TORONTO - Women's College Hospital and Infrastructure Ontario today announced that the request for proposals (RFP) stage has closed for building teams to submit bids to design, build, finance and maintain the hospital's redevelopment project.

This project will involve the construction of a new facility on the hospital's current Grenville Street site in downtown Toronto. The new Women's College Hospital will replace existing buildings and consolidate most hospital services in one location, enhancing the hospital's stature as a provincial leader in women's health care, research and education.

Health-care benefits that will stem from the Women's College Hospital capital redevelopment project include:

  • consolidation of primary care, chronic disease management, surgical services, diagnostics and mental health programs, all delivered on an ambulatory basis;
  • a rapid diagnostic model for women's health and improved medical and diagnostic imaging services in an ambulatory setting;
  • comprehensive services in breast, thyroid and skin cancers;
  • development of an Academic Ambulatory Surgical Centre; 
  • expanded research units to facilitate women's health research;
  • co-location of research, education and patient care spaces to create stronger links between researchers, educators and clinicians; and
  • improved patient experience with more privacy and effective movement of people.  

The construction project will provide a sizeable stimulus to the regional and Ontario economies by directly and indirectly creating and supporting thousands of jobs. Labour will largely be drawn from the Greater Toronto Area.

Over the next several months, Women's College Hospital and Infrastructure Ontario will evaluate the bidders' proposals based on criteria set out in the RFP. The successful bidder is expected to be announced in spring 2010 when the evaluation process is complete. The cost of the winning bid will be announced publicly following financial close. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2010.

“This project is part of the largest reinvestment in health-care facilities in Ontario in more than a generation,” said Brad Duguid, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. “It is a further demonstration of the McGuinty government's commitment to infrastructure renewal and job creation across Ontario.”

“The Women's College Hospital project will not only upgrade and modernize health services for women and their families, but will promote excellence in research and teaching that will benefit patients across Ontario,” said Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. 

“This is an important milestone for the hospital and our community,” said Marilyn Emery, President and CEO of Women's College Hospital. "Today we are another step closer to a new facility that will furnish state-of-the-art health care to women and their families.”

Infrastructure Ontario and Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care are working with Women's College Hospital to develop the new facility, which will remain publicly owned, publicly controlled and publicly accountable. Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to managing some of the province's larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are built on time and on budget.

Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca for more information.

Contacts:

Jodi Salem
Women's College Hospital
(416) 323-6400 ext. 4054

Tom Boreskie
Infrastructure Ontario
(416) 327-5246

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