Atrium Building Grand Opening February 20 - 22, 2014

Atrium Building Grand Opening
February 20 - 22, 2014
A Message of Congratulations
“A proud member of the community for more than 100 years, Waypoint
has a distinct history of providing excellent patient care for those coping
with mental illness. I am very pleased that more patients will be
supported on their road to recovery for many years to come thanks to
your redevelopment. Good things certainly do happen at Waypoint.
Congratulations!”
Deb Matthews
Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
Advancing Understanding. Improving Lives.
Waypoint is our region’s speciality hospital for mental health and addiction treatment and care.
Throughout its history local residents from Simcoe County, Muskoka and surrounding communities
have benefited from the expertise of the hospital’s highly trained staff. Regional services include six
inpatient programs for adults and seniors, and a variety of outpatient services for youth to seniors.
The hospital is part of the broader system of mental health and addiction services partnering with
many hospitals and community organizations, and supported by the North Simcoe Muskoka Local
Health Integration Network.
Waypoint is also home to the province’s only maximum secure forensic mental health hospital. This
160-bed hospital has been providing treatment and care to some of the province’s most vulnerable
throughout its history.
As one of four speciality mental health centres in the province, Waypoint’s role includes clinical
services, health care leadership, research, education and teaching, and supporting advocacy to
advance understanding of mental illness.
Thanks to the efforts of many, the end of a
long journey to an improved environment for
the people we serve is in reach. Thirty years
ago our predecessors at the former Mental
Health Centre Penetanguishene began the
conversation to replace the Oak Ridge
building, and eventually Brébeuf. This visionary
work and advocacy has led to a beautiful new
forensic hospital and integrated campus. We
are honoured to be part of the dream that often
seemed so far away, finally becoming reality.
Good Things Happen every day at Waypoint
in the services our expert staff provide for
patients and clients in hospital and in the
community. Our heartfelt thanks is extended
to Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of
Health and Long-Term Care for their support
for this much needed improvement to patient
treatment and care, and for believing in the
vision for a new forensic mental health
hospital.
While much change is happening around
us, what stays the same is Waypoint’s
commitment to our patients and the care
we provide. Our new Atrium Building offers
a much more welcoming and
comfortable space for people on their
treatment and recovery journey, the
latest state-of-the-art technology to
support treatment and care, and an
improved work environment for our
staff. We are striving to achieve
Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design Gold certification,
which will further enhance a healthy
hospital.
Our hospital has been a proud member of
the community since 1904, caring for
people with mental illness and supporting
their journey to recovery. Today, we are
pleased to continue that tradition.
Waypoint President and CEO
Carol Lambie and Chair of the
Board of Directors Betty Valentine
The Legacy of Mental Health Care continues…
Since it’s beginnings in the early 1900’s, Waypoint has been a community leader in mental health
care, growing in the 1930’s with the addition of the province’s only maximum secure forensic
mental health hospital. The new Atrium building is yet another milestone in this strong history.
Tradition is Cherished….
Folger
Adams
keys and
metal gates
at the front
entrance
Transportation staff drive food
trays to Oak Ridge, then dietary
staff carry them upstairs to
serve patients, three times a day
Patients handed a prepared
tray to eat in small, multipurpose area used for both
dining and relaxation
….Change is Welcomed
Warm, inviting care desk
Electronic visitor sign-in
On-unit dining rooms where
patients have more selection
Welcoming hospital entrance
and lobby with information desk
A Message From
the Vice Presidents
It’s hard to believe we finally have a brand new hospital
facility, replacing both the Oak Ridge and Brébeuf
buildings. These buildings served us well for many
years but have, for some time, been woefully
inadequate. This is especially true of Oak Ridge, which
has presented countless challenges for staff attempting
to provide quality mental health care to some of our
province’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable men.
Tenacity is a virtue. Leaders of the Mental Health
Centre Penetanguishene advocated for nearly 30
years to have the Oak Ridge facility replaced. Previous
Administrators George Kytayko and Sharon Zwicker,
Psychiatrist-in-Chief Dr. Russel Fleming and others
deserve much credit for what we now have. Municipal,
regional and provincial politicians, senior staff in
various ministries, and numerous advocacy
organizations were lobbied. We saw the creation of
countless reviews and reports. We toured successive
Health Ministers through the old facility to impress
upon them the need to replace the buildings. Finally it
paid off; as perseverance so often does.
