Quebec's First Pediatric Hospital Turns 100 Years Old

Group Of Prominent Quebecers Launches Declaration Of Support For The Children's Role In Excellence In Pediatric Care

To mark the 100th anniversary of The Montreal Children's Hospital and celebrate its many achievements, a group of prominent Quebecers has launched a Declaration of Support to recognize the Hospital's excellence in pediatric health care.

The Declaration, which members of the community will be invited to sign throughout the 2004 Centennial Year, pays tribute to Quebec's first pediatric hospital and expresses support for the Hospital so that it can continue to thrive and excel in its mission of providing the highest quality medical care for children and adolescents of all backgrounds.

Actor Rémy Girard and Marc Courtois, Chairman of the Board of the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation, launched the Declaration during a news conference where the Hospital announced its development plans for the future and provided information on upcoming Centennial events.

"It is our duty as individuals and as a society to support excellence in pediatric care, and The Children's is an integral part of this excellence in Quebec," said Mr. Girard "The Hospital's centennial year is a perfect opportunity to invite the public to join us in this movement."

Founded January 30, 1904, The Montreal Children's Hospital has numerous medical firsts to its credit: the invention of the world's first respirator, Canada's first pediatric bone marrow transplant, Canada's youngest heart transplant patient and North America's youngest patient to receive a mechanical heart as a bridge to transplant.

"The Children's has played an essential role in the development of pediatric care in Quebec over the past 100 years, and we are determined and committed to continue to play that role for the next 100 years as well," said Dr. Nicolas Steinmetz, Associate Executive Director of The Montreal Children's Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre. In outlining The Children's plans for the future, Dr. Steinmetz said the Hospital will focus on further developing five fields of medical specialization for which it is already world-renowned and a leader in Quebec:

• Cardiology and cardiac surgery
• Neurosciences, including neurosurgery and mental health
• Genetic research
• Musculoskeletal medicine, including orthopedics and rheumatology, and
• Traumatology

"As medicine becomes more complex and specialized, maintaining excellence and achieving new heights means we need to focus on our fields of strength," added Dr. Steinmetz.

An special evening of celebrations featuring many well-known Quebec performers will kick off the centennial year on January 28, 2004. Other activities include a homecoming weekend for former patients, employees and doctors in June, open houses and two family celebrations, one in summer and one in winter, at the Chalet on Mount Royal, to wrap up the festivities in December 2004. A commemorative stamp and three books will also be published during the centennial year, and a major exhibition on the Hospital will open at the McCord Museum in October 2004. In addition, prominent health care professionals around the world will be giving keynote lectures during numerous medical lectures scheduled throughout 2004.

Those who wish to sign the Declaration of Support can do so by visiting www.mch2004.com

The Montreal Children's Hospital is the pediatric teaching hospital of the McGill University Health Centre. This institution is a leader in the care and treatment of sick infants, children, and adolescents from across Quebec. Fully bilingual and multicultural, the institution respectfully serves an increasingly diverse community in more than 50 languages. The Hospital is also a source of support for their families and an advocate for the rights of all children to reach their full potential. In 2004, The Children's will celebrate 100 years of leading edge pediatric care, research and teaching.