Shouldice Hospital (formerly Shouldice Hernia Centre) is a

private hospital A private hospital is a hospital not owned by the government, including for-profits and non-profits. Funding is by patients themselves ("self-pay"), by insurers, or by foreign embassies. Private hospitals are commonly part, albeit in varying deg ...

at 7750 Bayview Avenue in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada. The hospital specializes in

hernia A hernia is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. Various types of hernias can occur, most commonly involving the abdomen, and specifically the groin. Groin herni ...

care. Its location is the former estate of

George McCullagh Clement George McCullagh (March 16, 1905 – August 5, 1952) was an influential Canadian newspaper owner between 1936 and 1952. He created ''The Globe and Mail'' by merging the Liberal-allied ''Globe'' and Conservative-allied '' Mail and Empire' ...

, a publisher who created ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'' newspaper in 1936.

History

The hospital was founded in 1945 by Dr. Earle Shouldice. While private hospitals are not allowed under Ontario's ''Private Hospitals Act'', Shouldice Hospital is one of seven private hospitals in the province grandfathered under the Act. The hospital has been continuously family run from its inception but is partially publicly funded. In the 2020s, Liberty Development planned to build five residential towers on the property. In September 2022, the City of Markham purchased the Shouldice property for million, to transform the lands into a public park, while continuing the lease for the hospital.

Work

Shouldice Hospital is a private hospital that operates in a public health care system. It works solely on hernia repair. It uses a natural tissue, tension free, technique developed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

by Dr. Shouldice. The hospital performs hernia repairs on over 6,500 patients a year. Everything in the hospital is designed toward hernia repair. Shouldice's rooms do not have telephones or televisions, which it says is to encourage patients to walk around while recovering. The hospital is laid out like a "country club." According to the hospital, it has the lowest rate of complications and recurrences of hernias in the world. The success of its method has been cited to the fact that Shouldice surgeons solely do hernia operations.

Harvard Business School business case

The facility was the subject of a 1983 business case by the Harvard Business School. Written by James Heskett, the report is the school's fourth-best-selling business case, selling over 259,000 copies. The case study focuses on Shouldice's unique three-day hernia repair process. The popularity of the business case is responsible for the hospital's process becoming known outside of Canada.

References

External links

* {{authority control Hospitals in the Regional Municipality of York Hospitals established in 1945 Buildings and structures in Markham, Ontario