MUHC completes first patient move for 2015

On Sunday, January 25, the McGill University Health Centre’s (MUHC) successfully moved the long-term care residents of the Montreal Chest Institute (MCI) to their new home at the Camille-Lefebvre Pavilion of the Lachine Hospital.  This move marks the first stage of the biggest hospital move in Canada’s history. In 2015, the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal Children’s Hospital, the Montreal Chest Institute, the Research Institute and some services from the Montreal General Hospital will transfer to the MUHC’s newest establishment, the Glen site.

The MUHC commendably coordinated the safe transfer of 17 residents, from bed to bed, in exactly four hours.  

“The successful transfer was made possible by a huge amount of planning and a lot of teamwork,” explains Patricia Rose, Senior Advisor, Redevelopment for Adult Sites and Patient Transfer Coordination Committee co-chair. “Moving day teams were assembled by drawing on expertise from hospital staff and physicians, Urgences Santé technicians as well as volunteers, each with a clearly identified role to ensure the calm, methodical movement of all residents without ever compromising their care or safety. A command centre at both sites coordinated the over 150 participants in a well-oiled operation that prioritized the residents’ safety above all else.” To aid in the planning and execution of this and subsequent moves, the MUHC has partnered with Health Care Relocations (HCR), a Canadian company that has organized over 300 hospital moves around the world.

The Camille-Lefebvre Pavilion is the only MUHC site mandated for long-term care and is one of the only centres in the province of Quebec capable of caring for residents with long-term respiratory needs.  The care teams from both institutions have merged their expertise and become one interdisciplinary unit specializing in long-term and respiratory care. “I’m certain that residents will positively benefit from the multi-disciplinarity of their care team and their new, improved living environment,” says Dr. Ronald Olivenstein, Medical Director, MCI.

“The Camille-Lefebvre Pavilion provides a homelike environment, with modern single-patient rooms, outdoor space and activities for residents that weren’t available at the MCI,” says Jocelyne Faille, administrative director, Lachine Hospital and Camille-Lefebvre Pavilion. Renovations were carried out on the second floor of the pavilion to accommodate the new residents and their healthcare needs, including upgrades to medical gases, adaptations to infrastructure and the decoration of rooms to the residents’ specifications.

The MUHC would like to thank our residents and their families for their patience and understanding throughout this process. The organization would also like to express our gratitude to the City of Montreal, the borough of Lachine, the SPVM and Urgences Santé for their collaboration and professionalism and for making this transfer a smooth transition and an excellent starting point for the moves to come later this year.

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Info Sheet

Patient move Day: MCI to Lachine 2015

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