This story was originally posted by the Trillium Health Partners Foundation. Read the original post.
Elisabeth Hofmann’s life story is a testament to her resilience and innovation. Today, Trillium Health Partners Foundation (THPF) announces a transformational gift from Mississauga resident, business leader and longtime supporter Elisabeth Hofmann, bringing her total donations to the Institute for Better Health (IBH) at Trillium Health Partners (THP) to $10 million. This historic contribution makes Hofmann the largest individual donor in IBH’s 11-year history.
Her generosity will establish the Learning Health System Leadership Centre, the first of its kind in Canada, dedicated to developing the next generation of health leaders. Through this Centre, IBH will establish itself on the global stage, advancing bold solutions to the most pressing challenges in health care.
IBH is embedded within Trillium Health Partners and dedicated to creating a new kind of health care to strengthen health systems and improve health at a population level.
“The Institute for Better Health innovates every day to improve care and save lives at Trillium Health Partners and throughout the health care system,” says Hofmann. “I’m proud to support this important work, and I encourage you to donate as well.”
Hofmann’s philanthropy honours her late husband, Gabor Zellerman, a Holocaust survivor, engineer, and inventor who held more than 50 patents, primarily in the field of medical equipment. Born in Budapest, Zellerman immigrated to Canada, where he married Hofmann, established the Accurate Surgical Instruments Corporation, and pursued research in biomedical engineering.
When Zellerman passed away in 1981, Hofmann assumed leadership of his company. With remarkable vision and determination, she transformed the Accurate Surgical Instruments Corporation into a global business, increasing revenues by 2,000 per cent. After selling the company in 1998, she turned her focus to philanthropy, guided by the same perseverance that defined her career. That journey eventually led her to IBH.
Founded in 2014 by a team of change-makers at Trillium Health Partners, the Institute for Better Health was created with a simple but courageous vision to lead the coalition for better health. From the beginning, the team has done this through the application of best-in-class research and innovation to cure the health care system.
In health systems everywhere, there’s often a lag between knowing what works and putting it into practice. Developed at the Institute for Better Health, the leading Learning Health System Action Framework is being used across Canada to help other health systems move from evidence to action to impact. The result? Faster, smarter, more equity-centered health care.
Elisabeth Hofmann has been integral in this journey.
- In 2021, she made her first transformational gift of $5 million to support the implementation of a Learning Health System across Trillium Health Partners and beyond.
- In 2023, she added $2 million, allowing IBH to present their findings to health leaders across Canada and around the world
- In 2025, with an additional gift of $3 million, she has now invested a total of $10 million, a commitment that cements her legacy as a visionary partner and the most generous individual donor in the history of IBH.
The Centre will:
- Develop evidence-based leadership programs in collaboration with clinicians, researchers, health system leaders, patients, and the community.
- Partner with leadership institutes and universities within Canada and internationally to design and deliver best-in-class training.
- Provide global opportunities, through fellowships and international speaking opportunities, to establish THP as a leader in Learning Health Systems science.
The Centre will become the training program of choice for health leaders seeking to adopt a Learning Health System approach, enabling these professionals to seamlessly integrate evidence-based innovation in everyday practice. Ultimately, this will mean a higher standard of care, better outcomes, and healthier communities in Canada and beyond.
“IBH are innovating every day to improve care and save lives at THP,” says Hofmann. “I’m proud to support this important work, and I encourage you to donate as well.”
With Elisabeth Hofmann’s support, we are establishing a new kind of health system: one that learns and improves every day; one that devises bold solutions to provide better health care for all.