A new era in health care is taking shape in the Greater Toronto Area as construction moves forward on the largest and most advanced hospital in Canadian history: The Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital. For the hospital's namesake and key benefactor Peter Gilgan, it is not the size of the project that matters, but how the facility will make the community healthier.
"The original Mississauga Hospital was conceived and designed in the 1950s based on what people thought the community would be. Now, Mississauga has nearly 800,000 people, and the hospital serves three times as many people in the surrounding area," says Mr. Gilgan, founder of Mattamy Homes and chairman of Mattamy Asset Management. In 2022, Mr. Gilgan donated $105-million to Trillium Health Partners, one of Canada's largest community teaching hospitals, which serves Mississauga and West GTA through the Credit Valley Hospital, the Mississauga Hospital and the Queensway Health Centre. "When this new facility is complete, patients will not only receive better care – they will get care faster. They'll spend less time waiting and they'll be able to get the specialized treatment they need closer to where they live," he says.
Exceptional Care for a Growing Community
At 2.8 million square feet and with 950 beds, The Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital will be nearly three times the size of the current facility and a top destination for future doctors, nurses and health professionals, explains Karli Farrow, president and chief executive officer of Trillium Health Partners. But it is not just bigger, it is bolder – an ambitious leap forward into the future of health care, she says. "Hospitals are more than just buildings and beds. They're an opportunity to reimagine how care is delivered, so people can get to the right care sooner. We see hospitals as specialized hubs, digitally connected to home care, virtual and long-term care," Ms. Farrow says.
Demand for care is rising rapidly. Research shows that by 2040, one in four Ontario residents over age 30 will require significant hospital care for a major illness, up from one in eight in 2002. By the time The Peter Gilgan Mississauga Hospital opens in 2033-34, the need for bigger, more efficient facilities will be even greater. "That's why we need to think differently about health care," Ms. Farrow says. "Our community is growing, we have the most diverse city on Earth and we are seeing more complex needs all the time. We are harnessing AI and digital connectivity, and helping more people in the community live longer, healthier lives."
The new hospital is designed to make care faster and more coordinated. Cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technology will support advanced imaging, care and operations "behind the scenes" to diagnose, treat and send people home faster. In addition, a fleet of robots will deliver equipment, supplies, food and medications and have a dedicated elevator to facilitate movement throughout the hospital without being disruptive.
Design That Optimizes Care at All Stages of Life
Dr. Sam Sabbah, chief of staff at Trillium Health Partners, says the new state-of-the-art hospital will support patients at every stage of life, especially the fastest-growing groups: children and older adults. "Both groups have very different needs," Dr. Sabbah says. "This is an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how we deliver care, designing a system that wraps around patients, rather than expecting patients to adapt to the system."
The new hospital will include modernized operating rooms, expanded cancer and cardiac care facilities, as well as a larger surgical platform – bringing more specialized care closer to home, Dr. Sabbah says. He adds that all in-patient rooms will be private, with each space meticulously designed to create a better experience for patients and their families. And he points to the expanded emergency department – one of the largest in the country – which will enable staff to serve more patients, faster. "Everything from the choice of lighting, flooring and signage and the colour schemes of different areas will take into account the physiological changes that people go through as they age."
Working with medical experts, designers and builders are paying close attention to how operating rooms are designed and how supplies are accessed during treatment, Dr. Sabbah says, to anticipate new technologies, optimize clinical workflow and reflect the latest standards in infection control. "All of these preparations have a direct impact on reducing infection rates, making surgeries more efficient and moving toward minimally invasive procedures," he says.
Mr. Gilgan says that choosing Trillium Health Partners Foundation and Mississauga for his donation was a strategic decision to help fund facilities in a community that is growing fast. While patients will benefit, he notes that upgrading and modernizing the hospital is also a boost for the doctors, nurses and other hospital staff who provide care. He says he learned this directly when he visited an expanded neonatal unit that he helped fund in 2009. "I was really moved by the profound appreciation the staff had for being able to deliver their services in new, improved facilities," he says. "It's wonderful to see great people do a great job in the right facilities."
