Wallaceburg’s hospital is getting a $1.88M boost from the province, thanks to the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund.
Officials with the Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) said Ontario is continuing to strengthen and support hospitals in the region with repairs and upgrades to local hospitals this year, to provide patients with high-quality care in a safe and healthy environment.
“These repairs and upgrades are crucial to ensuring all patients get the help they need now and in the future,” stated Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, in a press release issued on Tuesday, July 11.
“By upgrading our hospitals’ infrastructure, we are helping Ontarians get the best health care close to home.”
LHIN officials say funding from the province allows hospitals to make critical improvements to their facilities, including upgrades or replacements to roofs, windows, heating and air conditioning systems, fire alarms, and back-up generators.
The LHIN said the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance is receiving $2,527,652 – $1,883,930 for the Sydenham District Hospital in Wallaceburg and $643,722 to the Public General Hospital Society of Chatham.
“These investments, intended to help improve local-area hospitals’ infrastructure, are great news for our region,” stated Ralph Ganter, Chief Executive Officer, Erie St. Clair LHIN.
“Hospitals need to focus their attention on frontline care, but well maintained hospital facilities are also crucial for overall patient experience. These investments will help alleviate some of the ongoing pressures for our local-area hospitals.”
LHIN officials say the 2017 balanced Budget includes a new $7-billion booster shot to health care, building on the commitment made in the 2016 Budget. This investment will improve access to care, expand mental health and addiction services, and enhance the experience and recovery of patients.
Ontario is increasing access to care, reducing wait times and improving the patient experience through its Patients First Action Plan for Health Care and OHIP+: Children and Youth Pharmacare – protecting health care today and into the future, LHIN officials stated.
“On behalf of Ontario hospitals, I’d like to thank the Ontario government for recognizing the need for this vital investment,” stated Anthony Dale, President and CEO, Ontario Hospital Association.
“Given the continued capacity pressure facing hospitals as a result of a growing and aging population, ongoing investment in equipment upgrades and building repairs is needed to extend the life of all hospital facilities to maintain access to frontline services.”
The province is investing $175 million in repairs and upgrades to hospitals this year through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund (HIRF) Other HIRF investments in local-area hospitals include:
– Bluewater Health: $1,209,226
– Erie Shores Healthcare (formerly Leamington District Memorial Hospital): $428,819
– Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare: $755,937
– Windsor Regional Hospital: $714,137
LHIN officials say HIRF was established in 1999 to assist hospitals in renewing their facilities. As part of the 2017 Budget, Ontario is also spending an additional $9 billion to support the construction of new hospital projects across the province. This brings Ontario’s total planned investment in hospital infrastructure to more than $20 billion over the next 10 years.
Renovations planned at Sydenham Campus in Wallaceburg
As reported back in May, as part of some new master planning by the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, some renovations are being explored for the Sydenham Campus in Wallaceburg.
“I think the first thing we actually would like to do is to look at the power plant in Wallaceburg, because we recognize that the facilities that are there were built for a large facility, they are old, they are not very efficient,” said Lori Marshall, president and CEO of the CKHA, during a media update held in Chatham.
“If we are going to make some changes to that building, eventually adding on some new programs and those sorts of things, then we really need a new and revised power plant. So that is one of the first things that we have worked towards submitting a proposal for.”
Marshall said the CKHA is engaging in a “refresh of a master plan and master programs” that was started a few years ago.
Jerome Quenneville, vice president and Chief Financial Officer at the CKHA, said the power plant at the Wallaceburg site is essentially the boiler room, plus the electrical and cooling system.
“All of those parts of the behind the scene stuff is really designed for the facility being used top to bottom,” he said.
“We have got the concentration of services on the main floor now, so the top two floors are not being used effectively. So we’re really trying to focus in our efforts at not only building a plant that can support the existing building, but than we can draw that into any new developments that come through to introduce new services or improve services for the community.”
Rob Devitt, the Ministry-appointed supervisor of the CKHA, said this is the logical place to start.
“As much as I would like, if it’s about photo opportunities and cutting ribbons, it would be nice to do something that is exciting,” he said.
“If you buy an old car or pull an old car out of the barn and restore it, you don’t start by doing the body and painting it. You actually start with the mechanical, the transmission and the electrical system. That’s what we are doing and then we will figure out what the right body is to put on the chassis and frame, but we won’t be driving the hospital down the street.”
Marshall reiterated that all the plans moving forward by the CKHA, include a two site model.
“We will continue to have two hospital sites, the Chatham and the Sydenham Campuses,” she said.
“Both of those organizations will continue to have the blue H on the top of the buildings, which means there will be 24/7 emergency department services there and some inpatient beds in both organizations. We look to grow and re-invest our services at both campuses as we look at our finances.”
Read more, here: Renovations planned at Sydenham Campus in Wallaceburg
– Photo credit: Aaron Hall
When you design and install the new power plant for SDH, design it in such a way that it can provide for the top 2 floors. They may not be used “effectively” today but that is not to say that in the future these floors could be used again “effectively”.