Health minister officially opens Pavilion K

JGH praised as “a crown jewel in our hospital network”

Praising the Jewish General Hospital as “a crown jewel in our hospital network,” Dr. Gaétan Barrette, Minister of Health and Social Services, cut a red ribbon on January 18 to officially open Pavilion K, the hospital’s new critical-care wing—a symbol, he said, of the JGH’s decades-long commitment to excellence in health care.

Speaking at a news conference in Pavilion K’s Lea Polansky Square, Dr. Barrette said the JGH “has always been a leader in terms of excellence of care in this province and I really hope it’s going to remain that way—and I have no doubt that it will.

“Why? Because of the involvement of everyone, from the Foundation to the administration, to the doctors, nurses and other personnel. There is a state of mind that excellence of care is the number 1 value of the institution.”

At a news conference to launch Pavilion K, Alan Maislin addresses the audience. At the speakers’ tables are (from left) Pierre Arcand, Gaétan Barrette, Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, Joanne Côté, Georges Bendavid, Johanne Boileau and Dr. Louise Miner.

Dr. Barrette recalled that when the province’s public healthcare system underwent a substantial reorganization last year, he approached Dr. Lawrence Rosenberg, President and CEO of the Integrated Health and Social Services University Network for West-Central Montreal (West-Central Montreal Health), of which the JGH is a member institution.

“I told him and everyone in the administration of this hospital how important the Jewish General is to us,” he said, adding that the JGH is “a leader not just in its own network, but a leader academically and in the quality of care for all Quebecers.”

Pierre Arcand, Minister of the Environment, Sustainable Development and Parks—and MNA for the Mont-Royal riding where the JGH is located—noted that “what is so great about the Jewish General Hospital is not only the commitment of all staff members, but also the fact that the community, through the JGH Foundation, provides the best resources which serve the medical needs of Montrealers, as well as Quebecers in general. We can all be proud of those accomplishments.”

The opening of Pavilion K means that the JGH is now in an even better position to play an essential role in the health and well-being of patients, residents and clients throughout the healthcare network, said Alan Maislin, Chair of the Board of Directors of West-Central Montreal Health.

“Pavilion K will make a significant difference,” he explained, “by helping to streamline the flow of healthcare users between the JGH and other institutions, enhancing the network-wide continuum of care, and generally contributing to faster and more efficient care.

“Pavilion K can also serve as an inspiration and an example of what can be achieved when one’s goal is to focus on the medical, emotional and psychological needs of patients in life-affirming surroundings that safeguard the patient’s privacy and dignity.”

Dr. Rosenberg thanked the government “not only for having supported this project financially, but for believing it even during its earliest stages. My thanks also go the JGH Foundation and to everyone on staff for literally years and years of intensive planning and preparation. Your vision and teamwork are the mortar between the bricks of Pavilion K.”

As impressive an architectural achievement as the new wing may be, Dr. Rosenberg said, “its ultimate objective is to make treatment and care faster, safer, more effective and more humane for patients who may be fighting for their very lives. As proud as we are of Pavilion K, we are equally proud of putting patients first.

“This has always been one of the guiding principles of the Jewish General Hospital—and it is just as fundamental to the way health care and social services are now being delivered to patients, residents and clients throughout West-Central Montreal Health.”