Michael Garron Hospital and Sunnybrook Formalize Partnership to Enhance Patient Care

Collaboration has always been in the spirit of Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) and the hospital has developed a reputation as a reliable partner in the healthcare system. In order to effectively meet the healthcare needs of the community, MGH knows that it cannot do it alone.

Over the past several years Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (SHSC) has become a trusted and reliable partner of MGH. Currently, the two organizations have seven separate agreements in place for programs such as robotic surgery, cancer, long term ventilation, cardiology and pathology.

With sights set on the future, MGH recently made the decision to formalize its relationship with SHSC on April 13 by signing a joint Strategic Alliance Agreement. This new umbrella Agreement will act as a guide for MGH staff and physicians looking to further develop programs and services seamlessly in partnership with SHSC. It will:

• allow for greater opportunities for both organizations to achieve their respective strategic goals – advancing patient care, education and research,
• create a corridor of care for referral and repatriation for highly specialized tertiary and quaternary services needed by the residents within the hospitals' catchment areas, and
• make it easier for programs and services to develop organic partnerships, much like the existing partnership the two organizations already have in place.

"By formalizing our strategic partnership with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre we can easily share and implement best practices, build capacity and ensure that we maintain the high-quality of care that defines our hospital," says MGH President & CEO Sarah Downey."It’s relationships like these that help us to achieve our strategic priorities as well as our commitment to building healthier communities."

This agreement will enable "our clinical teams to come together to improve access for our patients, reduce duplication of services and improve the quality of care for all of our patients" says Dr. Barry McLellan, SHSC President & CEO. "It’s a decision that’s the right thing to do for our communities and for our patients."

As a symbol of the Agreement and the commitment to collaborate, the two hospitals exchanged commemorative trees, which will blossom on each other’s campus in the year to come, just like the partnership. 

To hear more about some of the great work the two hospitals have done together and what the agreement will mean for the shared communities, please visit the MGH YouTube Channel.