Markham, ON, January 30, 2008 – Celebrities such as Shirley Douglas, a Feast, circus acts…sounds like one crazy night! Try one amazing year! Saint Elizabeth Health Care is celebrating its 100th Anniversary and we want everyone to come along!

It all started back in 1908 with only four nurses. What would eventually become known as Saint Elizabeth Health Care was officially open for service. By the 1920s, making their way to clients' homes on foot or by streetcar, Saint Elizabeth nurses were delivering more than 10,000 visits per year.

Today an award-winning organization and not-for-profit leader, Saint Elizabeth Health Care employs nearly 4,000 multidisciplinary staff, delivers 3.3 million visits a year, shares its knowledge nationally and internationally through consultation and web-based knowledge products and services, and is the number one provider of home and
community care in Ontario.

Community health care has seen many changes in the past century and the need for our work continues to grow. Whether we’re pioneering new programs, testing the latest technologies, shaping health care policy or developing better ways to deliver care, one thing has remained the same:

“For 100 years, Saint Elizabeth Health Care has been empowering people to take charge of their own health care and well being,” says president and CEO, Shirlee Sharkey. “We won’t be changing that.”

The truth is someday, people will lead us to a new place for health care, a place where urgent priorities like wait times and access to care will be transformed. We call that place home and community care, but some might just choose to call it their living room.

100 years of Saint Elizabeth Health Care…. It’s the kind of care that will, quite simply, amaze you.

Join us in celebrating our 100th Anniversary with the following exciting events:

March 6-7, 2008
100th Anniversary Conference – “Forging ahead…Evidence to Innovation”
Toronto Hilton

April 9, 2008
Globe and Mail National Supplement
“Care to be Amazed: A special report on home and community care” – watch for it!

September 20, 2008
100th Anniversary Gala – Imagination Ball: A Night to be Amazed
Honorary Chair Shirley Douglas – Benefiting the Caregiver Support Program
The Carlu - Toronto

November 17, 2008
100th Anniversary Mass honouring the Feast of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
Saint Paul’s Basilica, 4 p.m.

For more information, visit the Saint Elizabeth Health Care 100th Anniversary website at www.sehc.ca/100