McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Glen Campus

operational

Opportunity The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is one of the leading academic hospitals in North America. Each year MUHC receives of 800,000 ambulatory visits, including emergency department visits, and has over 35,000 inpatient stays. MUHC was formed in 1997 when five teaching hospitals—Montréal Children’s, Montréal General, Royal Victoria, Montréal Neurological Hospitals and the Montréal Chest Institute—merged with McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine. Since the 1990s redevelopment had been discussed, as MUHC’s deteriorating infrastructure was holding back the hospital from providing patients with the optimal care and from fully capitalizing on its medical research and teaching expertise. In 2004 the Government of Québec approved the redevelopment project including construction of new facilities at the Glen Campus, a 43-acre brownsfield site in the City of Westmount on the Island of Montréal. Challenges The project was one of the largest and most complex hospital projects in North America at the time, with a construction site that covered 346,150 square-metres— the equivalent of seven American football fields. The size of the project, the complex nature of the health facility and the state of financing markets, particularly the bank long-term markets, made financing the Glen campus difficult. Innovations As a result of the challenging financial market a hybrid financing solution combining public and private funding was developed.  The financing was the largest hybrid (combination of bond and bank debt) achieved in the last ten years for public infrastructure in Canada at financial close. MUHC made milestone payments during construction and will make performance-based payments during the operational period, incentivizing the private partner to complete the facilities on-time and ensure they are always available and in good condition. One of the important lessons learned from the Glen project was the value of maximizing the participation of front-line staff, clinicians, users and the community in large and complex projects. Results The Glen campus project involved construction of leading-edge surgical facilities, separate adult and pediatric emergency departments, outpatient clinics linked to 25 departments and a neonatal intensive care unit. Highlights include: 500 single-patient rooms—346 adult, 154 pediatric— with private bathrooms and space for visiting family members; 20 operating rooms— 14 for adults, six for children; 69 emergency stretchers to manage the flow of over 100,000 emergency patient visits per year; The Centre for Innovative Medicine and Centre for Translational Biology; Separate elevators for patient transportation; Commercial retail space; and 2,735 interior parking spaces. One of the clearest advantages of an integrated institution like the Glen campus is that it gathers all specialists associated with a single field in one site making it easier for patients to receive direct contact with health care professionals and access state-of-the-art equipment. MUHC is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certified. In addition to reducing water consumption, particular attention will be paid to energy efficiency and improving ambient air quality. In partnership with Transport Québec and the City of Montréal $90 million was invested around the Glen Campus in roadwork, sewage and aqueduct enhancements and other infrastructure. The Glen campus employs nearly 12,000 doctors, researchers, nurses and other healthcare practitioners. Over the course of the project more than 900 professionals—including 125 architects and 125 engineers— were employed as well as over 12,000 construction workers. The project won the 2011 North American Social Infrastructure Deal of the Year from Project Finance Magazine. Learn more at: CCPPP Case Studies

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