I am writing in response to recent public commentary (from politicians, healthcare providers, journalists and citizens) in order to provide some further context, and perhaps a slightly different perspective, around the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare redevelopment project. Quite frankly, the negativity and, in many cases, lack of proper context, are both troubling.
With respect to healthcare in the province, I go back to the basics to level-set. First, every citizen in Ontario deserves access to quality, publicly-funded healthcare. Second, running counter to this first premise, is that there are finite resources available for healthcare in the province – money, people, etc… Add to this a third factor – that is that healthcare, unlike politics, does not move in cycles (i.e. rinse, repeat). Solving problems doesn’t consist of stepping back 20 (or 50) years to re-try things that used to work. Healthcare moves forward, advances, and changes constantly as knowledge and technology expands. Finally, just to add to the complexity, there are no “borders” between communities or jurisdictions when it comes to healthcare…everything melds together.
As chair of the Almaguin Highlands Health Council recent news events regarding the MAHC redevelopment are leading to a sense of dismay and disappointment following a period of optimism for our group representing 10 municipalities in Almaguin. Each day seems to bring with it a fresh set of negativity which has, frankly, become increasingly difficult to counter. The swim upstream continues, and it is tiresome for all involved.
As the various news, quotes and revelations are released, mention is made of the contributions to Local Share from various communities. Missing from virtually all of these articles and quotes is any mention of the $9.5-million commitment from the cooperating municipalities in the Almaguin Highlands. This is a huge undertaking for a group of small municipalities with relatively small tax bases. Our quiet commitment continues, even though this has essentially turned into a battle of the beds between neighbouring communities to our south.
Virtually no one in the Almaguin Highlands is within a comfortable 30-minute drive of any hospital emergency room. Yet we support the longer-term view and, indeed, have been leaders in “seeing beyond the end of the driveway” despite the fact that neither hospital build really brings any direct benefit to our own communities (certainly not from either an economic or convenience standpoint). We are supporting the larger view and supporting a change to healthcare status quo, as that status quo is unsustainable. We support the basic premise of the redevelopment model, as it speaks to more than just ‘bricks and mortar’ – this is supposed to support communities from Severn Bridge to Sundridge, not just satisfy everyone in Bracebridge and Huntsville. We are working with the healthcare providers in our own region to build upon the hospital redevelopment and re-imagine how we can deliver healthcare services in our communities. Health for All. Each day seems to bring with it another hurdle, but we soldier on.
The goal of hospitals is to get patients well and, hopefully, back to their community and home as quickly as possible, even if sometimes that home needs to be a different one than before. The goal of our healthcare providers in the community is to either keep people from needing to go into the hospital in the first place, or support them when they return. Other stakeholders, including municipalities, should be working to remove roadblocks and support these providers where they can. And as much as we’d like to simply deflect responsibility as being someone else’s issue or jurisdiction (i.e. the province or the federal government), it takes the entire community to make healthcare effective for everyone, given the monster complexities in delivery. In the end, the centre of the healthcare universe is not the hospital or the municipality or the province or even the healthcare providers. It is the patient.
There is so much incredible, positive work going on in the healthcare arenas and in our communities that relies on the coordination and collaboration of countless stakeholders. This work falls apart with partisan battles, community borders and, dare I say, politics. We’re moving forward in the Almaguin Highlands and we support the hospital redevelopment as part of this move forward in healthcare. The model is imperfect and will continue to require adjustment (see point above about the continuing evolution of healthcare), but the opportunity in front of us is the key thing. In the Almaguin Highlands, we’re not looking back at past examples of lost services or at imbalances in the provision of healthcare in our own region. We’re not counting beds. We see this as a huge opportunity to re-imagine what healthcare looks like for the entire region. From Severn Bridge to Sundridge and everywhere in between.
Rod Ward
Mayor, Township of Armour
Chair, Almaguin Highlands Health Council
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Can someone tell me where to find the government document that says the government is not interested in funding two full service hospitals. The statement I found from the office of the premier says 50 new beds will be added across the two site. It does nor say the number of beds will be cut in half in Bracebridge And moved Huntsville and then the 50 new beds will also be added to Huntsville.
When Graydon Smith says he can’t support MAHC’S plan , then I think maybe he read the same document that I did.
How often does a new hospital get built in your area? Once in a lifetime – maybe.
The Ontario government has been quite clear that they are not interested in funding two full-service hospitals – one in Bracebridge and one in Huntsville. To that end some sort of compromise had to be created. Immense time and effort from a bunch of smart people has gone into the current proposal which tries to split the services in a workable but also financially feasible way. This proposal had received some provisional agreement from the province.
Now a bunch of second-guessers are saying “I want more in my area” – jeopardizing the whole proposal. Do they think that status quo is better – because that’s what they risk while the whole project is now endangered.
