Lachine Hospital Launches its Centennial Year Celebrations

Tonight, the Lachine Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) officially launched its centennial year at the Camille-Lefebvre Pavilion of the hospital. The evening was a great success and sets the stage for a year full of special events.

The Lachine Hospital was founded in 1913, and will therefore celebrate 100 years of providing excellence in health care in 2013. The centenary promises to be a milestone event for the institution and the community it serves.

At the launch, a commemorative calendar tracing the history of the hospital was unveiled and distributed to guests. Many activities will be held for the staff and community throughout the year, such as an open house, an exhibition, themed lunches for employees as well as special events in Lachine and Dorval.  For information on centennial activities and on the history of this great institution, visit the website at muhc.ca/lachine100. 

The distinguished guests on hand included representatives of the Lachine community, partners of the Lachine Hospital, as well as François Ouimet, the MNA for Marquette, and Claude Dauphin, the mayor of Lachine, both of whom are honorary co-chairs of the Lachine Hospital Centennial Committee. 

During the evening’s speeches, François Ouimet underscored the accomplishments of the past 100 years: “I am very pleased to be part of this celebration of our remarkable hospital. The Lachine Hospital is expanding and modernizing for the benefit of the entire community. The hospital’s continued success is assured as it is increasingly recognized as a centre of excellence in many areas of medicine, and of this I’m extremely proud.  This bright future is thanks to the determination and dedication of our predecessors.  Thank you to each and every one who, each day, perpetuates this tradition of caring by putting the patient’s well-being at the centre of everything they do.” 

Claude Dauphin added, “Whenever the hospital has needed help from the community, the community has responded, and conversely whenever the community has needed the hospital, it has responded as well, even in the most trying times and for the most needy.  I am convinced that this mutual support and solidarity will continue to strengthen the Lachine Hospital as it pursues its mission to serve the community for many years to come.” 

Normand Rinfret, director general and CEO of the MUHC, stated, “The vibrant nature of our history is nourished as much by our past as by the future. As the dedication of the Lachine Hospital’s professionals builds from one generation to the next, our history is rich in generosity, compassion and truly attentive care. For 100 years, excellence has been at the heart of our actions. Now, thanks to a vital community project, namely the modernization and expansion of the Lachine Hospital, we will be able to perpetuate this incredible legacy and the best care for life. Already, the installation of magnetic resonance imaging equipment specially adapted for morbidly obese or claustrophobic patients is quite advanced!”

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About the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and The Best Care for Life Campaign
One of the world’s foremost academic health centres, the MUHC offers exceptional and integrated patient-centric care, research, teaching and technology assessment. Affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, it is highly committed to the continuum of care in its community. The partner hospitals of the MUHC—the Lachine Hospital, the Montreal Chest Institute, the Montreal General Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Montreal Children's Hospital— value multidisciplinary service throughout the lifespan, innovative technologies and practices, strategic partnerships and leadership in knowledge transfer. The MUHC is currently carrying out a $2.35-billion Redevelopment Project on three sites—the Glen, and the Montreal General and Lachine hospitals—designed to provide healthcare professionals with an effective environment in which to ensure patients and their families benefit from The Best Care for Life. The sites are also anchored in best sustainable-development practices, including LEED® and BOMA BESt guidelines www.muhc.ca  muhc.ca/construction

The Best Care for Life Campaign is an unprecedented philanthropic effort aimed at raising the funds needed to complete the McGill University Health Centre’s Redevelopment Project as well as the Capital Development Plan. muhc.ca/cause  

For further information:

Stacy Patenaude
Jonathan Goldbloom & Associates
Office: 514-750-0887 x100
Cell: 514-795-9940
stacy [dot] patenaude [at] jgoldbloom [dot] ca