This year our donors made it possible for our health care heroes to triumph over challenges, inspire the global health care community, and chart thrilling new directions in patient care, education and medical research.
The future is limitless, and the stories we have collected reflect an unmatched determination and optimism for what we can do – united in our efforts to change the world.
1. A first-in-Canada knee surgery at UHN performed with a new robotic device has exciting implications for patients at the Sprott Department of Surgery and the Schroeder Arthritis Institute.
2. Marking a paradigm shift for lung transplant, researchers at UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre discovered that storing donor lungs at 10 degrees Celsius dramatically increases how long the organ can live outside the body.
3. Brendan Cahill donated a kidney through Canada’s Kidney Paired Donation Program so that his wife Joanne Kearney could receive a transplant at UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre – this year, the 1000th kidney transplant was performed through the program.
4. UHN neurosurgeons have discovered a first-of-its-kind therapy that can eradicate brain tumours, and a genetic signature that could predict who is most likely to respond to treatment.
5. Diagnosed with a disease robbing him of his eyesight, patient Zaid Syeed’s now has 20/20 vision thanks to a revolutionary procedure at UHN’s Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute.
6. A world-first study at the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research at UHN’s Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, UHN, has taken the first step towards reducing the global burden of heart failure – and carries significant implications for bettering cardiac care worldwide.
7. After a groundbreaking procedure at Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, UHN is the first hospital in Canada offering an innovative new method to replace a diseased heart valve.
8. For the fifth straight year, UHN’s Toronto General Hospital has been named one of the best hospitals in the world by Newsweek magazine.
9. Empowering nurses to thrive and grow, an inspirational five-year strategy is setting the stage for the future of nursing at UHN.
10. A new cross-training initiative for laboratory technologists at UHN is building a brighter future for lab medicine across Ontario.
11. Celebrating Support Services week, this fall UHN shone a spotlight on the teams behind-the-scenes – from housekeeping staff to building operators – who keep UHN running.
12. Two Indigenous patient navigators in the UHN Emergency Department are creating a safer space for the Indigenous community to access care.
13. Thank you to all of those who supported our popular fundraising summer events, which together raised $1.5 million for life-saving efforts across UHN!
14. Meet our new CEO Julie Quenneville, who speaks about what attracted her to UHN, the important role philanthropy plays in health care, her life outside of work and moving to Toronto from Montreal.
15. In October, UHN Foundation hosted the 11th annual Diwali – a Night to Shine, in support of world-leading rehabilitation care and research at Toronto Rehab.
16. UHN Foundation’s 19th annual Grand Cru Culinary Wine Festival this fall raised more than $5 million towards world-leading medical research across UHN.
17. Canada’s first Chief Artificial Intelligence (AI) Scientist has been appointed at UHN. In this role, Dr. Bo Wang will spearhead the integration of AI technologies into clinical practice, leading to more personalized and effective health care.
18. In November, UHN and UHN Foundation hosted our Patron, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Edinburgh (HRH), for three days. The Duchess spent time interacting with frontline health care workers, researchers, clinicians and support staff, thanking them for their extraordinary work.
19. Dr. Michael Laflamme at UHN’s McEwen Stem Cell Institute will lead a team of researchers across four countries to develop cutting-edge therapies for heart disease.
20. Planning is officially underway for a new state-of-the-art 15-storey patient tower that will redefine the Toronto Western Hospital campus – a project made possible by donor generosity and one of the largest planning grants in Ontario’s history.
21. The next generation of surgical robots have arrived at UHN’s Sprott Department of Surgery, heralding an age of innovation with the most modern and up-to-date platforms in the world.
22. Students at The Michener Institute of Education at UHN had the unique opportunity to take X-ray images during a cadaver lab in the Temerty Advanced Surgical Education & Simulation Centre.
23. A chronic pain program at Toronto Rehab has been awarded for its sustainable solutions to effective pain management – by linking groups of health care providers across Canada.
Your incredible support made 2023 a year of amazing discoveries and accomplishments, and we have never been more passionate about the possibilities that lie ahead.
Thank you!
