The largest single donation to emergency medicine in Canada will elevate the standard of urgent care for older adults across the country. John and Myrna Daniels Foundation have donated a lead gift of $52 million to establish the Myrna Daniels Seniors Emergency Medicine Centre at University Health Network (UHN).
As Canada’s first purpose-built Seniors Emergency Medicine Centre, it will have full Level 1 Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation as approved by the American College of Emergency Physicians. Every element, from the lighting to the non-slip floors, will be designed to address the unique, most complex needs of older adults.
“Living a long life is a privilege, one that comes with its mounting health challenges. We see it as our personal responsibility to ensure that everyone can age with grace, dignity and respect – and having access to the very best health care is key,” says Myrna Daniels. “Establishing the Seniors Emergency Medicine Centre is a gift to our peers and the generations that age after us. The Centre will be the guiding light for best practices in caring for older adults in Toronto and throughout this country.”
The new Centre will be housed at Toronto Western Hospital (TWH), home to Canada’s largest brain, arthritis and vision programs. TWH offers its diverse patient population world-leading care with a community feel. In addition to funding the construction of the physical space, the John and Myrna Daniels Foundation’s investment will support a model of geriatric care that will become the gold standard across Canada and beyond.
“John and Myrna Daniels Foundation is honoured to be part of this historic moment in global health care. The development of the Myrna Daniels Seniors Emergency Medicine Centre will solidify UHN as a national leader in caring for older adults,” says Ron Daniels, Executive Director of John and Myrna Daniels Foundation and President of Johns Hopkins University. “It’s important we take a proactive approach to the emergency medical care of our aging population, and the Centre will be revolutionary, both nationally and globally, by transforming the patient experience, enhancing patient safety and improving patient-oriented outcomes.”