Leading-edge brain care centre opens at Sunnybrook

TORONTO – This week marked the start of operations at Sunnybrook’s new Garry Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre, with teams transitioning to the new facility. The Hurvitz Centre is a state-of-the-art facility and the first of its kind in Canada for patient care and interdisciplinary research.

With a focus on treating mental and physical health as one, the Hurvitz Centre unites Sunnybrook experts under one roof to increase collaboration and discovery, as well as enhance the patient experience with streamlined care for complex conditions.

The Hurvitz Centre revolutionizes approaches to the most complex brain disorders, including mood and anxiety disorders, stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS and more.

“Today is an incredibly exciting day for all of us at Sunnybrook,” says Dr. Andy Smith (pictured), president & CEO of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. “Teams across the hospital have been preparing and training for the first day of operations in the new Hurvitz Centre and I want to thank them for their incredible efforts.”

He added, “The dedicated team in the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program are trailblazers; from early breakthroughs in neuroscience to the development of leading technologies like rTMS and Focused Ultrasound, we will continue to push the boundaries of what is possible. The opening of the new Hurvitz Centre today marks the next step in our journey to do just that.”

“We are grateful for the visionary support of Garry Hurvitz, whose exceptional leadership gift established this special place and inspired a groundswell of support from more than 7,000 donors and the Government of Ontario,” said Kelly Cole, president & CEO, Sunnybrook Foundation. “Together we share the same belief that all aspects of brain health are worthy of attention and care.”

“We are proud to reach this milestone,” commented Dr. Nir Lipsman, chief of the Hurvitz Brain Sciences program at Sunnybrook. “The new Hurvitz Centre embodies everything we strive to do in neuroscience, bringing together the brightest minds, from all brain disciplines, under one roof and focused on improving the lives of the patients we have the privilege to care for. Seeing patients in the new Hurvitz Centre, for the first time, is incredibly exciting for all of us in the program.”

“From my own experience, I know the profound impact compassionate care can have. Everyone deserves access to the best possible care, and I’m proud to support a brain sciences program and centre that helps make that a reality,” said Garry Hurvitz. “With the doors open today, I know the Hurvitz Centre will ensure others receive the care they need and deserve.”

About the new Garry Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre
The new Garry Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre is 120,000 square feet and three storeys tall. The Hurvitz Centre has 47 private inpatient beds to accommodate more patients, including:

• 28 adult inpatient rooms
• Nine psychiatric intensive unit rooms
• 10 youth inpatient rooms

In addition to inpatient space, the Garry Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre features 26 outpatient exam rooms and is home to:

• the Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, one of the world’s first to offer a complete range of neuromodulation strategies to influence brain circuitry;
• the Murphy Family Centre for Mental Health, providing compassionate and comprehensive inpatient care for youth and adults;
• the Yuval & Lori Barzakay Brain Health Clinic, where research directly impacts outpatient care in stroke, memory, ALS, traumatic brain injury and more; and
• Ontario’s first circadian sleep centre, with sleep rooms dedicated to round-the-clock testing.

An exceptional leadership gift from Garry Hurvitz established the Garry Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre and inspired more than 7,000 donors and the Government of Ontario to make this new centre possible.