In May, Mount Sinai Hospital, part of Sinai Health System, launched the Alternative Accommodation Program, an innovative pilot project to provide accommodation for high-risk obstetric patients who live a distance from the hospital and require immediate access to tertiary services, but do not yet require medical or nursing care. Because Mount Sinai is one of only a few hospitals that provides care for complex and complicated pregnancies in the Greater Toronto Area, and is a centre of excellence for in utero fetal therapy in Canada, patients may come from across Canada to access the skill and expertise of our maternity and fetal medicine specialists.
As a high-risk pregnancy patient, it is comforting to know that I'm so close to Canada's top experts in this area," says Raman, the very first guest to use the hospitality suites.
To help create a comfortable home-like environment for women like Raman, IKEA Canada generously donated home furnishing products and décor for each of the four self-care hospitality suites, including beds, chairs, tables, shower curtains and wall art. Each room was designed in collaboration with various hospital departments (infection control, support services and quality and safety) to ensure each piece of furniture and décor adheres to hospital safety and quality regulations.
"At IKEA we want to have a positive impact on the communities where we do business," said Katherine Davey, IKEA Canada Country Communications and Interior Design Manager. "We're pleased to be offering our support and comforts of home to families at a time when they need it the most."
On Thursday, July 21 a team of interior designers and co-workers at four IKEA locations in the Greater Toronto Area (Burlington, Etobicoke, North York, Vaughan) joined Foundation staff to implement the make-over and make each suite bright and comfortable.
"These hospitality suites, located on the 17th floor at Mount Sinai Hospital, allow women immediate access to care if they need it, without having to be admitted to a hospital bed as a patient," says Dr. Wendy Whittle, Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist at Mount Sinai. "We are very grateful to IKEA Canada for helping to make these suites function as a home away from home. These patients are already in a high stress situation, and anything that we can do to improve their experience is very gratifying."