The GTA East community has been underserved as compared to provincial averages for many years. There is currently a shortage of physicians in Scarborough and Durham Region.
The University of Toronto is uniquely positioned due to its ideal geographic location, well established role in the community and its excellent health professional education programs. This project will make a significant impact in these regions, reflecting both the campus’s strategic theme of Inspiring Inclusive Excellence and the province’s commitment to community-based, patient centered care.
Support from the Community
Our university stakeholders on the benefits to the eastern GTA
Letters of Support
The Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health idea is a very exciting and timely initiative. The project will not only provide a much-needed training facility for physicians and healthcare professionals but will allow residents to be part of the bigger, future building initiative in health care. It will connect people directly to our local health care institutions to provide essential care to our diverse community in Scarborough.
This initiative will also enhance the collaborative work that local organizations and health care providers are putting together to address the service and resource gaps that exist in the Scarborough community. As a settlement agency, providing services for newcomers and immigrants in Scarborough for over 60 years, and lead organization for the Toronto East Quadrant Local Immigration Partnership, we are very familiar with the needs of our local community.
We fully endorse and support UTSC’s initiative and are excited about the opportunities this project will open up for our community and residents.
Agnes Thomas
Executive Director, Catholic Crosscultural Services (CCS)
I am writing this in support of the University of Toronto Scarborough’s (UTSC) proposal to establish the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH).
The East Scarborough Storefront has been working on a local workforce development project, called East Scarborough Works, by facilitating cross-sector collaboration between employers, unions, anchor institutions, including UTSC, service providers, trainers and residents to nurture a healthy and connected local employment ecosystem.
UTSC has been an excellent community partner on this project for the past 4 years and together we have also worked on many other community projects over the last 10 years. A community ecosystem is characterized by the connections and interdependent relationships between and among people, local changemakers, organizations and institutions. These relationships and connections are strengthened when all players understand each other's roles and are brought together around shared goals.
The SAMIH will strengthen the local ecosystem by connecting learners from diverse and equity seeking groups in Scarborough with training and local professional clinical experience to support them in securing local healthcare jobs which will benefit local people by providing them ease of access to highly trained practicing health professionals.
We support UTSC's proposal to establish the Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH) and look forward to continuing to work with them to strengthen the East Scarborough community ecosystem.
Sahar Vermezyari
Director, The East Scarborough Storefront
SAMIH and the Campus Master Plan
The Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health is part of a broader investment of the University of Toronto Scarborough's Master Plan which will provide the foundation for an urban environment that will attract new private sector partnerships and investments.
The full build out of the Campus Master Plan is estimated to result in the creation of almost 5,000 jobs (FTE) directly and indirectly and millions of dollars in regional economy stimulus.
