We have updated our Birchmount Hospital phone lines. When you call through the main line (416-495-2400), you will need to add “7” when dialing an extension.

Palliative Care

Bryan and Bette Rowntree Palliative Care Program

Nurse holding patient's hand
General Information

Palliative care is an approach to care that focuses on improving quality of life, managing pain/distressing symptoms and providing a support system to help people living with life-limiting illnesses to continue their days with quality and dignity.   

Palliative care services are person and family-centered. The team respects your social, spiritual and cultural practices. While it’s often thought that palliative care is for when you are close to end of life, it is fitting to connect with a palliative care team at any time you are ready to accept this kind of care and support. You can still be receiving active treatment for an illness, and your palliative care team will partner with you to manage pain and symptoms, help you to plan for the future and share your wishes with the important people in your life. 

Our team collaborates with our community partners to provide you with seamless access to pain and symptom management, advance care planning and end of life care everywhere in Scarborough. 

It is thanks to the tremendously generous donation of $5 million from Mr. Rowntree that SHN is able to offer the Bryan and Bette Rowntree Palliative Care Clinical Centre Program.

To access our services please click the link below:

SHN is a part of Scarborough Palliative Care

Scarborough Palliative Care is a collaboration between SHN Bryan and Bette Rowntree Palliative Care Clinical Centre Program, patient family advisors (community members) and our partners in Scarborough, including: 

Our goal is to support patients and families along this journey, assisting with seamless transitions from home into hospital, and hospital to home; and transitions between locations/care settings.

Our Services

Bryan and Bette Rowntree Palliative Care Clinical Centre Program provides specialist palliative care consultation by physicians and nurses across all programs in both the inpatient and outpatient setting. Our experts work with patients, families, and teams to support symptom management, goals of care discussions, future planning and care between home, hospital and community.  

A highly specialized inpatient palliative care unit is located at our General Hospital. This unit is staffed and supported by our specialist interprofessional palliative care team. The inpatient palliative care unit provides services to individuals who: 

  • Live in Scarborough or have previously received care at SHN; 
  • Need specialized symptom management or acute supportive care for an underlying illness; 
  • Agree with the philosophy of a palliative approach to care; and 
  • Want support in their final days of life – coming from one of our inpatient units or directly admitted from home.

To access our services please click the link below:

Coming Soon

Bryan and Bette Rowntree Palliative Care Clinical Centre Outpatient Clinic

Palliative Care clinics help people who are living at home to manage their symptoms and clarify their future wishes.  

Our Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic is located at our Centenary Hospital in the Bryan and Bette Rowntree Palliative Care Clinical Centre. We provide in-person and virtual appointments.  

We offer compassionate and coordinated care through: 

  • Expert pain and symptom management, including assessment, consultation and treatment, and ongoing follow-up care as needed for fatigue, depression, nausea, shortness of breath, pain, etc. 
  • Guidance on how to talk about what you would like for your future health and personal care 
  • Supportive care, counselling and multi-faith services to aid you and your family to cope with grief, anxiety and stress  
  • Connections to community supports 
  • Assistance with admission to a palliative care unit or hospice when appropriate 

Bryan and Bette Rowntree Palliative Care Clinical Centre Rapid Response Team: 

24/7 support when you go home from hospital, until community services are in place. 

To access our services please click the link below:

Accessing Services and Patient Resources

Accessing our Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic

If you would like to access our services, including scheduling an appointment at our Outpatient Palliative Care Clinic or being seen at home, please have your primary care provider send a referral. 
*Palliative Common Referral Form coming soon

Note for Providers: please refer through Epic or complete the Palliative Common Referral Form and fax to 647-598-4003. Ocean electronic referrals coming soon.

Accessing our Inpatient Palliative Care unit

For admission to our Inpatient Palliative Care unit, please refer through Epic, fax the Palliative Common Referral Form to 647-598-4003, or call the SHN Bryan and Bette Rowntree Palliative Care Clinical Centre Hub at 416-284-8131 ext. 5035 to speak with a Palliative Care Coordinator. 
*Palliative Common Referral Form coming soon

If you have any questions, or want to self-refer, please call the SHN Bryan and Bette Rowntree Palliative Care Clinical Centre Hub at 416-284-8131 ext. 5035 to speak with one of our Palliative Care Coordinators.

Patient Resources