Toronto Western Hospital

The Toronto Western Hospital is located at the corner of Bathurst Street and Dundas Street West in Toronto, Canada. It is part of the University Health Network. TWH has 256 beds, with 46,000 visits to its emergency department annually. It is known for neurosurgery and has Canada's first gamma knife.

In 1895, doctors serving what was then the west end of Toronto united in hopes of building a full hospital facility to serve this overlooked locale. Twelve doctors signed a pledge to fulfill their vision and soon after, the Toronto Western Hospital was born. The Toronto Western Hospital opened first as a public dispensary, followed by a 30-bed hospital operating out of two rented houses on Manning Avenue. With the support of several influential citizens, enough money was raised by 1899 to acquire a nearby farmhouse property and to build the Western on its present site at the corner of Bathurst and Dundas Streets. During construction, patients were treated under large tents until the hospital opened year-round in 1905.

Like the Toronto General, Toronto Western Hospital saw several renovations over the years and today occupies a full city block.

The Arthritis & Autoimmunity Research Centre (AARC) Foundation is a registered charitable organization dedicated to raising, managing and investing funds for research into arthritis and autoimmune disorders. This large family of illnesses afflicts over 4 million Canadians. Its mission is to build strong, long-term relationships with donors, volunteers, researchers, caregivers and the community, to achieve philanthropic support for Canada's largest and most comprehensive centre of experts dedicated to finding a cure for these illnesses. Much of the research supported by the AARCF is located at Toronto Western Hospital.