Royal University Hospital, often abbreviated RUH, is one of four hospitals in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

. It is located on the

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...

campus. RUH is a

teaching hospital A teaching hospital is a hospital or medical centre that provides medical education and training to future and current health professionals. Teaching hospitals are almost always affiliated with one or more universities and are often co-located ...

and closely tied to the College of Medicine within the university. It was opened on May 14, 1955 by

premier Tommy C. Douglas. The seven-storey, seven wing structure took eight years to construct and equip, costing the people of Saskatchewan over $13,000,000. Over 16,000 tons of native

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

, quarried five miles north of campus, were used to face the half mile perimeter of the building. It is located on the banks of the

South Saskatchewan River The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. For the first half of the 20th century, the South Saskatchewan would completely freeze over during winter, creating spectacular ...

and just inside the gates of the University. It was the largest of the buildings that made up the University's Medical Complex. It was tied directly to the Medical College Building and in proximity to the Nursing Residence (Ellis Hall) and the Hospital Laundry Building. Its opening resulted in a sudden and massive influx of specialists, many of whom held faculty positions with the College of Medicine. The University Hospital became the primary teaching and training base for the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy, as well as in a number of health care technologies. A major addition and renovation was completed in 1979. Despite being incomplete, it was nevertheless officially opened in 1978, by

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

, during her visit to Saskatoon. In 1990, on the recommendation of then-Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn, it was given royal designation, taking the title Royal University Hospital. In 2007 it was announced that it would be the site of the Saskatchewan Children's Hospital. In 2010 the hospital renovated and reopened the renamed Cameco Skywalk, a corridor connecting the central atrium to the main entrance in the paid-parking lot which was originally constructed in 1978. It features photographic murals of well-known Saskatoon cityscapes along the river and interior skyline paintings by young artists from Saskatoon Community Youth Arts Programming. The RUH Foundation named the skywalk to recognize Cameco's $1.5-million contribution to the foundation's campaign that established the Cameco chair in aboriginal health at the University of Saskatchewan. The corridor's grand opening was marred when a patient defecated in the Skywalk on the morning of the event, as witnessed by medical trainees. There have been further issues with the hospital involving unsanitary conditions. The Skywalk was destroyed in 2014 to make room for the Children's Hospital of Saskatchewan. The

Jim Pattison Children's Hospital Jim Pattison Children's Hospital is one of four hospitals in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is located on the University of Saskatchewan campus and is connected via corridor to the Royal University Hospital. It is located along the banks of the Sou ...

officially opened on September 29, 2019. It is equipped with a

helipad A helipad is a landing area or platform for helicopters and powered lift aircraft. While helicopters and powered lift aircraft are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard ...

for

medical evacuation Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to wounded being evacuated from a battlefield, to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of a ...

References

External links

* {{authority control Hospital buildings completed in 1955 Buildings and structures in Saskatoon Hospitals in Saskatchewan Teaching hospitals in Canada Organizations based in Canada with royal patronage 1955 establishments in Saskatchewan

See also

References

External links