Toronto General Hospital

Toronto General Hospital

The Toronto General Hospital, as a part of the University Health Network, has grown out of a series of mergers between a few hospitals. For instance, in 1986, the Toronto Western Hospital merged with the Toronto General Hospital becoming, respectively, the Toronto Western Division and the Toronto General Division of The Toronto Hospital. On January 1, 1998, the Toronto Hospital was amalgamated with the Ontario Cancer Institute/Princess Margaret Hospital, and in April 1999, the name was officially changed to the University Health Network.

In 2011, the University Health Network integrated with the Toronto Rehab Institute which has allowed to better serve the patients by bringing together acute hospital care with the rehabilitation care that so frequently follows a hospital stay.

Altogether, the Toronto General Hospital may be regarded as the development of the modern institution, and the citizens of Toronto have ample reason to be proud of it.

Portico. General Hospital. The Portico Thomas J. Bell Wing. Thomas J. Bel, Q.C., M.C., C.D., B.Comm, M.D. (Hon). Chair, Board of Trustees, Toronto General Hospital (1966 – 1982). This majestic portico is the original entranceway to the Thomas J. Bell Wing. The building first opened on April 24, 1930, as the Private Patients’ Pavilion, and fast became known as a place of innovation and new technology. Photo: © Elena

The hospital is located in the Discovery District of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada and it is affiliated to the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. The Hospital for Sick Children,the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the Mount Sinai Hospital are located nearby.

The emergency department of the TGH treats about 30 thousand persons each year. The hospital also houses the major transplantation service for Ontario, performing heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas and small intestine, amongst others. In fact, the world’s first single and double lung transplants were performed at TGH in 1983 and 1986 respectively, as well as the world’s first valve-sparing aortic root replacement by Dr. Tirone David in 1992.

The hospital teaches resident physicians, nurses, and technicians, and conducts research through the Toronto General Research Institute.

The hospital is served by Queen’s Park subway station.

General Hospital Atrium. On March 15, 1983, following major renovations, the wing was reopened and renamed in honour of Thomas J. Bell. This recognized his exceptional service to Toronto General Hospital over the course of his 16-year term as Chair of the Board of Trustees, and his outstanding leadership of the hospital’s renewal program campaign. Photo: © Elena