June 17, 2022 – St. John’s, NL: Eastern Health is advising of the temporary move of the “Graces” monument from outside the main entrance of the Health Sciences Centre to outside of the neighbouring Nuclear and Molecular Medicine facility. The move, which is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 18, 2022, is necessary to facilitate construction work in the area for the upcoming redevelopment of the emergency department.
“The “Graces” monument is an important and cherished reminder for Eastern Health and ensuring its integrity while still keeping it in public view is a priority,” said Scott Bishop, Vice-President of Infrastructure Support for Eastern Health. “As part of our planning for the emergency department renovations, we have been carefully and considerately evaluating how to respectfully move the “Graces” so that anyone staying, visiting or working at the Health Sciences Centre could still visit the monument for reflection. The location outside the Nuclear and Molecular Medicine facility was chosen because it remains a centralized location for anyone accessing the Health Sciences Centre.”
The “Graces” was unveiled in July 2013 as part of Eastern Health’s commitment to address recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry report on Hormone Receptor Testing and to recognize the events that unfolded as a result of hormone receptor testing. The “Graces” is a symbol of hope, health and healing for all breast cancer patients and their families. It also serves as a reminder to health-care workers on the importance of providing quality and safe care to patients.
The decision on the temporary move was made in consultation with the Patient and Family Advisory Committee for Eastern Health’s Cancer Care Program. This consultation recommended that the “Graces” be moved temporarily to a highly visible location outside the Health Sciences Complex.
The redevelopment of the emergency department is expected to start in 2022 and will be ongoing through 2026. Once this redevelopment is complete, the long-term plan is for the “Graces” to move back to its permanent location outside the main entrance of the Health Sciences Centre.
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About Eastern Health
Eastern Health is the largest, integrated health authority in Newfoundland and Labrador employing approximately 13,000 dedicated employees, over 700 medical staff, and is supported by approximately 2,000 volunteers, including members of numerous auxiliaries and fundraising foundations. With an annual budget of approximately $1.6 billion, the authority offers the full continuum of health and community services including public health, long-term care, community services, hospital care and unique provincial programs and services. Serving a population of over 300,000, Eastern Health’s geographic boundaries extend west from St. John’s to Port Blandford including all communities on the Avalon, Burin and Bonavista Peninsulas.