Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI or commonly Toronto Rehab) is the largest rehabilitation hospital in Canada. Owned and operated by the University Health Network (UHN), Toronto Rehab provides patients with rehabilitation care, helping people rebuild their lives and achieve individualized goals following injury and disability. It is composed of five sites across Toronto, which are: Bickle Centre (130 Dunn Avenue), Lakeside Centre (150 Dunn Avenue), Lyndhurst Centre (520 Sutherland Drive), Rumsey Centre (345 and 347 Rumsey Road), and University Centre (550 University Avenue).

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
University Health Network
Entrance to the University Centre site of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
Geography
Location	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Organization
Care system	Medicare
Type	Specialist
Affiliated university	University of Toronto
Services
Emergency department	No
Specialty	Rehabilitation
History
Opened	November 2, 1998
Links
Website	UHN.ca/TorontoRehab

History

Predecessor institutions

Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI or Toronto Rehab) was formed through a series of rehabilitation hospital mergers, with a direct lineage of care dating to the 19th century.

The Toronto Home for Incurables (1910, top) and Hillcrest Convalescent Home (c. 1896, bottom) were constructed in the suburban countryside as a more restful setting for patients.

The Toronto Home for Incurables opened in 1874 at Bathurst and King Streets, to receive long-term care patients from Toronto General Hospital, primarily those with untreatable forms of tuberculosis, heart disease and paralysis. In 1899, the home was moved into larger premises on Dunn Avenue in suburban Parkdale and was expanded several times in the following years. In the mid-century, the home was renamed the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for the Incurables then the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. In 1975, it became the first chronic care teaching hospital in Canada, affiliated with the University of Toronto. The hospital then expanded, constructing an additional facility at Dunn Ave. and purchasing a former building of Mount Sinai Hospital on University Ave.^[1]

The Hillcrest Convalescent Home was erected on an acre of land along Davenport Road (in what is now the Casa Loma neighbourhood) and opened to patients in 1886.^[2] Additions and alterations were made to accommodate more patients and the home incorporated in 1892.^[3] Hillcrest initially provided long-term care and later expanded to offer occupational therapy services as the Hillcrest Hospital.^[4]

The Toronto Rehabilitation Centre was formed in 1922 to provide services for World War I veterans. It was the first independent rehabilitation facility in North America and later specialized in outpatient cardiac care.^{[4][better source needed]}

Lyndhurst Lodge was a mansion in the Casa Loma neighbourhood, purchased by the Department of Veterans Affairs and used from 1945 as a rehabilitation centre for veterans with spinal cord injuries. Under neurosurgeon Harry Botterell, pioneering work was done in this field which became known as the Canadian approach to spinal cord injury. The Lodge was opened to civilian patients in 1946. In 1950, the Lodge was acquired by the Canadian Paraplegic Association (CPA), and through the 1950s it was the only independent rehab facility for spinal cord injury in the world.^[5] To meet the demand for higher patient capacity, in 1974 work began on Lyndhurst Hospital in Toronto's Leaside neighbourhood. The Ontario government purchased the hospital in 1994.^[6]

In 1997, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Hillcrest Hospital were merged as the Rehabilitation Institute of Toronto. The following year, this organization was amalgamated with the Toronto Rehabilitation Centre and Lyndhurst Hospital as the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.^[4][7]

Foundation and expansion

By a Special Act of Legislation, on November 2, 1998, the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute was created with the amalgamation of three hospitals. These were:

• Rehabilitation Institute of Toronto
• Lyndhurst Spinal Cord Centre
• Toronto Rehabilitation Centre

In 2007, TRI co-hosted the Festival of International Conferences on Caregiving, Disability, Aging and Technology (FICCDAT), uniting these five professional conferences with common themes for the first time.^[8]

In 2008, work began on a $112 million expansion and renovation of the University Centre site, including construction of a 13-story tower with expanded research and educational space.^[9][10][11]

In 2011, Toronto Rehab merged with the University Health Network (UHN).^[12]

In 2011, Toronto Rehab opened the iDAPT Centre Rehabilitation Research, where technologies and treatments to enhance the lives of people who are aging, ill or injured are tested in simulated environments.^{[13][14][failed verification]}

