Hyundai Canada and Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation announce fundraiser for new child and adolescent mental health inpatient unit

Hyundai Canada’s $500,000 donation kicks off a $3.1 million fundraising push to support the construction of a much-needed child and adolescent mental health inpatient unit.The new unit would have six beds, filling a critical gap in child and youth mental health support in York and Durham region.This expansion in the hospital’s mental health services seeks to reduce wait times for inpatient treatment, and would enable youth in crisis to access care closer to home.

MARKHAM, ON, June 5, 2024 /CNW/ – Today, Hyundai Canada announced a $500,000 donation to the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation, kicking off a fundraising push in support of a new, six-bed child and adolescent mental health inpatient unit at Oak Valley Health’s Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH). The unit would be an expansion of the existing outpatient services and will fill a critical gap in child and youth mental health support York and Durham Region. The project has been in the works for the past decade but has struggled to secure the adequate funding to launch a fundraiser.

The need for paediatric mental health beds and supporting services has increased substantially across the GTA in recent years and the Eastern York Region North Durham Ontario Health Team, which serves 18 communities within its catchment area, currently does not have any acute care services for children and adolescents, leaving a significant gap in the region. More than 35-40 children come to MSH’s Emergency Department every month in need of acute mental health care. Those needing admission wait 10-18 hours for placement. In the fiscal year of 2023/2024, approximately 61 per cent of emergency mental health adolescent admissions were transferred to external facilities, an increase of approximately 20 per cent over the previous fiscal year.

“Since the pandemic, there have been more kids in crisis than I have ever seen in my career. I can’t think of a family in this day and age that hasn’t been impacted. The need for this unit at MSH is something we have to address as our community gets bigger,” says Dr. Rus Sethna, chief of psychiatry, Oak Valley Health. “As a community, we need to band together to continue to destigmatize mental illness, and work together to bring innovation and mental health care to our local community.”

The six-bed child and adolescent mental health inpatient unit reflects the community’s need, with capacity based on an average inpatient stay of 21 days. In adding inpatient services, MSH aims to ensure timely access to care for patients in crisis and improve patient outcomes. In tandem with the existing outpatient services, the new inpatient unit will improve continuity of care and is expected to decrease the risk of readmission by ensuring ongoing access to support post-discharge, including one-on-one counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy groups, family therapy, medication management and more.

“Supporting today’s youth for their success tomorrow is one of the core tenets of Hyundai’s larger ethos of ‘progress for humanity,'” says Kirk Merrett, Hyundai Canada’s director of human resources and administration. “Every child deserves to be able to access the support they need within their local community. We are thankful and fortunate that we can support the community through the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation and help realize a goal that is long overdue.”     

“Hyundai truly is a shining example of what corporations can accomplish through philanthropy. We know that their generosity will be the catalyst that inspires the support of our community and raises awareness for this special cause,” says Suzette Strong, CEO, Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation.

The hospital’s Child and Adolescent Services outpatient mental health program facilitates approximately 7,200 paediatric patient visits annually. MSH also provides an intensive day treatment program, the Adolescent Mental Health Day Hospital Program, for teens suffering from severe anxiety and/or depression whose school attendance or performance has been significantly undermined by symptoms, which in the fiscal year of 2022-2023 facilitated treatment for 1,180 teens. The multidisciplinary team at MSH’s Child and Adolescent Services provides evidence-based therapy approaches, including mindfulness, art and play therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy and group sessions such as Worry Busters, a specialized group therapy program for children aged 9-13 experiencing anxiety.

For more information about the fundraising initiative and to donate, please visit www.mshf.on.ca

Hyundai Auto Canada, established in 1983 and headquartered in Markham, Ontario, was the first subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company outside of Korea. Hyundai offers Canadian consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles. Today, with over 250 dealerships across Canada, Hyundai is the official automotive partner of the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL®) in Canada. Hyundai has been recognized as one of the Top 50 Best Workplaces™ in Canada for the last six years by the Great Place to Work® Institute.

Media Contacts:

Jenn McCarthy
National Manager, Public Relations
Hyundai Auto Canada
(416) 770-0842
jmccarthy@hyundaicanada.com                                                 

Mohga Hassib
Analyst, Public Relations
Hyundai Auto Canada
(416) 434-9833
mhassib@hyundaicanada.com

Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation exists to enable the growth of Markham Stouffville Hospital by raising funds and awareness for its ongoing priorities and needs. Donations from the community fund life-saving medical equipment that helps to ensure the delivery of first-class health care at MSH. www.mshf.on.ca 

Media Contact:

Madeline Cuadra
Director, Marketing & Donor Engagement
Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation
T: 905-472-7373 ext. 6970 | C: 416-877-8425
mcuadra@mshf.on.ca 

SOURCE Hyundai Auto Canada Corp.