From the Town of Huntsville
As a follow-up to the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare’s (MAHC) June 26 presentation to Huntsville’s General Committee, and MAHC’s July 2 announcement on the redevelopment next steps, a discussion will occur at the July 22 Regular Council Meeting regarding support for MAHC’s proposal to date on healthcare services.
“We are looking forward to the discussion at July’s Regular Council Meeting and anticipate supporting the current healthcare redevelopment plan,” notes Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock. “Huntsville has been a strong voice at the table right from the beginning and will continue to be engaged in discussions that will support superior healthcare for the entire catchment area. As the deadline for submission approaches, it is critical to recognize all of the efforts our stakeholders have made to date to advance the future of healthcare services in our region, resulting in a proposal that goes beyond bricks-and-mortar and focuses on sustainable healthcare support for the entire catchment area.”
The Town of Huntsville will continue to actively participate in the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare’s hospital planning process and support ongoing dialogue amongst all of the stakeholders to ensure the formation of the final plans for the Ministry of Health submission this fall are reflective of the needs of the communities in which the two sites will serve for many years to come.
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Ruby Truax says
Nancy Alcock is the mayor of HUNTSVILLE, not a representative of “the entire catchment area” which she says she is supporting.
The Town of Huntsville is the only community that Mayor Alcock should be concerned about and advocating for.
Since she and Council are well aware that MAHC’s Hospital Redevelopment Model moves most services to the Bracebridge site, they should not be supporting this model. In fact, they should be discussing placing conditions on our local share of the funding.
When we pledged that $10 million dollars (which is a huge amount of money for a population of 23,000 to come up with), we were assured we were paying toward a full-service acute care hospital for Huntsville. MAHC’s new model moves most acute care services to Bracebridge, leaving the Huntsville site a post-acute care facility focusing on stroke rehabilitation and “reactivation care” (i.e. patients waiting for a convalescent or long-term care facility).
All her talk about “the communities of Muskoka” and “the entire catchment area” sounds like she has District Chair ambitions and is no longer acting on behalf of OUR community. As the Mayor of Huntsville, we expect Nancy Alcock to advocate for the citizens of Huntsville … the citizens who are losing our hospital services.
If she and Council are not willing to do that, it may be time for them to step down.
Wendy J Brown says
I agree with Ruby, the council should be advocating for Huntsville. We need a full service hospital here , even the almaguin people agree. Did the mayor not read what mayor Ward said? He made the most sense of any of them.
David Walker says
… and the MPP Smith should be advocating for Muskoka not just Bracebridge!
Verda-Jane Hudel says
Correct Ruby. I said last week that I do not trust the committee and yes they should resign.