Hospital recreates an ICU in a conference room to raise awareness of need for a new hospital

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto is well known in the community for delivering great care. What wasn’t well known was that the aging hospital was increasingly challenging for doctors, staff, and families. Needing an additional $400 million for a new hospital, and together with its agency No Fixed Address, the team created an experience, transforming an unused conference room into a precise replica of the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).

A three-hour experience featured a soundscape and live reenactments featuring SickKids doctors, nurses, and voice recordings from families. The PICU was listed on Airbnb (at $16,744, the cost to operate a four-patient room in the PICU for one night). Notable Torontonians were invited to the space, including media, with local personalities linked to the hospital serving as the basis for online videos to further raise awareness.