Working to open a children’s hospital in Saskatchewan
Recognizing the need
Dr. Laurentiu (Laurence) Givelichian recognized more was needed in Saskatchewan to provide the children of this province the quality of healthcare they deserved.
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“This province was one of the only provinces in Canada that had a medical school but did not have a children's hospital.
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“I saw the need as a clinician for someone to advocate so I got involved in what at that time was called Children's Health Foundation.
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“We started a huge advocacy program in the early 2000s to build a children's hospital in Saskatchewan.”
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One of his proudest moments was learning that a children’s hospital was approved in Saskatchewan in 2007 with the Government of Saskatchewan committing $200 million to the project two years later.
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Dr. Givelichian’s devotion to improving health outcomes for Saskatchewan’s children took a crucial step forward when he became the provincial head of pediatrics for the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
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Under his leadership, all sub-specialties in the Department of Pediatrics were located in Saskatoon at the Royal University Hospital in 2014, bringing the expertise of Saskatchewan’s pediatric specialists together in one place. This meant each of Saskatchewan’s critically ill children could receive the same standard of care.
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“One of the things that he did very, very well was put a provincial scope on our department,” said Dr. Gregory Hansen, who was recruited by Dr. Givelichian. Hansen is a pediatric intensivist who specializes in neurocritical care.
Constructing the future of children's healthcare
Construction on the children’s hospital started in Saskatoon in September 2014.
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Dr. Givelichian focussed on the team of health professionals that would provide care in this new facility. He secured the funding from the Ministry of Health for nearly 30 positions.
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Another major development on the road to opening Saskatchewan’s children’s hospital was receiving the largest one-time donation to a charitable organization in Saskatchewan’s history.
A donation of $50 million was made by Jim Pattison, the businessman and philanthropist originally from Luseland, Saskatchewan to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan in May 2017. Dr. Givelichian was on the team that presented the project to him.
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Doors to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon opened in September 2019.
Improving care for northern Saskatchewan newborns
Dr. Givelichian was also part of the team that designed a new neonatal intensive care unit in Prince Albert's Victoria Hospital.
Malhotra Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit opened in 2022. This new unit means about 10 medically fragile babies can receive care in their own private bays where they can stay with their mothers and fathers closer to home.
Givelichian and the team worked with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, local physicians, and the Victoria Hospital Foundation to develop the unit.