McGill University Health Centre
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC; French: Centre universitaire de santé McGill) is one of two major healthcare networks in the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is affiliated with McGill University and is one of the largest medical institutions in Canada. Most of its funding comes from Quebec taxpayers through the Ministry of Health and Social Services. The centre provides inpatient and ambulatory care.
McGill University Health Centre Centre universitaire de santé McGill | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Location | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
Organization | |
Care system | Public (RAMQ) |
Funding | Public (MSSS) |
Type | Teaching |
Affiliated university | McGill University |
Services | |
Emergency department | Multiple |
Beds | 1,379 |
History | |
Opened | 1997 |
Links | |
Website | muhc |
Lists | Hospitals in Canada |
The centre announced that it would consolidate its services in a single facility in 2007; it was a long and troubled process. It was budgeted at around $700 million but cost around 1.3 billion; it was meant to take only three years but took much longer.[1] The project was completed in 2015. The facility replaced the existing facilities of the Royal Victoria Hospital (on April 26, 2015), the Montreal Children's Hospital (on May 24, 2015), and the Montreal Chest Institute (on June 14, 2015).[2] It did not replace either the Montreal General Hospital or the Hôpital de Lachine. it added a cancer centre and a part of the building also houses the research institute of the MUHC. [3]
The 2004–2011 tenure of Arthur Porter, a politically active Montreal physician, as the hospital's CEO attracted extensive media scrutiny which intensified when it was revealed that he had received $22.5 million in consulting fees from SNC-Lavalin. After receiving these payments, Porter awarded the firm with a $1.3 billion contract related to the construction of the hospital. These dealings were found to be in violation of the Quebec Health Act, and along with the emergence of other questionable business activities undertaken by Porter, led to calls for his resignation. Porter resigned on December 5, 2011.[4][5] Further investigation of the case by Quebec anti-corruption investigators resulted in allegations of the involvement of SNC-Lavalin and health centre employees in fraud and forgery. The investigators then issued a warrant for Porter's arrest on February 27, 2013, on charges of fraud, conspiracy, breach of trust, taking secret commissions and money laundering. Porter left Canada, and was apprehended by INTERPOL agents with his wife in Panama, where he was imprisoned while awaiting his extradition to Quebec.[4][5] Porter died from metastatic lung cancer in 2015 before he could be extradited.[6]
Two SNC Lavalin executives pled guilty in the bribery scandal. Former SNC-Lavalin vice president of construction Riadh Ben Aissa entered a guilty plea in court to one charge of using a forged document; in this plea bargain, prosecutors dropped 15 other charges against him. He was sentenced to 51 months in jail. [7] Former SNC Lavalin President and CEO Pierre Duhaime pled guilty to helping a public servant commit breach of trust, and was sentenced to 20 months of house arrest, with less restrictive conditions after having served 6 months.[8]
The McGill University Health Centre is part of a $2.355 billion Redevelopment Project on three sites - the Glen, the Montreal General and Lachine hospitals.[9]
See also
- The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, nicknamed "The Neuro"
- Allan Memorial Institute, houses the outpatient Psychiatry Department of the Montreal General Hospital, part of the McGill University Health Centre
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, a teaching psychiatric hospital affiliated with McGill University
- Jewish General Hospital, the other bilingual hospital in Montreal, affiliated with McGill University
- St. Mary's Hospital, a teaching hospital affiliated with McGill University
- Lakeshore General Hospital, affiliated with McGill University
- Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, the other major hospital network in Montreal, affiliated to the Université de Montréal.
References
- Dougherty, Kevin (November 16, 2012). "Quebec infrastructure case study: the McGill University Health Centre". The Gazette. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012.
- https://muhc.ca/2015/article/muhc-move-2015
- "New MUHC : Montreal General Hospital". McGill University Health Centre. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
- Curtis, Christopher. "Arthur Porter: timeline of a corruption scandal". The Montreal Gazette. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- Hutchinson, Brian. "In 2010 $1.3B 'mega-hospital' was lauded. Today, the mystery behind it is the subject of police raids". National Post. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
- Boesveld, Sarah (July 1, 2015). "'Suddenly and alone': Arthur Porter dies in Panama, a fugitive from Canadian justice". National Post. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/former-snc-lavalin-vp-pleads-guilty-in-muhc-corruption-trial-1.4741765
- "Former SNC-Lavalin CEO Pierre Duhaime pleads guilty for role in hospital bribery". Toronto Star.
- https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/former-snc-lavalin-vp-pleads-guilty-in-muhc-corruption-trial-1.4741765