The transition from 19th century Oak Ridge, to 21st
Century Atrium is going to be a bit of a shock. After all,
we’ve skipped an entire century! Our expert staff
members have long provided compassionate mental
health services to patients in our care. Now, finally,
those services will be provided in a hospital built to our
requirements and uniquely suited to the purpose.
Dr. Brian Jones, Vice President, Provincial
Forensic Programs and Deborah Duncan,
Vice President, Regional Programs
congratulate Robert Savage, Vice President,
Redevelopment on a job well done.
Thank you to our construction partners for making our dream a reality!
MINISTRY OF
HEALTH AND LONG-TERM CARE
The Road to Here…
When Waypoint was given the green light to build the Atrium
Building, and shovels finally went into the ground, the intense
work wasn’t just conducted on the construction site. Nine
planning teams were organized to develop comprehensive plans
for the transition from Oak Ridge and Brébeuf to the Atrium.
Details ranged from dishware, schedules for the elevators,
furniture and the ever-important patient move planning. A year
and a half flew by for those involved in the planning, and it’s
because of their commitment to Waypoint we are able to have a
smooth transition.
Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care
Board of Directors
Senior Leadership Team
Betty Valentine, Chair
Carol Lambie,
President and CEO
Roger Robitaille, Vice-Chair
Janet Harris,
Executive Vice President Clinical Services and
Chief Nursing Executive
Catharine Bayles
Dr. Edward Connors
Kathleen Finney
Dr. Brian Jones,
Vice President Provincial Forensic Programs
Fred Flood
Deborah Duncan,
Vice President Regional Programs
John McCullough
Tracey Rynard
Dr. Howard Barbaree,
Vice President Research and Academics
Doris Shirriff
Alison Vallance
Dr. Trevor Young
Rob Desroches,
Interim Vice President Human Resources and
Organizational Development
Volunteer Association
Lorraine Smith,
Vice President Corporate Services
Tony Vipond
Ted Symons, President
Pearl Vallee
Sandra Celikors
Ken Wilson
Dave Desroches
Bord Voutt
Margaret George
Dr. Jamie Karagianis,
Psychiatrist-in-Chief
Robert Savage,
Vice President Redevelopment
We are Green!
While we know the Atrium
Building is a huge
improvement for patients
and staff, it is also good
for the environment.
Congratulations to
Cannon Design and the
Integrated Team Solutions
consortium for keeping us
on track to achieve
Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design or
LEED Gold certification.
While you may not be able
to see the environmental
design inside the building,
you can see it on the
outside with one quarter of
the roof covered in slowgrowth grass. The rest of
the building is constructed
of white material that
reflects the sun’s energy
and also keeps the
hospital’s temperature
stable.
The building includes
specialized plumbing and
a geo-exchange field
which uses the earth for
heating and cooling.
The Future is Now
Our patients and staff will move into the new building in early
March. The move-in planning has been underway for a year and
a half as staff worked through the details of how to provide care
in a new environment, and how to prepare our patients.
Now that construction is complete, the Atrium Building
includes:
 A new front entrance and lobby
 180 new patient rooms, all 40 square feet larger
 A state-of-the-art Diagnostic Imaging and Treatment area
 A balance between safety, security, privacy and observation
Information Desk
inside the lobby
to help direct you
Patients can visit with
family in our comfortable
visitors centre, and café
seating outside the
complex
Spiritual Centre with labyrinth, chapel, sweat lodge and sacred fire
Improved gym and pool for patient recreation and community to use
Advancing Understanding
Q
A
What is Forensic Psychiatry?
Forensic Psychiatry is a branch of medicine which focuses on the needs of persons with
mental health problems who have become involved with the criminal justice system. Forensic
Psychiatrists also assist the courts and specialized mental health tribunals by providing expert
opinions, evidence and recommendations.
Q
A
How can a building help in a patient’s recovery??
A building may facilitate recovery from mental health difficulties. A building that is bright and
airy, and with lots of space for therapies and social, educational, vocational, and spiritual
activities can help make a person’s recovery more likely. Clinicians too are more likely to be
effective when their working environment is a therapeutic, rather than a merely custodial one.
