HN Summary

• Osler reduced surgical wait times significantly post-pandemic, now completing over 96% of surgeries within provincial targets through a people-centred approach and strong team recruitment. 

• Adoption of advanced technologies—including robotic systems and navigation tools—has improved precision, reduced complications, and shortened patient recovery times. 

• A collaborative, multidisciplinary team and focus on innovation have enabled Osler to increase surgical capacity, improve efficiency, and enhance patient experience.

Not too long ago, William Osler Health System (Osler) was facing extensive surgical wait times due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the multi-site community teaching hospital is delivering some of the lowest surgical wait times in Ontario’s central region, with more than 96 per cent of all surgical cases completed within provincial targets. The difference? A people-centred care approach, a highly successful recruitment strategy and a surgical team with an aptitude for innovation.

“Osler was one of the hardest hit hospitals by the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, which had a profound impact on our surgery program,” said Fred Go, Vice President, Clinical Services, William Osler Health System. “Our ability to stabilize and grow the program over such a short period of time is due in no small part to the incredibly hard work of our surgical team who have integrated efficiencies into their day-to-day work, and have embraced leading-edge technologies to improve patient outcomes and the patient experience.” 

Over the past three years, Osler’s surgery program has cast a spotlight on its innovative spirit with its growing use of state-of-the-art, minimally invasive robotics and advanced navigation technologies in many of its cancer and orthopaedic surgeries, further strengthening its ability to deliver world-class health care close to home.

“Our surgeons and the team want what’s best for their patients, so there’s always a willingness here to adapt and learn something new,” said Dr. Roberta Minna, Chief of Surgery and Co-Medical Director, Surgical Services, William Osler Health System. “Greater access to robot-assisted surgeries reduces the risk for complications, improves patient recovery time and helps people get back to their daily lives more quickly and comfortably, while also leading to more efficiencies in our operating rooms.” 

One of the most recent additions to Osler’s growing robotics program is the world-renowned Da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgical System. Introduced in the fall of 2025, it enables surgeons to perform complex surgeries with greater precision and control, and is quickly becoming the standard of care for many patients with prostate and kidney cancers. Osler is also working to expand its use to include cancer surgeries for the urinary, chest and reproductive systems.

“Even though the Da Vinci Xi Robotic Surgical System is relatively new at Osler, we’re already seeing its impact on shorter patient lengths of stay,” said Alean Jackman, Clinical Director, Surgical and Ambulatory Services, who notes that shorter lengths of stay are also being experienced with Osler’s adoption of the ROSA® Knee System for total knee replacement surgery.

Introduced at Osler in 2023, ROSA combines computer guidance with robotic precision, allowing surgeons to create a personalized plan for each knee replacement, improving patient outcomes. It uses real-time information to help surgeons with precise placement of knee implants based on a patient’s unique knee anatomy, leading to less pain and faster recovery times.

Two years ago, Osler surgeons started using the Intellijoint HIP™, a surgeon-controlled, computer-assisted navigation system developed in Ontario to improve total hip replacement surgery. The technology improves accurate alignment of the implant, reducing leg length discrepancies, hip dislocations and the need for revision surgeries post-operatively. 

That same year, Osler’s surgical team also introduced a revolutionary approach to breast cancer surgery with the introduction of the MOLLI® 2 System – an innovative, wire-free and radiation-free technology that targets breast abnormality and marks the precise location of a lesion for removal during surgery, eliminating the need for invasive procedures. Adoption of the leading-edge technology meant Osler was also able to schedule more breast cancer surgeries in a day.

As Jackman points out, none of these advanced surgical procedures would be possible at Osler without the support of a talented, cohesive and forward-thinking, multi-disciplinary team that includes surgeons, surgical assistants, nurses, anaesthetists, and anaesthesia assistants, as well as behind-the-scenes team members who provide support with supplies and logistics. 

“We’ve invested deeply in building and sustaining a strong team, and today we’re seeing the results. With a people-centred workforce that’s energized to embrace new ways of delivering care, we’re able to serve more patients, more quickly, while continuing to deliver innovative health care delivered with compassion,” added Go.