Josey Panetta
Public Affairs and Communications
The Toronto Hospital, (416) 340-3303
We welcome your e-mail
Goals and Philosophy
of the Integration Plan
Questions and Answers
(February 27, 1998) - The Doctors Hospital and The Toronto Hospital have
reached agreement on the transfer of programs and services from Doctors
Hospital to The Toronto Hospital, both hospitals announced today.
The Health Services Restructuring Commission directed in its July, 1997
report that Doctors Hospital's programs and services be transferred to The
Toronto Hospital. The two hospitals, together with the University of Toronto,
have been working since last fall to develop an integration plan.
The transfer will take effect on March 1, 1998. On that date, The Toronto
Hospital will assume responsibility for the operation and management of
Doctors Hospital services and programs and receive funding from the Ministry
of Health for those activities.
"The Doctors Hospital is transferring as a
strong, healthy and united organization under a plan that provides new opportunity
and resources to improve our community's access to quality care," says
Nick Torchetti, Chairman, The Doctors Hospital. "Every doctor and hospital
employee here today is commended for staying focused on patient care and
making this achievement possible."
On March 1, it will be business as usual at both hospitals for patients
and staff. Doctors Hospital staff will continue to work in their current
locations, and patients will continue to see their physicians in their regular
offices. The physical relocation of the programs and services from Doctors
Hospital to The Toronto Hospital will be completed by the end of the year.
Planning for the relocation will take place under the direction of The Toronto
Hospital with input from the Doctors Hospital board, the University of Toronto
and the local community, Patients, staff and the community will be informed
of changes as they are made through regular communications.
The programs and services transferred to The Toronto Hospital will be part
of the hospital's new priority program known as the Primary, Ambulatory
and Community Care Program. This program will be located at the Western
Division at Bathurst Street and Dundas Street and will co-exist with the
neurosciences program and other clinical programs at that site. Offsite
programs of The Doctors Hospital will continue to operate in their current
locations. These include the Women's Own Detox Centre and the Health Resource
and Wellness Centre.
"Doctors Hospital has served its community well for more than 100 years
and has built a solid foundation in community care," says Dr. Michael
Guerriere, Executive Vice President, The Toronto Hospital. "The integration
agreement allows for The Toronto Hospital to build on that foundation and
provide a new unique primary, ambulatory and community care program that
leaves the community better served."
"Patients of the new Primary, Ambulatory and Community Care Program
will have all the advantages of an integrated program providing primary
and ambulatory care," Dr. Guerriere says.
"They will also greatly benefit from a program that is integrated with
a large acute care teaching hospital. The benefits include access to sophisticated
diagnostics, specialized services and staff who are second to none. Our
patients will receive culturally sensitive care in a facility that provides
one-stop shopping and
comprehensive care.
"Bringing together the community-based care of Doctors Hospital with
the academic strengths of The Toronto Hospital will lead to the development
of an innovative community-oriented academic program," says Dr. Arnie
Aberman, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.
"The integration plan will provide some degree of continuity in The
Doctors Hospital's vision for community health care and its provision of
innovative, culturally sensitive services " says Mr. Brian McFarlane,
Chief Executive Officer, The Doctors Hospital. "The Doctors Hospital
will move, perhaps not as a whole, but certainly in important parts, to
a new site."
The Doctors Hospital board, in its advisory role, is committed to being
a positive and supportive force in the further development of the new Primary,
Ambulatory and Community Care Program and to ensuring that access to quality
community health care is maintained. 'Our objective, and our responsibility
to patients, is to do it better together, " says Mr.. McFarlane.
BUILD ON STRENGTHS OF THE TWO ORGANIZATIONS
Develop a seamless integrated continuum of care - health promotion and
disease prevention, primary and secondary care - at the Western Division
site.
COMMUNITY FOCUSED SERVICES
Provide services in a variety of settings, both at the Western Division
site and in the community, that are convenient to access and are sensitive
to the multicultural nature of the population being served.
PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKS
Work closely with other community providers and related initiatives (horizontal
linkages) as well as the tertiary and quaternary services at the University
Avenue hospitals (vertical linkages), to maximize integration and minimize
duplication.
INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAMS
Provide services through interdisciplinary teams of professionals who will
work together to improve and maintain health at a variety of levels - population,
family, individual.
ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP
Draw on the strengths of both organizations to develop the Primary, Ambulatory
and Community Care program as a nucleus of education and research for community-based
service delivery.
Are all of Doctors Hospital's services and programs moving to The Toronto Hospital, Western Division?
All services and programs currently located at the Doctors Hospital site are moving to the Western Division, with the exception of pediatric surgery and cancer services. Doctors Hospital services currently located off site, such as the Women's Own Detox Centre and the Health Resources and Wellness Centre, will continue to operate in their current locations. Cancer services, affecting a small number of patients, will be consolidated at Princess Margaret Hospital. The Toronto Hospital is in discussions with the Hospital for Sick Children, leader of the Metro Child Health Network, regarding pediatric surgery.
Will there be any job losses?
The move of programs and services from Doctors Hospital to the Western Division will result in duplication of some positions. So in some areas, there will be a reduction in the number of positions required to deliver those same services. The Toronto Hospital is committed to minimizing any job losses through various human resources initiatives; these include the introduction of a voluntary exit program, early retirement, redeployment, retraining and attrition. All staff affected by the integration process will be treated accordingly to the Metro-wide Labour Adjustment Framework Agreement developed by a Human Resources Task Force established by the Health Services Restructuring Committee.
How will patients be affected?
The Toronto Hospital has committed to provide a Primary, Ambulatory and Community Care Program at its Western Division that is a seamless comprehensive continuum of care. For patients and the community, it will be business as usual at both hospitals on March 1, 1998. Once implementation plans for the various moves begin and are finalized, they will be communicated to patients, staff and the community.
What will happen to the medical staff of Doctors Hospital?
Doctors Hospital medical staff are being given temporary appointments at The Toronto Hospital. They will have the opportunity to apply for permanent appointments on July 1, as part of The Toronto Hospital's annual re-appointment process.
How will the transfer proceed?
The Toronto Hospital is putting together an implementation task force consisting of staff from both Doctors Hospital and The Toronto Hospital. This task force will immediately begin planning for implementation of the integration plan. The Toronto Hospital has committed to complete an implementation plan, including the schedule of moves for the various programs and services to the Western Division, by April, 1998. All moves are expected to be complete by the end of December, 1998.
How will the community be involved?
Community involvement during the transition period will be an important component of planning and implementing the transfer of programs and services from Doctors Hospital to Western Division. To ensure community input, a community committee is being established to provide advice on the Primary, Ambulatory and Community Care Program. This committee will be a sub-committee of The Toronto Hospital's Community Advisory Committee, which was established in 1992. The Toronto Hospital has also committed to establishing ad hoc advisory committees comprising community representatives to advise on the transfer and ongoing operation of specific programs and services. For instance, the newly designated obstetrics program at The Toronto Hospital Western Division has been identified as a program which will have strong community input. Over the years, Doctors Hospital has developed extensive relationships with the community and innovative mechanisms to solicit community input. The Toronto Hospital will build on these relationships in seeking community input.
Is there enough space at the Western Division to accommodate Doctors Hospital services and programs?
Yes. Doctors Hospital currently has 40 inpatient beds and considerable ambulatory activity. The Western Division currently has excess bed capacity and space capacity for additional inpatient and outpatient services to accommodate the transferred services.
Doctors Hospital is known for its multicultural staff and environment. What will The Toronto Hospital do to ensure that these important features are preserved as services are moved to the Western site?
The Toronto Hospital has been serving a wide variety of cultural communities for more than 100 years. The Toronto Hospital's Western Division benefits from a multicultural staff who speak many languages as well as an in-house group of professional cultural interpreters. The Toronto Hospital looks forward to the advice of Doctors Hospital over the coming months on how to increase its ability to provide services to diverse ethnic and cultural populations.
The Toronto Hospital is a teaching hospital and is known for its highly specialized services while Doctors Hospital is a community hospital. Will The Toronto Hospital continue to provide community-based care?
Yes. Several steps have been taken to preserve the integrity of the new Primary, Ambulatory and Community Care Program, which encompasses the services and programs of Doctors Hospital, to ensure its effectiveness and accountability. These include:
For Further Information Contact:
Josey Panetta
Public Affairs and Communications
The Toronto Hospital, (416) 340-3303
We welcome your e-mail