News Release

McLaughlin Family Donates $1 Million to Support Cardiac Care at Trillium Health Centre

Mississauga, West Toronto: Patricia McLaughlin, wife of well-known Mississauga developer Bruce McLaughlin, was honoured with a very special birthday gift from her family recently. On January 30, the McLaughlin family gathered for an intimate ceremonial unveiling of a sign honouring a $1 million gift supporting Trillium Health Centre’s Advanced Cardiac Care Program through the addition of a third cardiac operating room.

In honour of this gift, the suite of three cardiac operating rooms has been named the ‘McLaughlin Cardiac Operating Suite’.

“I was born in the Mississauga Hospital,” said Stewart McLaughlin. “Now we’ve come full circle. When my sisters, Julie and Joanne, and I were deciding what we could to do honour our mother’s birthday, we had many options to consider, but we came back here. This is the cause closest and dearest to our hearts. This gift was a way to do a little to make progress possible. We couldn’t be more proud to see the McLaughlin name on the Cardiac Operating Suite.”

“There are many leaders in the world, but not many visionaries,” observed Ken White. “What better partnership than a visionary family with a visionary hospital? It is an honour to receive this gift from your family. Together, we are transforming health care to sustain it for our kids and grandkids. You couldn’t attach your name to any better program in North American than our Cardiac Program.”

Both Mayor McCallion and Harold G. Shipp were in attendance and reminisced with Bruce McLaughlin about the days when Mississauga was in its early development. They recalled that Bruce is the visionary who started the city core by building Square One. “Thank you for what you have done for this great city and now, for this hospital” said Mayor McCallion.

As the Regional Cardiac Care Centre, Trillium provides life-saving cardiac surgery for 1,000 patients every year. More than 700 of these patients have had ‘beating heart surgery” in the past year alone, a highly specialized off-pump bypass surgery that offers significant benefits to patients. Trillium is the national leader in beating heart surgery.

This gift will enable Trillium to add a third cardiac operating room and help meet the demand for innovative procedures like beating heart surgery and minimally invasive cardiac bypass surgery.

Dr. Gopal Bhatnagar, Chief of Staff and cardiac surgeon, thanked the family and promised to use the McLaughlin famly’s generous gift as efficiently as possible to transform Trillium into a patient-centred organization.

- 30 -

Caption: Julie McLaughlin, Patricia McLaughlin, Stuart McLaughlin, Bruce McLaughlin, and Joanne McLaughlin at the naming of the McLaughlin Cardiac Operating Suite.


For more information contact:

Cynthia Lacroix
Marketing Communications Consultant
Trillium Health Centre
Tel: 416-259-7580 ext 5585
Fax: 416-521-4179
Email: clacroix@thc.on.ca

Media Contacts

For all media enquiries, please call Public Relations at 905-848-7580 ext. 3832.