MISSISSAUGA/WEST TORONTO, ON (April 7, 2011) – The Boards of Directors of The Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre today announced their intent to merge the two hospitals, contingent on the outcomes of due diligence which will include extensive community consultation. The vision is to create a new single entity that will become a world-class community academic health network.

The vision for this new organization is to:

• Provide the best quality patient care to our community, in our community,
• Attract and retain the best health care professionals,
• Be a leading innovator in health care well-positioned to meet the increasing demands of the future,
• And ensure the most effective allocation and use of resources for our community by creating one patient experience within three interdependent sites.

The first step in reaching this vision was completed today when a voluntary integration proposal detailing a plan to bring the two hospitals together to create the new entity was filed with the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).

“This is a natural extension of the close partnership that has developed over the last three years to provide patient-centred care to our community,” said Joanne Rogers, Chair, Board of Directors, The Credit Valley Hospital.

“We believe this new organization will provide all of the necessary services so that residents of our community receive the health care they need closer to home,” said Anne Sado, Chair, Board of Directors, Trillium Health Centre.

The vision for the new organization will be focused on developing better approaches to the provision of hospital care through close teamwork among all health care professionals. The new organization will build a network of community health care providers that coordinates the patient experience through access to three sites (Credit Valley, Trillium – Mississauga and Trillium - West Toronto).

“One of the primary aims of the new organization will be to help patients and their families navigate through the health system more easily. In the future, we will have a common patient record and a harmonized approach to patient care, not just within our three sites but also with our community partners,” said Dr. Gopal Bhatnagar, Chief of Staff, Trillium Health Centre.

“The vision for the new integrated organization is all about providing the best patient care in a community-based, teaching centre that has increased capacity for applied clinical research.

Our focus is on keeping the one million residents of Mississauga and West Toronto well,” said Dr. Matt Gysler, Chief of Medical Staff, The Credit Valley Hospital.

Over the coming years, volumes will increase significantly in the region, placing unprecedented pressures on our health care system. It is projected that there will be a 21.3% growth in population between 2008 and 2018.

Credit Valley and Trillium are quality-driven, highly-efficient organizations with reputations for delivering excellent and safe patient care. In 2009-10, the hospitals served 52,489 inpatients, delivered 9,304 babies, cared for 214,674 people in their Emergency and Urgent Care departments and provided outpatient clinics to 693,496 community residents. Services include acute care, complex continuing care, rehabilitation services, ambulatory and emergency care. The two hospitals also created the Mississauga Academy of Medicine in partnership with University of Toronto Mississauga and the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto.

“In order to make the best use of our collective human and financial resources, it is essential that we make the health system work more effectively for our communities,” said Janet Davidson, President and CEO, Trillium Health Centre.

“We want to build a world-class, patient-centred community academic health network that will improve both access to services and the quality of our patient care,” said Michelle DiEmanuele, President and CEO, The Credit Valley Hospital. In 2009, the organizations started to explore a closer working relationship through their strategic planning processes. A number of clinical services have already been integrated – renal dialysis, vascular and thoracic surgery. In the fall of 2010, the two Boards met both individually and jointly to discuss how to further evolve the partnership.

The LHIN has 60 days to review the voluntary integration proposal. During that time, a broad-based consultation process will be launched to actively engage the community, patients, staff, physicians, volunteers and key partners in a dialogue about the priorities for the proposed merger.

A new website, www.partneringforpatients.ca, will provide up-to-date information on both the integration process and on how the community can be involved.

Media Contact:
Larry Roberts
Media Relations
The Credit Valley Hospital
Trillium Health Centre
Office: 905-848-7580 ext. 3832
E-mail: lroberts@thc.on.ca