Leadership
Message

Kelly Cole, President and CEO, Sunnybrook Foundation

As the new President and CEO of the Sunnybrook Foundation, it is my great pleasure to introduce myself and share just a few milestones made possible at Sunnybrook in 2020, thanks to philanthropic support.

Since joining the team in November 2020, I have already witnessed such passion, drive and generosity from our community. That energy and commitment are what brought me to Sunnybrook and what fuels our team during challenging times.

As our hospital teams transform the future of health care, they are sustained by you � our dedicated donors � who share their vision. I am thrilled to join you in these efforts.

In January 2020, the first air ambulance landed on our rooftop helipad, made possible by donor support.

Months later, when Sunnybrook treated the first COVID-19 patient in Canada, our community stepped up to support our efforts. Our scientists were among the first teams to isolate the virus, and they launched trials in unheard-of time frames and developed protective equipment.

Yet, the global crisis did not distract our donors from urgent initiatives that cannot be postponed � not even during a pandemic.

Bolstered by community support and provincial funding, we expanded our plans for the Garry Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre, adding a floor to the building and increasing inpatient mental health services in the Murphy Family Centre for Mental Health.

The Weston Family Focused Ultrasound Initiative was launched, an all-out effort to accelerate the development of a powerful new focused ultrasound device to enable the personalized treatment of brain disorders as never before. We also established the Dr. Sandra Black Centre for Brain Resilience & Recovery, which builds upon its namesake�s foundational contributions to the world�s understanding of neurovascular research, Alzheimer�s and dementia.

Since treating the first patient in Canada on the donor-funded MR-Linac, we brought this image-guided radiation technology to more than 100 patients with brain and prostate cancers.

With your support, Sunnybrook is inventing the future of health care, this year and for years to come. Thank you for all that you have done and do for Sunnybrook.