Celebrating the Hidden Heroes for their work to coordinate life-saving organ transplants
Newmarket, ON – December 3, 2019 – Southlake Regional Health Centre (Southlake) was recognized by Trillium Gift of Life Network, Ontario’s organ and tissue donation and transplantation agency, for its outstanding efforts to integrate organ and tissue donation into quality end-of-life care in 2018/19.
“We are thrilled to be recognized as a leading hospital in organ and tissue donation,” said Arden Krystal, President and CEO of Southlake. “Our support services and environmental services staff are the Hidden Heroes in organ harvesting and transplantation, and their contributions to the process are vital to ensuring we provide leading edge care here at Southlake.”
Southlake was presented with the Provincial Conversion Rate Award for meeting or exceeding the target conversion rate of 63 per cent set by Trillium Gift of Life Network. In an awards presentation at the hospital, representatives from the various support services and environmental services departments were recognized as Hidden Heroes for their contribution to the work that resulted in the hospital award.
“Southlake is an outstanding example of how applying leading donation practices can save lives,” says Ronnie Gavsie, president and CEO, Trillium Gift of Life Network. “The award is a reflection of the culture of donation established at Southlake, and a reminder of the work that we still need to do in other communities across Ontario. We will not be complacent.”
Southlake is one of 30 hospitals and four community partners to be awarded a 2018/19 Trillium Gift of Life Network Achievement Award.
Today, more than 1,600 people in Ontario are on the waitlist for a lifesaving organ transplant, and every three days someone will die without one. While the majority of Canadians support donation, only 34 per cent of Ontarians have formally registered their consent for organ and tissue donation. For more information and to register to become a donor, visit https://beadonor.ca/.
About Southlake Regional Health Centre
Southlake Regional Health Centre is a full-service hospital with a regional, clinically advanced focus. We provide our communities with care right from birth to end of life and in addition, we provide top-notch services such as cardiac and cancer care across York Region and Simcoe-Muskoka. We do this through innovative partnerships and amazing people, who represent every aspect of our many services. With a team of more than 3,000 employees, 580 physicians and more than 900 volunteers, Southlake is committed to creating an environment where the best experiences happen.
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Media Contacts:
Michelle Lee Hoy
Communications Strategist
Southlake Regional Health Centre
905-895-4521, ext. 2169
mleehoy@southlakeregional.org
Margaret Barng
Manager, Public Education and Marketing
Trillium Gift of Life
416-619-2389
mbarng@giftoflife.on.ca
