Re: Hoskins wants to ban Ontario hospitals from being renamed for donors, Feb. 1
Hoskins wants to ban Ontario hospitals from being renamed for donors, Feb. 1
Minister Hoskins is justified in pursuing legislation that would ban hospitals from being renamed after donors. The name of a hospital reflects its geographic location, its community and its history. Some, like Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, were established to provide care to a specific population not otherwise well-served. Others are named after the local community, or reflect the type of care they provide.
Renaming a corporation after an individual, family or organization puts the hospital at risk of negative PR should the reputation of donors change over time. It also clouds the institution with the values and actions associated with the donor.
Finally, we must acknowledge that donors and their family members are treated differently when they present for care. As a physician, I have been reminded that a patient I was about to see came from a donor family. One patient even attempted to secure faster care by asking me if I “knew who she was.”
Large donations and the naming of wings and centres does create an elite class of patients who expect and are granted VIP care.
I hope Minister Hoskins is successful in passing this proposed legislation. The corporate name of a hospital should not be for sale.
Dr. Kali Barrett, Toronto
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