TORONTO, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ - St. Michael’s Hospital (SMH), announced today the inaugural Canadian donation of $25 million from the Li Ka Shing (Canada) Foundation (LKSCF). This gift will be used to establish the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, the first of its kind in North America. The Institute will bring together the worlds of research, education and patient care to create a unique global institute dedicated to bringing science to patients faster than ever before.
St. Michael’s Hospital is affiliated with the University of Toronto and is well known. The Hospital is warmly dubbed as the “Urban Angel” for its long and proud history of caring and compassion, serving the sick and the poor of Toronto’s inner city since its establishment in 1892.
In recognition of Mr. Li’s generosity, the Hospital is naming the new facility the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute. The Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute will comprise two centres with a total gross floor area of 285,500 square feet. Construction of the institute will commence next spring and completion is scheduled for 2009. The Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute will house the Keenan Research Centre and the Li Ka Shing International Centre in Health Care Education.
As the first grant recipient from LKSCF, SMH will be joining University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, the University of California at Berkeley in the United States, the Institut Pasteur in France, the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Shantou University in Mainland China who have received major grants under LKSF’s HKD 3 billion biomedical program.
“This is the largest single donation ever received by St. Michael’s Hospital. This incredible donation reinforces that Canadian research, education and patient care are at the forefront of international medical science,” said Jeffrey Lozon, President and CEO, St. Michael’s Hospital.
Mr. Li expressed his great admiration for the dedicated service SMH has for the community.
“Today the world feels bombarded by all kinds of ‘isms’ that are loud in their demands but complacent to their own failings; it is easy to feel that many lack a generosity of spirit that is essential to caring for others and looking out for society’s constructive progress. In these times, it is refreshing and touching to know that an institution has stayed true to its commitment to progress and care throughout the years.”
“I believe an equitable society can only be achieved if each and every individual is ready and willing to do his or her part in capacity empowerment through education and the building of a caring society, particularly through medical and healthcare related projects. These are two important pillars of hope for any society,” Mr. Li said.
Researchers use the skills they have acquired to translate their findings to clinicians, and clinicians in turn relay back the findings to their patients. By combining groundbreaking research and medical education with practical training in a hospital facility the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute will serve as a new model for other hospitals in this country and for institutions around the world.
David Naylor, President of the University of Toronto, who worked with St. Michael’s on the development of the Institute while serving as Dean of Medicine said, “Now for the first time ever, we will be building on the education that researchers, educators and clinicians receive from the university and we will be building on the knowledge and accelerating their findings to the front lines of care, thus setting a new standard in health care.”
“Combining research, education and practice creates an incubator or hothouse effect. All areas are able to function more effectively by being proximate to the other. The Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute will be such an incubator - fusing University of Toronto expertise in research and education with St. Michael’s Hospital’s proud tradition of outstanding patient care to address the challenges facing health care today,” said Dr. Arthur Slutsky, Vice President of Research, St. Michael’s Hospital.
“Mr. Li is recognized as being one of the most successful businessmen and outstanding philanthropists of our time,” adds Lozon. “We are pleased that he has looked across Canada and chosen to partner with St. Michael’s Hospital. By using our hospital as a living lab we will discover the best ways to increase the adoption of best practices among our health professionals. We can then share these insights broadly with other health care institutions within Canada and, through our partnership with other leading institutions like Shantou University and others, globally. Thanks to Mr. Li’s foresight, patient care will improve dramatically around the world.”
St. Michael’s Hospital
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In addition to being a world-renowned research and academic center, St. Michael’s Hospital remains one of the world’s best-known symbols for leading, innovative and compassionate patient care. By launching the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, the Keenan Research Centre and the Li Ka Shing International Centre in Health Care Education, St. Michael’s Hospital is raising the bar as a prominent influencer in the provision of excellent patient care, research and education.
Li Ka Shing (Canada) Foundation
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Li Ka Shing (Canada) Foundation was incorporated in Canada early this year. To date, the Li Ka Shing Foundation and other private charitable foundations established by Mr. Li have supported numerous charitable activities with grants, sponsorships and commitments of approximately HK$7.6 billion. Established in 1980, Mr. Li envisioned his philanthropic efforts would nurture a new culture of giving in our society; by supporting people and programmes dedicated to capacity enhancement for young people and to pioneering medical research and services for the community we could build hope and a caring society. For more information, please visit www.lksf.org.
St. Michael’s Hospital
CONTACT: David Davenport, Media Relations, St. Michael’s Hospital, (416)864-6094, davenportd@smh.toronto.on.ca; Sharon Bala, Media Relations, St.Michael’s Hospital, (416) 864-5047, balas@smh.toronto.on.ca