- Montreal Children's Hospital
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Montreal Children's Hospital McGill University Health Centre 
Geography Location Tupper Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Organization Care system RAMQ (Quebec medicare) Hospital type Teaching Affiliated university McGill University Faculty of Medicine Services Emergency department Yes Beds 144 Speciality Pediatric hospital History Founded 1904, 1956 present site Links Website http://www.thechildren.com/en/ Lists Hospitals in Canada This article is about Montreal Children's Hospital. For other similarly named hospitals, see Children's Hospital (disambiguation).The Montreal Children's Hospital is a tertiary care pediatric teaching Hospital affiliated with the McGill University Health Centre. It is also the only pediatric facility serving the McGill Réseau Universitaire Intégré Santé (RUIS). In simple terms, this means that it must offer its patients the most advanced care possible to teach the newest, most leading-edge techniques to new generations of healthcare professionals. The MCH constantly pioneers new expertise through research, innovation and sharing of knowledge to meet the ever-changing needs of our young patients.
The current Montreal Children's Hospital counts 144 beds.The pediatric intensive care unit has 12 beds, including 4 isolation rooms.
History
The Children's Memorial Hospital first opened its doors on January 30, 1904, on Guy Street. It was a bilingual institution and the first hospital in Montreal with the sole mandate of caring for sick children.
1904-1929 - The early years
The hospital established its reputation as a pioneer in pediatric medicine during this era, when many children fell ill with infectious diseases such as typhoid fever, tuberculosis and polio. In 1909, the growing number of patients required a move to a new location on Cedar Avenue. In 1920, The Children's became a teaching hospital affiliated with McGill University, beginning a relationship that has resulted in a dynamic and successful teaching and research environment over the years. Recognizing the link between children's health and their home environment, the hospital became the first in Canada to establish a Social Services Department to support the family in 1926.
1930- 1959 - Growth and innovation
The tradition of excellence that has become part of the hospital's culture was set into motion with the commitment to adapt to the needs of patients and find new solutions through teaching and research.
The hospital and its services continued to grow steadily, establishing notable firsts: the first speech therapy clinic in a pediatric hospital in 1933, the first division of medical genetics in 1949 and the first psychiatry department in 1950. The growth of services required another expansion and move in 1956. That's when The Children's Memorial moved to its present location and became The Montreal Children's Hospital / L'Hôpital de Montréal pour enfants.
1960-1999 - Technology booms, but caring remains at the forefront
The Children's was now known as a full-service teaching hospital that included most of the services that support its leading edge reputation today. With the integration of new imaging technology such as the first CT scan in a Canadian pediatric setting in 1977, brain mapping and ultrasound technology in 1980 and magnetic resonance imaging in 1994, specialties such as cardiology and cardiac surgery, genetics, trauma care, neurology and neurosurgery, psychiatry and orthopedics evolved dramatically. Technology also had a profound impact on research and clinical care.
As Montreal's population changed, so did the needs of the patients. In 1985, once again clearly focused on what is best for the child and family, the MCH created the first hospital-wide multiculturalism program in Canada. The program was designed to promote cross-cultural sensitivity and contribute to the development of cross-cultural health care at the service delivery and institutional levels. Since then, two new programs have been established to meet the specific needs of this population: the Multicultural Clinic and the Transcultural Psychiatry Clinic.
After five years of joint study and research on future healthcare models, The Children's led the formation of an innovative partnership dedicated to offering the best possible care to patients on a lifetime basis. In August 1997, The Montreal Children's Hospital joined with the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Institute and the Montreal Chest Institute to form the McGill University Health Centre.
2000 and on - Medicine at The Children's in the 21st century
The Children's has been a leader in extraordinary events in the world of pediatric medicine in the last few years. In the year 2000, the MCH delivered the first baby in Quebec using the EXIT (ex-utero intrapartum treatment) procedure. Another Canadian first came in 2002 when a mechanical heart, called the Berlin Heart, was used successfully as a bridge to transplant on the youngest patient ever in North America. In 2004, the hospital celebrated its centennial, marking its first 100 years of caring and medical breakthroughs.
Now The Children's is focusing on the future. To make sure the delivery of care within its walls and wherever its young patients may be is the best it can be, the MCH is leading the development of innovative programs and services. One notable example is Telehealth, which allows MCH experts to consult, teach and even perform therapy in remote areas with children situated long distances from the hospital.
The Glen Campus: A new Montreal Children's Hospital
An exciting new state-of-the-art hospital dedicated to pediatric care will be built as part of the McGill University Health Centre in the coming years, providing an outstanding new environment for The Children's special expertise and caring touch.
The future Montreal Children’s Hospital will have 154 beds to receive young patients from all over Quebec. Each room will be single-patient, with the goal of aiding the healing process by controlling the spread of infections, and enabling family members to be present. Our new facilities will better accommodate new technologies and equipment, allowing for faster diagnosis, less invasive treatments, and subsequently, shorter recuperation time for patients.
Over the years, The Montreal Children's Hospital has become known for its wealth of expertise in various fields, particularly cardiology and cardiac surgery, trauma care, neurology and neurosurgery, developmental pediatrics and mental health. The new facilities due to open in 2014 will contribute to the strengthening of The Children’s leadership position and to the advancement of pediatric care in general.
Research at The Montreal Children's Hospital
The Research Institute at The Montreal Children's Hospital was formally established in 1966 as a partnership between McGill University and the hospital in order to promote and facilitate excellence in child health research. In 1996, the Institute joined other research centres at McGill University to establish the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.
Today, the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre at The Montreal Children's Hospital has major research strengths in the fields of genetics, public health and preventive medicine, growth and development, pediatric oncology, psychosocial problems and cardio-respiratory health. Other important research domains include endocrine and renal disease, infection and immunity, musculoskeletal disorders and neuroscience. Research activity is conducted at The Montreal Children's Hospital and two satellite facilities within a block of the Hospital.
The Montreal Children's Hospital has over 100 clinical and basic scientists, nearly 50 of whom hold grants from peer-reviewed agencies such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute of Canada, and the International Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Other personnel include over 80 research assistants and over 100 graduate students and research fellows.
Research Training Program
During the 2010-11 academic year, 93 graduate students, 22 post-doctoral and research fellows and 29 residents and clinical fellows were involved in child health research projects at The Montreal Children's Hospital. Supervised by staff affiliated with McGill University and The Montreal Children's Hospital, the majority of trainees are enrolled in various departments at McGill University including Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Nutrition and Dietetics, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Experimental Medicine, Experimental Surgery, Human Genetics, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Nursing, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Psychiatry, Psychology and Rehabilitation Science. Prospective trainees must be enrolled in McGill's Faculty of Graduate Studies prior to acceptance for research training at the hospital.
See also
Categories:- Hospitals in Montreal
- Children's hospitals in Canada
- Hospitals established in 1904
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