The vision and dedication of our community leaders have shaped the founding hospitals of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). As the Redevelopment Project gains momentum at the Glen, Lachine and Mountain campuses, the MUHC is keeping this tradition alive by strengthening ties with the communities it serves.
Sharing Ideas to Create a Stronger Project
In defining its three hospital campuses, the MUHC not only sought the expertise of its vast pool of professionals in clinical care, research and teaching but it also reached out to the community to get a better sense of expectations and needs.
“It’s important to understand the people we serve and those whose lives will be affected by the MUHC Redevelopment Project,” notes the Hon. Arthur T. Porter, Director General and CEO of the MUHC. “We want to ensure that our campuses fit harmoniously into the urban fabric.”
“After meeting around the same table with representatives of community groups from Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, the Sud-Ouest Borough and Westmount, we realized that, despite each neighbourhood’s specific realities, we do share common concerns and above all a major goal: maximize the benefits of the MUHC’s new home at the Glen Campus,” stated Claude Lauzon, Director of the Corporation de développement écono- mique et communautaire CDN-NDG.
This consensus led to the Inter-Neighbourhood Coalition, an alliance of nine organizations representing the three communities surrounding the Glen Campus, along with a partnership agreement signed with the MUHC in 2004. This cooperative exercise, a first for a Quebec teaching hospital, allows both parties to align their respective visions and enhance the project to ensure seamless neighbourhood integration.
Determined to be a good neighbour, the MUHC held a number of working meetings on such issues as traffic, the environment, economic development, architecture, and employment.
Collaboration with the coalition led to training programs for patient care attendants and assistant pharmacy technicians for potential employees in the Sud-Ouest Borough — a beneficial partnership for both sector residents and the MUHC, which is facing a lack of qualified staff in these fields. This specific initiative had a major impact on the lives of 60 people, who have returned to the job market thanks to these short, specialized training programs. The MUHC hired a number of these graduates, and is eager to repeat the experience.
Involvement that reflects each community
The same kind of interaction exists with community groups around the Mountain Campus. Past discussions have centred on how to balance protecting the mountain and providing outstanding health care.
Further west on the island, the MUHC’s commitment has taken on particular significance, as its social focus has become the driving force for maintaining services at the Lachine Hospital and the Camille-Lefebvre Pavilion. Within the New MUHC, these centres are being upgraded and transformed into the Lachine Campus as they continue to fulfill their mission to provide community care. Here again, a working committee composed of citizens and local organizations has ensured that the centre will become a seamless part of its surroundings.
By working hand-in-hand with residents and community groups, the MUHC has succeeded in creating positive and profitable relationships with its future neighbours. As Claude Lauzon added, “The entire community benefits from our partnership with the MUHC, and we are making tangible progress towards revitalizing the neighbourhood and improving residents’ quality of life.”
“It’s important to understand the people we serve and those whose lives will be affected by the MUHC Redevelopment Project. We want to ensure that our campuses fit harmoniously into the urban fabric.”
— Hon. Arthur T. Porter, Director General and CEO of the MUHC
Community leaders meet at the crossroads of their respective neighbourhoods, the Glen Campus: Maureen Kiely, Westmount Municipal Association representative; Guy Biron, Vice-President Strategic Development, Regroupement économique du Sud-Ouest de Montréal; Johanne Emmanuel, Head of Public and Governmental Affairs, MUHC; and Claude Lauzon, Director General, Corporation de développement économique et communautaire CDN-NDG.
The MUHC is also supporting a McGill University-led research project subsidized by the Community-University Research Alliance (CURA), which is studying how the redevelopment project can foster community development. Pictured here are students presenting their class project on opportunities around the Glen Campus.
