Battle to keep Shriners Hospital in Montreal moves to Baltimore
Disappointed to learn that the Board of Trustees of the Shrine is recommending that the Montreal Shriners Hospital be closed, the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University announced today that they will work with Shriners from across North America to have the resolution rejected at the Shriners Annual Imperial Sessions in Baltimore this July.
"Our message will be clear. This recommendation is neither in the best interest of children nor medical research," stated Rory MacLennan, Potentate of the Karnak Shrine Centre in Montreal.
"Together we have a built a unique team, which provides consultations to more than 11,000 patients and their families on an annual basis, with about 60% of patients coming from Quebec and the rest arriving from different parts of Canada, the United States and the rest of the world. Montreal is more accessible than London by plane, air and road and able to offer care in English, French and a vast array of other languages," indicated Dr. Arthur T. Porter, Director General and CEO of the MUHC.
The hospital can claim a large number of "medical and research firsts," including the discovery of a treatment for Osteogenesis Imperfecta, or "brittle bone disease," that is now adopted around the globe, a protocol for rickets prevention that has become the world standard, and the innovative Fassier-Duval surgical device for O.I. patients.
"Most of the staff has already indicated that they have no intention of moving. As a result," stressed Gary Morrison, Chairman of the Board of the Shriners Hospital of Canada, "it will take at least a decade of rebuilding with no guarantee of success."
The Montreal offer involves the construction of a new Shriners Hospital of Canada on five acres of land on the Glen Campus of the MUHC. The site, which is valued at $5 million, has been donated by the government of Quebec. The MUHC Foundation has committed another $5 million toward the construction of a new Montreal home for the Canadian Shriners Hospital.
The new site allows for even closer collaboration with partners such as the Montreal Children's Hospital, with MUHC researchers and research centres, and with McGill University's Faculty of Medicine. "Since most of the MUHC's pediatric specialists treat children at both hospitals, the direct link between the Shriners and the Children's Hospital will lead to real improvements in patient care," added Dr. Porter. "Children who need acute care, for example, will no longer have to be transported to the Children's by ambulance. All of the necessary services and facilities will be right next door — including an emergency room and a pediatric intensive care unit. The Shriners organization will gain immediate access to these essential services while preserving its independence. They will own the hospital site and maintain a separate address."
The environmental clean-up of the Glen Campus is underway, and the Shriners site will be ready by June 30. "Our case is solid, and we have already started our campaign to secure support for keeping the hospital in Montreal. We will be redoubling our efforts over the coming weeks and are optimistic about our chances of success," stated Rory MacLennan.
For the recommendation of the Board of Trustees to be accepted and for the hospital to move to London, it must receive the support of two-thirds of the delegates at the Imperial Sessions being held in Baltimore during the first week of July.
About the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC)
The McGill University Health Centre is a comprehensive academic health institution with an international reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and teaching. The MUHC is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University — the Montreal Children's, Montreal General, Royal Victoria, and Montreal Neurological Hospitals, as well as the Montreal Chest Institute. Building on the tradition of medical leadership of the founding hospitals, the goal of the MUHC is to provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the health care field, and to contribute to the development of new knowledge.
About McGill University
McGill University is Canada's leading research-intensive university and has earned an international reputation for scholarly achievement and scientific discovery. Founded in 1821, McGill has 21 faculties and professional schools, which offer more than 300 programs from the undergraduate to the doctoral level. McGill attracts renowned professors and researchers from around the world and top students from more than 150 countries, creating one of the most dynamic and diverse education environments in North America. There are approximately 23,000 undergraduate students and 7,000 graduate students. It is one of two Canadian members of the American Association of Universities. McGill's two campuses are located in Montreal, Canada.