This morning, Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Graydon Smith shared an open letter addressed to David Uffelman, Board Chair of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC), and members of the Board:
Dear Chair Uffelman and members of the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare Board,
Further to our telephone conversation this morning, I am writing to you to formally request that agenda item 2.1 set for the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare Board (MAHC) meeting of July 2nd, 2024 be withdrawn immediately. I make this request in my role as MPP for Parry Sound-Muskoka, and as someone with extensive experience in the hospital redevelopment process over many years.
As a Mayor, I worked successfully for years with your predecessors, senior hospital management, the medical community, and others, to get the process of redevelopment to a point where all stakeholders were committed to an outcome which satisfied a myriad of points of view. It was not easy; however, the success of that approach led to financial commitments by the Provincial government, municipal governments and hospital foundations to financially support a two-site redevelopment model.
More recently as MPP, I have called for everyone to draw a breath, analyze what was said in various meetings (and why) over the last several months and strike a path forward that works for everyone across Muskoka and Almaguin.
I realize that much has changed, and continues to change, in both the worlds of healthcare service delivery and cost. Regardless, the commitment of dollars to this project by funders, especially the Province, exceeds what would be reasonably expected for communities of our size. This is an unprecedented opportunity for our communities, but moving forward with the current plan could jeopardize some municipal commitments, thereby putting any future redevelopment on shaky ground.
Many in the medical community, primarily in South Muskoka, are wary or outright unsupportive of the plan. To be frank, too many physicians in Bracebridge and Gravenhurst have serious concerns with the current proposal. I have met with several of them and heard their concerns first-hand. Their wariness has extended deep into the general community. Not surprisingly, residents are looking to their doctors for guidance on whether the proposal is sufficient in meeting the needs of the community.
I recognize there was a modification to your original proposal and, even after that modification, you indicated a willingness to further collaborate with stakeholders on their concerns. My understanding was that the Board’s offer to continue recent discussions with physicians was accepted in good faith, yet only days after a meeting with some physicians and local municipal representatives, this motion is being presented.
Surely you understand that this action further erodes the level of trust necessary for the plan, and the Board, to be successful. A lack of trust in a Board tasked with such important work is both undesirable and untenable.
I fully understand that this proposal has its supporters and that includes many within the medical community but, nevertheless, it is impractical and unwise to proceed in this manner when the Board is aware of such visceral opposition to the plan in one of the two primary catchment areas.
Even if the technical merits are sound, the Board is supposed to make decisions on behalf of the communities it serves, not despite them. Making decisions that satisfy two communities that do not always see eye-to-eye is a tough job, but doing so is essential to achieving success.
A saying of mine from my municipal time on this file still applies. Those involved in hospital decision making need to “look past the end of the driveway” when considering system changes.
This means that the Board, while directly tasked with making hospital decisions, plays a larger, incredibly significant role in how communities grow, change, and function. This concept must be fully understood and reflected in decision making, even when it seems inconvenient.
Mr. Chair, again, I urge you to withdraw the motion as presented. I also request a meeting at your earliest convenience to discuss how this exceptional opportunity to redevelop both hospitals in Muskoka can proceed with the support of all communities.
As the proposal has been at a community level of planning, I have done my best to allow that process to play out and facilitate a solution where possible. That said, should the Board proceed with passing the motion as presented, I will not support the current redevelopment proposal.
Sincerely,
Graydon Smith
MPP Parry Sound-Muskoka
Maybe we should consider Huntsville going on its own? Is this a viable option? we were there before and it worked quite well this town can’t wait 10-15 years more to have this done
Just another politician pandering to stay popular. Go have your say with him, when he visits Huntsville for the BBQ.
To MPP Smith and the ‘South Muskoka Planning committee’. Our Premier has admonished others to “stay in your lane” and yet here you are out in left (or right) field, so to speak. Our MPP may be good at running a service station or being a mayor. The trees and rocks thing I still wonder. Doctors are qualified to judge why it hurts where it does and can then maybe do something to help.
But when it comes to replacing the shingles on the cottage, I’ll not be requesting MPP Smith and the local proctologist to advise or lend a hand. We have designers and engineers and contractors to do that kind of work. That’s their lane.
It seems though, if we have MPP Smith and the ‘South Muskoka advisory committee’, why on earth did we ever ask MAHC to come up with a plan. The ‘advisory committee’ is doing the talking and seem to know how it should be. And are more than willing to do it for free. At least all the talking.
“Two full service hospitals” was the PC election rant. It seems that isn’t in the cards so we will supposedly get two facilities that are mutually supporting. Now I imagine they will argue about who’ll be the sling and who the truss. (Mutually supporting) And although we hear that we are ‘getting’ a lot of money for an area this size, until somebody renders a plan, kills a tree or blasts bed rock, we haven’t ‘got’ a damn thing.
