MGH welcomes first outpatients for care in Ken and Marilyn Thomson Patient Care Centre

Anita Hawkshaw visited Michael Garron Hospital's (MGH) Ken and Marilyn Thomson Patient Care Centre (Thomson Centre) with family member, Alex, for the first time on January 23.

They were among the first outpatients to visit the building, which opened that day. 

“The new building is beautiful and the layout made our visit very efficient,” Anita says.

“I really love how accessible the Thomson Centre is from the parking garage,” Alex adds.

"It makes the patient experience smoother, especially for people with mobility issues.”

All hands on deck to ensure successful opening

The collaboration of many interdisciplinary teams at MGH helped make the opening of the Thomson Centre a success.

In the week leading up to January 23, team members and volunteers from different departments worked together to pack, sanitize and unpack equipment.

This helped ensure the smooth relocation of various outpatient clinics to the Thomson Centre, including the Ultrasound Clinic, Eye Clinic and Hand Therapy Clinic.

This teamwork also helped ensure the efficient launch of the new Patient Registration area, an additional entrance at Sammon Avenue and other spaces that will help improve the experiences of patients, caregivers and visitors.

“The journey to the Thomson Centre allowed me to get to know my team – and other teams across the hospital – in a whole new way,” says Aileen Dela Reyna, Registered Nurse at MGH.

“We have shown endless support for one another.”     

Outpatient clinics help address unique needs of East Toronto

The Thomson Centre has two floors of easily accessible outpatient clinics, including the Chronic Disease Unit, where three of MGH’s largest chronic illness outpatient programs are conveniently located beside one another.

This helps address the unique healthcare needs in the East Toronto community, where there is a higher incidence of chronic disease than the Toronto city average.

“Our teams are better connected now, which makes it more efficient for staff to access different units and for us to collaborate with one another,” says Tsering Choesang, Registered Practical Nurse at MGH.

To assist patients, caregivers and community members visiting the Thomson Centre for the first time, MGH has stationed volunteers in the building at a new secondary Information Desk, located inside the doors of the Sammon Avenue entrance. 

“The opening of the Thomson Centre for outpatient care marks a significant milestone in our historic redevelopment project,” says Shelley Darling, Chief of Operational Readiness at MGH who helped oversee the outpatient move.

“After months of preparation and hard work, we’re thrilled to see our teams and patients settling into this modern, state-of-the-art facility that the community deserves.”

MGH’s Thomson Centre opens for inpatient care on February 4. Stay tuned for updates!