud to be at MGH,” says Ramdass.
“I wish everything was like the Inpatient Family Medicine Unit on H7,” says Lisa Muc, Manager of T7 and T8 General Medicine at MGH. “It’s such a nice blend of having more space while maintaining the proximity needed for collaboration and support.”
The unit’s move from A3 to the space on H7 represents a significant upgrade in both patient experience and clinical functionality. What was once a cramped, outdated space is now a bright, modern facility designed for contemporary healthcare delivery.
“Anyone who spent time on A3 notices the difference immediately,” shares Stephen Jersak, Manager, Diagnostic Imaging Strategic Growth and Expansion (and formerly Manager, H7, General Internal Medicine) at MGH. “It’s brighter, more spacious. The overall environment just feels much more inviting. It doesn’t at all feel like a legacy space anymore.”
“There’s more room and seating for the families and loved ones of patients to visit. There’s even room for families to sit with patients and look out at the lake and the view,” says Muc.
The renovated unit provides a mix of bigger single and double rooms, allowing clinical teams flexibility in patient placement. Separate medication rooms and utility rooms allow teams to function more effectively while maintaining infection control protocols. Other practical improvements include enhanced communications technology, such as e-whiteboards, mobile phones and RTLS badges.
The improvements encompass more than an improved patient experience. For staff, the layout supports collaboration and an efficient workflow. The central nursing station keeps the team connected, while modern amenities and updated staff rooms create a pleasant work environment.
Another newly renovated space is the Inpatient Family Medicine unit on G6, which relocated from B3 to provide general internal medicine care in an updated space.
The renovated space is larger with bigger windows, providing more natural light and making it easier for patients and staff to navigate. Wider hallways provide adequate space for assessment and ambulatory care for patients to receive physiotherapy treatment.
Inside patient rooms, functioning ceiling lifts have streamlined patient transfers. A seemingly small feature, it’s one that makes a substantial difference in both efficiency and safety for staff moving patients to and from beds.
The unit's layout better supports workflows. Multiple exits and pathways around the unit give staff flexibility in moving patients and coordinating care with colleagues. When staff need focused time for charting, they can easily find quiet spaces away from the busier areas.
Like the unit on H7, the unit on G6 features a central nursing station equipped with additional computers and storage for paperwork and files. It’s the kind of practical design element that allows staff to quickly locate what they need and keep working efficiently.
The Inpatient Stroke Unit on T8 East located in the Ken and Marilyn Thomson Patient Care Centre provides a newer, dedicated space for patients recovering from a stroke to receive treatment.
Previously, stroke patients were scattered across several legacy units in A3, B3 and F3. This distribution sometimes made it challenging for clinical teams to provide the specialized, coordinated care that stroke patients require.
“Moving the dedicated stroke beds to a single unit allowed us to build a dedicated interprofessional team that’s highly skilled in stroke care,” explains Muc. “Our staff are better able to manage these patients in the new space, and ultimately that improves the care we provide.”
The central unit features remote telemetry monitoring and an Activities of Daily Living (ADL) suite, which allows the clinical team to provide comprehensive stroke treatment and rehabilitation in one location.
Better spaces do lead to better care. Across these renovated units, staff have the tools and environment they need to work effectively, while patients and families experience care in spaces designed for comfort, safety and healing. It’s a strong foundation that will serve MGH and the East Toronto community for decades to come.