And with our Premiers penchant for back-peddling, who knows what will happen. Maybe our hospitals are in the hands of a government, a couple elections hence. Or maybe not even then!
Clearly MAHC’s decision to move ahead with the current plan shows how much they respect Mr. Smith’s influence.
Does any of this really come as a surprise? Was it not expected? Pit one area against another and you end up with one hospital, built on swampland, in the middle of nowhere. Is Mr. Ford or Graydon to blame? We are going to be missing a lot of our seniors and others before a final decision is made! 2050 sounds like a good vintage year?
It is very sad that an agreement cannot be reached re the development of our 2 hospitals.
We have good friends who live in Perth ON and they are very satisfied with the 2 hospital situation in Perth and Smith Falls.
I know nothing about how it was developed but it appears to be working.
Hopefully The MAHC would have been in consultation with these 2 hospitals.
Re Smith letter to MAHC
I read with interest your recent letter but it is seriously lacking in detail
The last thing we need now is another delay in finalizing our new hospitals
Speaking of letters can you refer me to a location where I can see your letters about the following
The waste of billions of dollars on highway 413
The waste of hundreds of millions of dollars to accelerate by one year the sale of beer in variety stores
The obscene 99 year lease for a privately owned spa at Ontario Place
The closure of the Science Centre.
The record number of government caucus members
costing us a pile of money (you being one)
And the list goes on
Your comments representing our concerns would be appreciated
George Gilley
Mr. Smith MPP is correct. Imagine not including doctors’ opinion from the get go .
Once again thank you to the doctors for standing your ground.
Isn’t it ironic that MPP Smith has climbed on his high horse to champion the people of South Muskoka . It wouldn’t be because he is the former mayor of Bracebridge , or that he lives in Bracebridge . I wonder if he would be so energetic if the roles were reversed ?
Well, this is a really big mess now. I’m thinking that the musical comedy and movie to come about this tale of two towns could be fun though. Confusing that our MPP is withdrawing support for MAHC hospital and redevelopment planning so publicly. I noticed also that Save Our South Muskoka Hospital coincidentally presented to Bracebridge Council General Ctee meeting the same day as the letter and the MAHC board meeting. The drama could be set on July 2, the day after Canada Day tiny red and white lawn flags still flying,with all these things happening at once. Meanwhile the real heroes are the families struggling to keep their elders at home without adequate home care support, unbearable long waiting lists for nursing home, overburdened hospital staff, the so-called ALC patients threatened with forced nursing home placements, and thousands without regular primary care. Not a love story in Muskoka.
Thank You Graydon.
The letter clearly states the Doctors and people of south Muskoka are concerned with MAHC’s plan and are not not getting a fair shake. We need Graydon’s support for the hospital redevelopment that will best serve all the people. Maybe now the board will listen to all the people they are supposed to serve.
I agree with Graydon. What MAHC has done regarding the Capital Redevelopment has been a colossal failure in several aspects:
1. When they found out from the Provincial Government last Sept/October that the projected costs were not going to be funded by the government, they kept this information to themselves instead of being transparent to the interested parries in Muskoka until January.
2. It is my understanding that they continued communication on the Local Share program as if the two equally sized hospitals was still a reality.
3. Then they developed a plan to increase the size of the Huntsville Hospital and decrease South Muskoka Memorial Hospital in Bracebridge. I cannot comprehend how they would think that this would be not cause problems.
4. Throughout this process, their communication has been and continues to be a disaster.
I hope that the MAHC board follows Graydon’s recommendations but I am not confident that they will.
Bob Manning
Member of the MAHC Board of Directors 2017-2021
Anyone got any idea what’s happening here? Is somebody not getting a fair shake? Apparently so according to our MPP. So who’s getting done?
After a whole lot of “I have called”, “I realise”, “I have met”, “I recognise”, “I fully understand” and such from MPP Smith, personally I don’t…. any of the preceding sound bites. What’s the problem sir? Spit it out.
Tell us the problem you have with what MAHC has come up with.
“Surely you understand that this action further erodes the level of trust for the plan, and the board,to be successful”. I don’t find the board or the plan untrustworthy. You MPP Smith are another matter.
Again sir. What is the problem? In simple terms. In your mind, where is the inequity or unfairness. Or is there some other problem?
I am not sure I am going to live long enough to see shovels in the ground.
Thank you, Mr. Smith! Your support as our MPP in this matter is noted.
Hopefully Huntsville’s mayor will speak up and support our community.