Georgian Bay General Hospital Monday became the new members of the University of Toronto's network of academic healthcare organizations.
The move, which sees the Midland facility join a group of 24 hospitals already affiliated with the university, is expected to lead to a number of benefits for the local community.
“GBGH values opportunities to improve the care our hospital provides, such as this affiliation with the University of Toronto,” GBGH president and CEO Matthew Lawson said.
According to the hospital, benefits of the agreement include the potential for increased recruitment of medical staff and other healthcare professionals who have done clinical placements at the hospital and surrounding clinics.
There's also the potential to increase retention of medical staff and other healthcare professionals due to increased resources, leading to enhanced career satisfaction. The agreement is also designed to support planning for an expanded scope of services for GBGH patients, and increased on-site research, as well as quality and safety initiatives.
Lawson said the hospital continually seek ways to improve care for patients and families while also assessing how it can enhance the experience for team members who currently work and practice at the hospital or are considering GBGH for their future career under the agreement's four-year term.
"With access to a larger network of resources, information and expertise, we expect this partnership will certainly have a positive impact on both patient care and our highly-skilled team," he added.
The University of Toronto has delivered clinical training through the academic teaching hospitals in the Toronto area for decades, including the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Toronto General Hospital. These provide education for physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, and many are the University of Toronto’s most important research partners.
In a release, Dr. Patricia Houston, interim dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, said they're happy to welcome GBGH to the network as a community hospital affiliate and "hope this partnership will enhance the quality and delivery of care for patients, families and for the community."
The affiliation is also expected to provide increased mentorship opportunities and greater access to continuing education through the University of Toronto’s Centre for Faculty Development, the continuing professional development programs, and Centre for Advancement of Collaborative Healthcare
GBGH's chief of family medicine and deputy chief of staff Dr. Jeff Golisky is excited with the move.
“Having academic affiliations certainly helps our hospital when prospective physicians are considering setting up practice at GBGH, whether it be early or later in their career," said Golisky, who is also who is also an assistant professor at Temerty Medicine’s department of family and community medicine and director of Temerty Medicine’s physician assistant program.
"They may not expect a hospital our size to have such an affiliation, but it’s an indication of GBGH investing in continual development. There is also a benefit to having greater access to resources through the Temerty Faculty of Medicine because it helps retain the current roster of highly skilled physicians we have as part of the professional staff at GBGH."