Toronto General Hospital

417

Beds
24

ICU Beds
500+

Transplants/yr
12

Intensivists
3

Allied

Site Lead

Dr Niall Ferguson
MD, FRPCPC, MSc

What we do

Toronto General Hospital is a University Hospital with 417 beds providing secondary and tertiary care in the heart of Toronto. Toronto General Hospital is acclaimed for its cardio-thoracic and transplant programs.

In addition, it is the only Ontarian center providing Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) for respiratory and cardio-pulmonary failure. The multi-organ transplant program is Canada’s largest. More than 500 transplants are performed each year and more than 5000 recipients are followed by a multidisciplinary team. Our Medical Surgical ICU comprises 24 bed, specializing in post-transplant care (mainly lung and liver transplant) and respiratory and cardiac failure. Further, the Coronary and Cardio-Vascular Intensive Care Units care for patients with primary cardiac pathologies and post cardiac surgery patients respectively.

For Families

Our multi-disciplinary team provides complex care to patients with or at risk of organ failure. Such life support includes the use of an array of devices, drugs, and technologies that support a patient’s failing organ systems. Beyond life-saving care, Critical Care is more than machines and monitors: the compassionate support provided to patients and families during their time of crisis is equally important.

Our unit is open 24/7 for visitors and families. We allow two visitors at a time. Additional information about our unit and how to reach us can be found here. You are also invited to join us for our interdisciplinary rounds. Our social worker, Gail Fairley, and our spiritual care specialist, Derek Strachan, are here to assist you should you need support.
Partners in care in the MSICU
Being a partner in the care of our patient means that you can be as involved as you would like to be.
It also means
- You are given information in a way that you can understand
- You can take part in decisions about the care of your loved one
- Your family situation, what you think, and what you have to say are considered in the plan of care for your family member
Joining in the MSICU Patient and Family Centered Medical Rounds is one way for you, our patients, and family members to be partners in care.
What are patient and family centred medical rounds?
Every morning between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and other members of the MSICU team meet to talk about each patient.
They discuss the following:
- Overnight issues and any changes in the last 12-24 hours
- The patient’s progress and current health condition
- New lab, study, or test results
- Possible options for treatment
- Daily plan of care
Each team member will share his or her opinion and ideas for care. The attending doctor will make the final decision on the plan of care.
Rounds are a teaching time for staff and doctors in training. Rounds are a learning time for everyone, including you.
Who can attend rounds?
UHN is responsible for safeguarding a patient’s medical information so it is important that only certain people close to the patient take part in rounds. These people include:
1. The patient
2. The person he or she has chosen to receive information
3. The Substitute Decision Maker (SDM) or designate if he or she is not capable to speak for himself or herself
A substitute decision maker is the person designated by law to make decisions for a patient who is not able to make decisions for him and herself.
If a patient is capable of telling us who they want at rounds, we will ask who they want to receive medical information and who they want to attend rounds.
What is my role in patient and family centred medical rounds?
As a member of the health care team, you are invited to actively take part in rounds. You are welcome to write down your questions and take notes before and during rounds. At the end of the medical discussion, there will a few minutes set aside for you to ask questions to clearly understand the information and decisions being made and share with the team what you think will help your family member.
If you have more questions than there is time for, a doctor will return later in the day to address them.
Do I have to take part in rounds?
Taking part in medical rounds is up to you; you do not have to attend if you do not want to. You decide how comfortable you feel talking during rounds. Just listening is okay too!
When and where do rounds happen?
Rounds happen each day outside the patient’s room between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. If the patient is able and wants to take part, rounds will be held in the patient’s room. It usually takes 15-20 minutes for each patient.
If you wish to attend rounds, speak to your nurse. We can’t predict exactly what time the team will round for each patient.
Privacy and confidentiality in the hospital
University Health Network is committed to protecting the privacy of each patient and their family. Keeping patient information confidential is very important to us. While you are in the hospital, you may overhear information about another patient. We ask you to help us maintain privacy for every family by keeping the information private. Don’t share information you have overheard about another patient with anyone, including the other patients.
Who can i talk to for more information about patient and family centred medical rounds?
Feel free to speak to your nurse, the social worker, or spiritual care provider.
Despite our best efforts and the therapies implemented, your beloved one may succumb during their ICU stay. We extend our most sincere condolences should that be the case.
Click on the resource below for subsequent steps and how to get support through this difficult moment.

Meet our team

Our team is composed of eight intensivists who collaborate in close relationship with registered nurses, respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, a social worker, spiritual care. as well as with other medical and surgical specialties.