New Hincks-Dellcrest Centre name signals shared vision with SickKids

By Jessamine Luck, Media Relations Intern

Improving access to mental health services for children and youth has always been a priority of both The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre. Following the recent integration of the two organizations, SickKids President and CEO Dr. Michael Apkon revealed The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre will now be called the SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health. The name change, announced on May 17 at the 20^th annual Raise a Child’s Smile gala, represents the shared vision of SickKids and Hincks-Dellcrest to improve the quality of care and outcomes for children and youth with complex mental health needs.

Representatives from SickKids and The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre worked closely together on the new name and found strong support for bringing the SickKids brand to Hincks-Dellcrest, to represent the continuum of care which will be offered by the integrated organizations.

In February, SickKids and Hincks-Dellcrest announced their integration with the intention to bring the child and youth mental health clinical, research and education services of both organizations under a shared governance and leadership structure. The integration will use a holistic approach to health by helping to streamline access to the children’s mental health system and providing children and families with a clear point of entry into care and defined care pathways.

The SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health will aim to deliver more seamless and coordinated care by combining specialized hospital and community-based mental health services. “I am confident that through our integration we will be able to achieve much more than either of us could achieve alone,” said Dr. Apkon in his remarks. “I look forward to the improvements to treating children and youth with mental health challenges that this integrated approach will bring about.”