8/13/2019 Photo Exhibit for Hospital Spaces

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Tracing Traditional Hospital Spaces: A Photo ETeruko Kishibe, Archivist, St. Michaels Hospital Archives

THE EMERGENCY WARD

When St. Michaels opened on July 1, 1892, (approximately where the Bond Lobby s tands today), it consisted of

a one-room emergency, a simple outpatients clinic and 26 beds. High demand caused the Emergency ward to

quickly outgrow its surroundings on multiple occasions. Newspapers of the day regularly reported emergency

cases handled by St. Michaels; there was, in fact, a strong push for St. Michaels to become exclusively anEmergency hospital, giving up its inpatient wards. Its location, in close proximity to the University of Toronto

and the downtown core, secured its future.

THE MATERNITY WARD

There were no births at St. Michaels in its first two years, but in 1894-1985, when the Hugh Ryan wing was built

with a maternity ward on the top floor, 12 babies were delivered here. Similar to the Emergency ward, Maternity

moved many times as the hospital grew and facilities became outdated. This is most evident in the maternity

wing purchased and renovated in 1907. South of the Hugh Ryan wing, it was papered and painted, many new

amenities were added, and it was described as having a homelike atmosphere. While it was commended in

1907, by 1913, it was deemed inadequate and unsuitable.

THE O

The Hug

primarilyred press

50 studenmany for

St. Michaels in 1892, where Emergency patients were

received until, in 1895, the Hugh Ryan wing opened.

The busy Emergency wardcirca 1915: it received more

than 25 patients a day. For

a short while the two-room,

two-corridor ward wasconsidered well-equipped,until it was forced to move

for a second time.

Arendering of the A-, B-, and C-wings, c1926. Note the ambulance

turning into the proposed new Emergency Ward.

In 1953, the Emergency ward received a major overhaul;one that would serve the public almost unchanged for

30 years

The Emergency department

moved to its current location in

1982, at the corner of Shuter andVictoria Streets. It is a regional

trauma and stroke centre, open

every day, day and night.

In 2018, our tradition of growth and improvement will see the ERmove once again; this time to our new patient tower at the corner of

Victoria and Queen Streets and nearly doubling in size.

In 1913, maternity patientswere moved out of the

maternity ward and back intothe top floor of the Hugh Ryan

wing. By 1928, the C-wing had

been built, and maternity tookover its entire seventh floor and

remained there for almost fourdecades.

Nursery, c1915 Nurses weighing newborns, c1915

C-wing, 7thfloor, c1939

In 1954, Obstetrics expanded into the

seven-storey AS-wing, which ran southalong Bond St. to Queen St. E. One floorof this new wing was dedicated to

postpartum patients, while a 50 bassinette

nursery covered the top-most floor.

In 1964, the F-wing was completed. Post-partum patients were transferred from 6ASto the new Obstetrics department on the fourth floor, which showcased five delivery

rooms (see RIGHT), a C-section room, recovery room, 100 patient beds, and 120

bassinets.

In the 1980s, an effort was made to update the maternity space itself: the clinical lookof labour rooms was softened with wallpaper and comfortable furnishings, and the

labour room became the delivery room as well. St. Michaels continues to offer

patient-centered obstetrical care today.

The Hugh Ry

Operating roo