People talk of the travel time between the hospitals – but they conveniently omit or downplay the fact that time-sensitive functions (such as emergency room visits) will be available at both sites!
In a world of unconstrained funding then of course we would prefer two full-service hospitals – but that was never going to be approved.
Jim Ronholm
Councillor Strong Township
Mayor Ward, I ask you to see the situation from the other person’s perspective. Imagine Huntsville was the community being offered 18 beds ( MAHC’s original proposal) going forward for the next 30-40 years. Imagine anyone staying there longer than 7 days would be transferred to Bracebridge. Imagine travelling to see your loved ones in the hospital several times a week in the winter to Bracebridge. Imagine 51 doctors in your small communities say MAHC’s plan is not viable. How would you feel? I would sympathize with you and argue that you should get a better deal. I would think that plan is outrageous. I would support you protesting that plan. This is not about Bracebridge vs Huntsville. This is not about bed counts. This is about long term, viable hospitals in both locations.
I don’t live in Mayor Wards area but I 100% agree with everything he is saying in this letter. The constant whining over the MAHC plan is mind numbing…let’s get on with the job.
Finally a sensible opinion.
As a constituent in Mayor Ward’s bailiwick I wholeheartedly agree with his evaluation. Clear cut, factual and based on the issues.
Well said, sir!
Here, here Mayor you get my vote on your position.
You know I came to a realization . I think the committee and those forming the plan for healthcare in this area have themselves created a loss of trust. Mayor Ward I do not trust them.
Thank you Mayor Ward. Thank you for your courage and polite, respectful words. Thank you for encouraging the silent to raise their voices and show their support for these much needed services. Thank you for placing the focus on the patient in all areas of our communities.
It was disappointing to here that one opportunity to better our health care was not accepted, before.
We may never see $1B dollars again, of we allow that to pass by. And then who will they blame for the inadequate health care. Hopefully, themselves.
I encourage everyone to vocally support moving forward, submitting the plans and getting the shovels in the ground.
I encourage the other Mayor’s to re-evaluate their position, and the Mayor’s who haven’t spoken to show courage and support moving forward.
Thank you, Mayor Ward.
I didn’t ask anything about moving Almaguin.
Further to Mr. Norm Raynor’s question, I did forget one line in my commentary. And that is, if the Almaguin Highlands was south of Bracebridge instead of north of Huntsville, we would still support this plan.
Well said!
Well said!
As a resident of Huntsville I would support your position.
Having moved back home in 2019 from the big city it is common place to have to go 20-45 minutes away to the appropriate (operative word) hospital for various treatments.
Would mister Ward support the plan if it were reversed? This could happen because it is one hospital with two sites. Also keep in mind , this is not a fight to take anything away from the people served by the Huntsville Hospital. I am from Kearney and I know very well how important the Huntsville Hospital is.
This is a fight to keep a proper hospital in South Muskoka, not just Bracebridge. Also why is it called Muskoka Algonquin and not Muskoka Almaguin? Why is there no one from Almaguin sitting on the board of directors of MAHC? Maybe MAHC really doesn’t care about Almaguin. Maybe that is why the hospital in BurksFalls got closed.
Nice to see a common sense approach from Mayor Ward. He places the well-being of the patient at the centre of the debate. The reality of his township puts to shame our bickering here in the south. Let’s get on with building our hospitals and come to the realization
that we cant possibly meet every unrealistic expectation. The less spent on bricks and mortar and the more on actually patient outcome improvement then the better. Kudos to our neighbours fund raising efforts.
Finally some common sense! Well said Mayor Ward.
As a reader that lived in a small rural northern Ontario community with limited healthcare availability where patients sometimes travelled 3 and 4 hours for healthcare services, I’m shaking my head in disbelief while following the constant criticism of an opportunity for 1 Billion funding. It’s a gift. ! Take it and be grateful . Stop bickering about the details. It’s only a 30 minute drive. The Province has numerous project requests waiting to take your Billion. Like the old saying goes, “You snooze, You lose”. It’s time to agree before the funding is withdrawn. The constant debate is deafening.
This letter from Rod Ward is a breath of fresh air and logic. These hospitals need to get stated now not later. All I will say is finally some positive leadership and not fence sitting
As a physician who has worked in our communities (in the ER) for 20 years I have witnessed the strain on our local system become crushing (in terms of space, manpower and complexity). The government has approved funding for a $1B project. The hospital’s plan is not perfect. It can’t be with resources limited. We aren’t being offered $2B. Within the constraints of the budget it is a reasonable plan that ensures both outpatient and inpatient services for those in the north and south of our region. In 2015 our communities’ refusal to get on board led to withdrawal of funding. Nine years later we are finally back on board with an offer of $1B. Are we honestly going to throw this away again? I support the plan fully. I would happily work 50% of my ER shifts in both locations to prove it.