Protest at Mount Sinai Hospital: CEOs respond in letter

More than a dozen hospital leaders signed a letter Monday night condemning demonstrations and trespassing on hospital property at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital.

The letter was sent to hospital staff on February 13 by the Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network. It was signed by 15 presidents and chief executives of the hospital.

Sinai Health's Harry Newton, University Health Network's Kevin Smith, Unity Health Toronto's Tim Rutledge, Sunnybrook's Andy Smith, Ronald Cohn Hospital for Sick Children, and ten others signed the internal memo.

Leaders there said they were concerned by incidents that included participants climbing hospital scaffolding during the University Avenue demonstration and were working with local law enforcement and security groups to keep their spaces safe.

Groups involved in the protest issued a statement late Tuesday clarifying that the hospital was not targeted and was on the route of a regular rally to reach the US consulate.

Toronto police confirmed Tuesday that an investigation is underway and that there will be an increased police presence at the hospital. The protest near Mount Sinai was the latest in a series of demonstrations related to the Israel-Hamas war.

“This protest poses a real risk of disrupting the hospital's operations and compromising the safety of staff, doctors, students, patients and visitors – all of which are completely unacceptable,” the letter said.

A still image from a video shared on social media appears to show participants climbing the scaffolding of Mount Sinai Hospital on February 14, 2024.The message states that Toronto hospitals are committed to providing accessible and safe care to all, regardless of their religious beliefs, race, gender or sexual orientation.

“As leaders, we will not allow hate in our hospitals,” the letter said. “We unequivocally condemn this manifestation of anti-Semitism and all forms of racism.”

In a statement Tuesday night, four-time Olympic gold medalist Haley Wickenheiser, who briefed the prime minister and Ontario premier on the incident, called Sinai a “special place” where she worked and trained as a doctor.

“It was horrible to see the pictures from last night. Walk into the ED at any time and you will witness world-class care for staff of all races, creeds and lifestyles,” Wickenheiser wrote on his X page, formerly Twitter.