Q
A
How does Waypoint advance the understanding? of mental illness?
Waypoint is engaged in the study of a variety of clinical interventions focused on recovery from
mental health difficulties. We also reach out to the community-at-large, offering presentations
on a variety of topics related to mental health and recovery. As a teaching hospital, with
several academic affiliations, we regularly host students in medicine, psychiatry, nursing and
other mental health disciplines. Many Waypoint staff hold formal academic appointments at
various universities and colleges in Ontario.
“People who are living with a
mental illness need people like you and I to be their
advocates. Finally, we as a society are starting to talk
about mental illness, now it’s time to act.”
Dr. Jamie Karagianis, Psychiatrist-in-Chief
Joanne’s Story
Joanne’s smile is bright today as she sits in the common area of the Brébeuf
Building, excited about her future as a college student.
“I just finished the chemistry course at Georgian College,” she said with
pride. “The staff at Waypoint helped me register for the next course in
computers. I really want to be a Pharmacy Technician.”
Joanne has been in the Regional Forensic Program at Waypoint for a few
months, sharing a small room with two other women. The inadequate
building also means a rush in the morning for the limited showers. While Joanne agrees the building
has its fair share of limitations, the care staff are what really make a difference to her recovery.
“The staff keep it fun here,” she says. “The group activities make it so much better here you don’t
even realize the limitations the building has, and sometimes don’t even realize you’re in a hospital.”
Joanne won’t be going to the Atrium Building, instead she’ll be going to a group home as the next
step in her recovery. She’s been inside the new facility and is in awe of the vast improvements that
will greet her peers, such as private rooms with views of the bay and natural light flooding most
areas.
“It’s much better for everyone. It’s safe, people can cook or read or relax, and it’s really beautiful.”
Waypoint Research Institute
Waypoint has a long history of conducting world-renowned, awardwinning research. The research conducted at Waypoint, formerly
Mental Health Centre Penetanguishene, during the last few decades
has helped define forensic mental health practices and has been
utilized across the globe to shape assessment and treatment
strategies.
In the summer of 2013, the Waypoint Research Institute was
launched, marking a new era of mental health research in
Penetanguishene. The Institute builds on a strong foundation and
international reputation, connecting to the future. It will allow our
research team to expand the scope of their work, directly impacting
how we care for patients in the field of mental health.
OVER the YEARS
With a strong foundation and a unique group of staff and patients to
collaborate with, research at Waypoint is positioned to shape the
future of mental health care, expanding the current focus into four
theme areas: Risk Factors and Assessment, Treatment and
Transitions, Policy, and Knowledge Translation. The strategy aligns
with Waypoint’s
Clinical Services Plan
and includes strong
partnerships with other
researchers,
academia, hospitals
and organizations.
Waypoint has a
number of partnerships
currently in place,
including a formal
affiliation with the
University of Toronto.
2009
Project Agreement
approved
2011
“The Institute
integrates the
research team
together with
the knowledge,
translation and
education to
enhance our
existing research
excellence,
further
improving clinical
services and
providing for
better treatment
and care for
patients and
clients.”
Dr. Howard Barbaree,
Vice President of
Research and
Academics, pictured
with President and
CEO Carol Lambie
and John
McCullough, Past
Chair
Early works
construction
WAYPOINT
ART PROJECT
Waypoint has launched a community outreach
project to promote mental health, fight stigma
and spark discussion about mental health
issues. Inspired by the successful community art
project undertaken by the Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health, Waypoint has been
collaborating with staff, patients and members of
the community to create artwork for our hospital.
Everyone is encouraged to participate and be a
part of a project that marks a new era of mental
health care at Waypoint and in our region.
The art project provides an opportunity to work
together as a hospital and community, and raise
awareness of mental health issues while
creating something beautiful to brighten the
hallways. These works of art will be designed to
tell Waypoint’s story and will be displayed for all
of our patients, staff and visitors in the hospital.
To take part in this exciting project, please
contact Alison Vallance at
artproject@waypointcentre.ca or 705-529-6081.
2012
Ground Breaking,
construction begins.
2013
Substantial
Completion
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500 Church Street Penetanguishene, ON L9M 1G3
waypointcentre.ca