The Toronto Maple Leafs Players know that practice can make perfect. In the case of healthcare workers on the front-lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, it can also save lives.

A generous gift to Sinai Health from John Tavares and a group of his Toronto Maple Leafs teammates will help medical professionals develop simulation training on important triage and treatment protocols used in the emergency department during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The donation will allow for medical teams from Sinai Health and across the province to train on new and adapted protocols to mitigate the risks of COVID-19.

Simulation training also benefits ICU physicians and surgeons who are used to performing standard intubations on patients, but can longer do so as it exposes them to unacceptable levels of risk of disease transmission.

Sinai Health Foundation CEO Louis de Melo said the training program, called SimSinai, ensures that loss of life and exposure to disease is minimized as much as possible.

“When a global pandemic like COVID-19 strikes, everybody is a rookie – and every medical professional can benefit from simulation training,” de Melo said. “We are extremely thankful that the Toronto Maple Leafs Players are joining in the team effort to fight this unprecedented public health emergency.”

For more on how to help Sinai Health staff and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, go to SinaiCEOFund.ca