Mount Sinai has extended its presence in the Greater Toronto Area by partnering with the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) to build a family health centre at the Lebovic Jewish Community Campus in Vaughan.

The 50-acre campus is set to become a centre of Jewish life in the GTA. The campus will host a variety of social and cultural activities, educational facilities, recreation, meeting and event space, as well as health and wellness centres. The campus is one product of the UJA’s Tomorrow Campaign to revitalize three Jewish centres across the GTA.

Shovels broke ground on the campus in 2005, and approval was granted by the Hospital’s board of directors to lease a 16,000-square-foot space in the campus’s community services building. A family health team – comprised of several medical professionals – will operate there when the building is completed, likely in early 2011.

“The Mount Sinai Family Health and Wellness Centre will house the Hospital’s third family health satellite in the GTA,” says Rosalie Steinberg, Director of Community Development and Integration at the Hospital. “It is an opportunity to deliver the same high-quality service to patients north of Toronto as we are able to provide to those coming downtown.”

Mount Sinai will partner with other organizations at the location. “Through extensive community consultations with campus partners, we have surveyed the community about their health care needs and are working collaboratively with our partners to meet those needs,” says Steinberg.

The Hospital is exploring an opportunity to lease additional, adjacent space on the campus that would house programs focused on helping patients manage chronic diseases.

Neil Closner, Vice President of Business Development at the Hospital, has closely monitored the proposal. “We are currently exploring the opportunity to use the additional space for chronic disease management-related practices, such as physical rehabilitation and arthritis therapy,” says Closner.

Mount Sinai is also considering a partnership with Toronto-based Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, a research and education centre focused on improving quality of life for the elderly. “We are looking for ways to best leverage our assets,” says Closner. “By incorporating potential business development opportunities, we are able to better sustain and support our care practices.”

In addition to corporate partnerships, the clinic will allow for clinical education and volunteer opportunities. “Mount Sinai is expanding its presence within the fastest growing Jewish community in the GTA,” says Steinberg. “We’re providing new access points to health care, building on the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s focus on expanding primary care within the community.”