Teamwork brings West Park Gallery to life
UHN's West Park Healthcare Centre recently unveiled its Gallery, a dedicated space next to the main lobby that preserves and showcases the hospital's rich 120-year history.
The opening of the West Park Gallery was the result of a dedicated team effort over the course of two years. From the initial planning stages to the final touches, Susan MacDonald, Director of Art Strategy at UHN, and John Tagg, former West Park Librarian, played a vital role in ensuring the gallery's success.
Susan and John worked closely together to plan all aspects of the gallery's development.
Susan envisioned a space to tell the story of West Park's legacy. She meticulously planned the layout and displays to ensure each artifact reflected the hospital's historical significance.
After retiring in 2019, John took on the role of curator, volunteering countless hours to research, catalogue and preserve the artifacts now on display.
Together, they made decisions about what to retain from the archives and what to donate or discard.
Among the West Park Gallery's highlights are an iron lung, vintage nurse uniforms, Inuit artwork and a table crafted from an oak tree that provided shade to patients for most of the 20th century.
Some items were transferred to other institutions, including antique medical equipment that was shared with the University of Toronto and historical tuberculosis records, which were sent to the Archives of Ontario.
The West Park Gallery is a testament to the incredible teamwork that made its opening possible. It highlights the hospital's role in patient care, education and medical research, but more importantly, showcases the dedication and collaboration of the team that brought this vision to life.
UHN's KITE Research Institute adds a pair of key roles
With over two decades in the health care, rehabilitation technology, and robotics industries, Zen Koh brings a wealth of experience to the new roles of Strategic Industry Advisor and Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) at UHN's KITE Research Institute.
As Strategic Industry Advisor, Zen will play a crucial role in advancing KITE's commercialization strategy. His expertise will be instrumental in connecting KITE's cutting-edge research and technologies with industry partners globally.
Zen will foster new collaborations, secure funding opportunities, and promote KITE's research, amplifying the Institute's impact in the global rehabilitation technology sector. With his extensive experience driving business growth and innovation, particularly in health care and rehabilitation technologies, he is uniquely positioned to help propel KITE to new heights.
In his role as Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Zen will provide invaluable mentorship to KITE's scientific community, offering guidance on the commercialization of emerging technologies. By bridging the gap between research breakthroughs and their practical applications in clinical settings, his insight will help accelerate the translation of KITE's innovations into real-world solutions that significantly enhance patient care and outcomes.
