Message From Our Leaders

When SickKids opened its doors, it began a new era in child health. Visionary volunteers and donors came together to meet a critical need, establishing the first children’s hospital in Canada and one of the first in the world. Fast forward 150 years, and we have been ranked the best paediatric hospital in the world by Newsweek and Statista for 2026 and 2027 — the top spot in back-to-back years for the first time — and remain one of the top research institutes internationally. This global recognition is a testament to the remarkable achievements of the last year and a tribute to our legacy of impact on Canadian history and health care worldwide. The same spirit of possibility that inspired our founders presents another defining opportunity now: To lead the next era of paediatric medicine and deliver care as unique as every child.

Today, we face new challenges. Patient volumes are rising. Cases are more complex. Too many children, youth, and families wait too long for answers, and medical care can still be reactive or one-size-fits-all. Precision Child Health is the way forward. This SickKids-led movement aims to use everything we know about a child, from their genetic code to their postal code, to diagnose faster, treat smarter, and predict better. Precision Child Health is enabling children to receive cutting-edge care that wouldn’t have been possible just a few years ago.

What does that look like in action? It’s Maryam having Canada’s first endovascular hemispherectomy to treat near-constant seizures. It’s a gene therapy halting baby David’s rare, life-threatening condition. It’s a responsive approach to managing cancer that helps Sofia continue to do the things she loves. And it’s expanding health equity by collecting data that gives our teams better tools to respond to patients’ specific needs, identify gaps in care, and connect the genetic and social factors affecting a child’s health.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is another key enabler our clinicians and researchers are using to bring Precision Child Health to life. In its first year, the SickKids AI program (SKAI) established a leading governance framework to ensure the safety and appropriate application of health AI and began deploying new AI solutions in selected areas across the Hospital. This foundational work has set the stage to scale AI systems in emergency, critical care, surgery, radiology, and beyond so we can optimize operations and improve patient outcomes as we become an AI-powered children’s hospital.

As we tackle the health challenges of today, our scientists are creating treatments of tomorrow. The 3,000 staff at SickKids Research Institute — recognized as one of the best in the country — made breakthroughs in cancer, rare diseases, and infectious disease, and advocated that public understanding of autism be guided by evidence, not misinformation. They are also playing leading roles in national and international initiatives, including a project to sequence the genomes of 100,000 Canadians, giving us the data we need to drive precision medicine forward and develop next-generation care. Philanthropy provides an essential foundation for this work: Every dollar invested in a SickKids scientist yields about $5 in external funding to further their research.

Our donor community has also empowered us to build a two-site hospital of the future, which will further enable Precision Child Health. In August 2026, we were thrilled to receive formal approval from the Ontario Ministry of Health to proceed with the next chapter of our plan: a new Ambulatory Care Tower at a second downtown Toronto site; a consolidated unit of critical care beds in the current building to enhance our province’s paediatric critical care capacity; and priority renovations and infrastructure upgrades to keep us future ready. We are excited to continue this important work to ensure our world-class care is matched by world-class facilities.

We ask our donor community to stand with our Hospital and help fund the fight to leave no child behind. We’re rallying support across Ontario, Canada, and the globe to advance Precision Child Health — so SickKids can remain a beacon of hope for children and families.

As we look ahead, our ambition is clear: To find answers faster. To deliver more effective treatments. To prevent illness wherever possible. And to provide every child with care as unique as they are. Thank you for joining us as we build a healthier future for children, and a better world for all.