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HSC Winnipeg Setting the Standard for Thoracic Care in North America With the Only Consolidated Thoracic Surgery Clinic and Endoscopy Unit in Canada

January 16, 2025

HSC Foundation donor-funded Wilf Taillieu Thoracic Surgery Clinic and Endoscopy Unit improving thoracic treatment in Manitoba

The Wilf Taillieu Thoracic Surgery Clinic and Endoscopy Unit at Health Sciences Centre (HSC) recently celebrated its fifth anniversary and stands as Canada’s only consolidated thoracic surgery clinic and endoscopy unit. The advanced equipment and organization of the thoracic surgery service, delivers faster diagnoses and enables many procedures to be performed in the clinic instead of a conventional operating room, providing better patient care, sooner to Manitobans.

“The incidence of lung and esophageal cancers has been increasing in Manitoba, with lung cancer being the leading cause of cancer death in Canada and esophageal cancer having one of the lowest survival rates,” said Dr. Sadeesh Srinathan, Head, Section of Thoracic Surgery, HSC. “This unit provides early detection and treatment which are vital for saving lives and improving care for patients with lung and esophageal cancers.”

“In 2018, before the Clinic opened, we had 7,283 clinic visits and performed 524 procedures. In 2023, we were able to accommodate 9,256 visits to the clinic and 1,275 procedures,” said Dr. Biniam Kidane, Medical Director, Wilf Taillieu Thoracic Surgery Clinic and Endoscopy Unit, HSC. “For many thoracic patients, the unit has enabled same-day procedures without any nights required in hospital. With quicker detection, more lives can be saved, and shorter wait times mean less distress and fewer long visits to the Emergency Department. For some patients, the equipment’s minimally invasive equipment provides a surgical option where none existed before.”

Being able to conduct biopsies and staging tests—all in one appointment—makes the diagnostic process smoother, especially for patients who travel long distances, often incurring significant travel costs and disruption.

“This efficiency makes a tremendous difference for patients, as some are able to complete their work-up in one day rather than making multiple trips,” said Dr. Kidane. “It allows us to provide patient care seamlessly and creates an environment where we know we’re providing the best care possible while reducing patient stress.”

“By investing in the Taillieu Clinic we have reduced the strain on operating room availability, reduced the number of visits patients are required to make to HSC, and shortened hospital stays,” said Jonathon Lyon, President and CEO, HSC Foundation. “Additionally, the investments we have made with the support of our donors have been integral to attracting and retaining surgeons and other medical personnel. Simply put, the Wilf Taillieu Thoracic Surgery Clinic and Endoscopy Unit is a shining example of how philanthropy drives innovation at HSC and shapes the future of health care.”

The Wilf Taillieu Thoracic Surgery Clinic and Endoscopy Unit, added Lyon, has served as a template for the HSC Foundation’s generational Operation Excellence campaign: “The Taillieu initiative has shown us what is possible hospital-wide when we fund the acquisition of minimally invasive surgical equipment and related facility upgrades,” said Lyon. “We are seeing important developments in spine surgery and urology—with more progress to come—all inspired and informed by the Wilf Taillieu Thoracic Surgery Clinic and Endoscopy Unit.”

To view the full 2025 Donor Impact report, please click here.

About the Health Sciences Centre Foundation:

The Health Sciences Centre Foundation rallies individual, corporate, and institutional donors in support of HSC Winnipeg—Manitoba’s hospital. By inspiring Manitobans to donate, the HSC Foundation enhances patient care and accelerates innovation at HSC through the acquisition of state-of-the-art technology, the development of new clinical spaces, and the promotion of groundbreaking research. Through specific, timely, and essential investments, the HSC Foundation helps to deliver tomorrow’s health care today.

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