September 6, 2007

TORONTO – More women and infants will get better access to obstetrical and neonatal care with the expansion of Mount Sinai Hospital, Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced today.

"Labour and delivery is a very stressful time for both mother and infant," said Smitherman. "This new neonatal and obstetrical care unit will help provide more families with better access to these necessary services, closer to home."

Minister Smitherman joined hospital staff, community members and local officials to mark the official start of construction for the Women's and Infants' expansion project at Mount Sinai Hospital.

The entire Women's and Infants' project will be cost-shared at 90% of eligible construction costs by the government when the second phase gets underway. It will include new labour and delivery rooms, a new neonatal intensive care unit and level II nurseries, as well as modern antenatal and post-natal units, and expanded ambulatory care space.

The first phase of the project involves structural upgrades to the hospital, and building a six-storey addition on top of the hospital's Murray Street west wing on University Avenue. The second phase, which will begin in Spring 2009, will include the outfitting of the six-storey shell and associated renovations.

"We welcome the government's commitment and support to the health of mothers and newborns through this exciting project," said Joseph Mapa, President and CEO of Mount Sinai Hospital. "This expansion will help provide better neonatal and labour delivery services for mothers-to-be in a state-of-the art facility. It will also provide the bright minds and big hearts at our hospital with the best environment possible within which to work, learn and offer outstanding care."

Mount Sinai's capital project is one of several hospital projects approved under ReNew Ontario, the government's five-year, $30-billion plan to modernize and replace many of the province's hospitals, schools and post-secondary institutions. ReNew Ontario includes $5 billion for health care infrastructure.

"This project will increase space by 40 per cent, increase capacity to deliver more healthy babies, and provide state-of-the-art facilities that encompass new standards in design, efficiency and infection control," said Lawrence Bloomberg, Chair of the Mount Sinai Hospital Board of Directors.

"This is great news for our community," said Bloomberg "The renewed Women's and Infants' Health program will help our health care professionals with an enhanced patient and family-centred care environment that is safer for patients, provides more privacy and greater access to services."

This is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians have achieved results in children's health care services. Other initiatives include :

• Investing $5.5 million to further help improve access to care for children by providing more than 2000 additional paediatric surgeries across Ontario in 2007/08
• Making three new vaccines available free of charge for the prevention of chicken pox, meningococcal meningitis and pneumococcal disease, resulting in over three million vaccinations that have saved Ontario families up to $600 per child
• Expanding the newborn screening program from two disorders to 28

Today's initiative is part of the McGuinty government's plan for innovation in public health care, building a system that delivers on three priorities – keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.

For further information :

Members of the general public :
416-327-4327, or 1-866-532-3161

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