In 2019, UHN consolidated the programs of the TRI Research Institute as KITE (knowledge, innovation, talent, everywhere) at UHN, led by research director Dr. Milos R. Popovic.^[15] Under this rebranding, the research institute broadened its focus from rehabilitation to assisting people living with the effects of illness, aging, and disability.^[16][15]

Programs

Programs currently offered at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute include:

• Spinal cord rehabilitation
• Stroke rehabilitation
• Acquired Brain Injury rehabilitation
• Geriatric psychiatry rehabilitation
• Cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation
• Complex continuing care
• Geriatric medicine rehabilitation
• Musculoskeletal and oncological rehabilitation
• Chronic pain rehabilitation services
• Long term care

KITE research institute

KITE (Knowledge, Innovation, Talent, Everywhere) is the rehabilitation research institute located inside of Toronto Rehab.^[17] It was founded in 2001 following the $15-million funding commitment from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.^[18] Their areas of research focus include restoration of function, independent living, enhanced participation, and injury prevention.^[19]

There are 11 research labs in KITE:^[20]

• CareLab
• ClimateLab
• DriverLab
• FallsLab
• HomeLab
• SleepdB
• StairLab
• StreetLab
• WinterLab
• Movement Evaluation Lab
• Rehabilitation Engineering Lab^[21]

References

1. Filey, Mike (1995). Toronto Sketches 4: The Way We Were. Dundurn Press. p. 11. ISBN 1550022482.
2. First Report of the Hillcrest Convalescent Home (Report). Toronto, Ontario: Apted Bros. 1888. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
3. Sixth Report of the Hillcrest Convalescent Home (Report). Toronto, Ontario: Rowsell & Hutchison. 1893. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
4. "Toronto Rehab History". University Health Network. 22 December 2008. Retrieved 3 December 2019.
5. Tremblay, Mary (1995). "The Canadian Revolution in the Management of Spinal Cord Injury". Canadian Bulletin of Medical History. 12 (1). Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press: 125–155.
6. "Lyndhurst Lodge". Toronto, Ontario: Spinal Cord Injury Canada. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
7. Agrell, Siri (23 December 2010). "Toronto rehab: A good place to have bad things happen". The Globe and Mail. Toronto, Ontario. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
8. "Festival brings together the world's experts on caregiving, disability, aging, and technology". Canada Newswire. 11 June 2007. ProQuest 455485968.
9. "Aecon reaches Financial Close on $112 million hospital expansion and renovation project" (Press release). Toronto, Ontario. Canada Newswire. 19 August 2008. ProQuest 455298513.
10. "Ont. gives Toronto rehab centre $45.6 millino for redevelopment project". Canadian Press. 10 May 2004. ProQuest 347347267.
11. "RFP goes out for Toronto Rehab". The Villager. Toronto, Ontario: Torstar Syndication Services. 16 August 2007. p. 1. ProQuest 363041462.
12. Carruthers, Chris (13 April 2011). "An opportunity to save health dollars". Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ontario. p. A14. ProQuest 862277155.
13. Patton, Jessica (2017-10-12). "Toronto Rehabilitation Institute launches Canada's most advanced driving simulator". Global News. Corus Entertainment. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
14. "Going for a ride in Toronto Rehab's state-of-the-art driving simulator - Video - CityNews Toronto". CityNews. Rogers Digital Media. 2019-10-12. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
15. "KITE will focus on rehab, commercialization | Canadian Healthcare Technology". Canadian Healthcare Technology. Thornhill, Ontario. 2019-02-13. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
16. "UHN welcomes KITE, a new venture dedicated to rehabilitation research, science and commercialization" (Press release). University Health Network. 2019-01-31. Retrieved 2021-03-28.
17. "KITE | About Us". www.kite-uhn.com. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
18. "Minister of Health Announces $15 Million for Research". www.uhn.ca. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
19. "KITE". www.uhn.ca. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
20. "KITE | Research Labs". kite-uhn.com. Retrieved 2021-01-30.
21. "Rehabilitation Engineering Laboratory". Retrieved 2021-01-31.

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