Exhibit traces history of Sudbury hospitals

A walk down the main corridor of Sudbury Regional Hospital will now be a study in history, thanks to a new permanent exhibit wall unveiled this spring.

The main corridor at the hospital’s acute-care facility is now home to a series of history walls that pay tribute to the city’s former hospitals and their donors. The walls also recognize the donors to the Heart and Soul Campaign, the capital campaign launched to raise funds for three health care projects in the region–the one-site acute care facility, the expansion of the regional cancer centre and St. Joseph’s Villa.

“These walls are an important tribute to the rich and proud legacy of our region’s health care system,” said Tony Corallo, chair of the hospital’s board of directors. “As you look upon these history walls, you begin to appreciate the indelible footprint that marks our health-care system.”

“We would not have the facilities and equipment we (have today) were it not for the countless generous individuals, community groups, businesses, and other partners who gave of their time and money to improve the care we are able to provide to patients,” said Alan Arkilander, treasurer of the hospital foundation’s board of directors.

“These walls serve to showcase Sudbury’s many outstanding accomplishments in health care,” added Dr. Denis Roy, hospital president and CEO. “Canada’s first successful coronary artery bypass was performed here. Sudbury was the first in Canada to perform stem cell transplantation, and researchers at our Regional Cancer Program were the first in the world to begin growing stem cells in a laboratory setting. Over the years, a lot of groundbreaking health care has been successfully completed here.”

The history exhibit walls highlight the evolution of Sudbury’s hospital system from the opening of the first 15-bed log hospital in 1883 to the opening of the new acute-care main campus in 2010. It also features the names of all former and current donors to Sudbury’s hospital system.