Rob Alexander, chair of the hospital retention working group, was before Huntsville council Monday asking for funds to hire a consultant.
The group was appointed by Huntsville council to help come up with ways to keep Huntsville’s hospital in the community, following a recommendation by Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare for a single hospital to service all of Muskoka and surrounding areas.
“We have spent a lot of time considering various options. As we got deeper into that, we realized that most of us don’t know enough about health care and specifically how this process will work,” he explained.
He said the healthcare issue is complicated. There are multiple factors, entities and levels of government to consider, as well as other healthcare providers..
By hiring a consultant in the field, the group will be better positioned to give something of value back to council. Alexander also said working with the hospital board right now is important as it has recommended one centrally-located hospital for Muskoka.
“We think Huntsville is pretty central,” he said, adding that while the committee will attempt to conduct data collection internally, “we will also need some help in thinking how do we build a health care presence and maintain that here in Huntsville, which we all agree in our committee is hugely important long term.”
Committee issued an RFP, consultant selected
The consultant being recommended by the group is Prism, which according to Alexander would add the most value at this stage of the group’s process.
“At the end of this stage we want to recommend a strategy, or possibly a couple of strategies, that the Town council will pursue. It’ll be up to you at that point to decide whether or not you want to pursue those,” he said.
One of those strategies may be creating a health care campus. He said formalizing such a strategy could require additional expertise, which would require more money.
“It’s quite possible we’re going to bring other people into this. It could be other municipalities, it could be private, it could be other entities in healthcare. Again if they’re contributing financially, which may be in our best interest, that will change the numbers as well,” said Alexander, referring to cost.
LHIN may make decision in about a month
When asked about timelines, he said he suspects MAHC will hear back from the Local Health Integration Network in three or four weeks about their proposal for one hospital site. He said if the LHIN is amenable to the hospital model being proposed, they will create a site selection committee.
“Again we’d like to work with them and help that process,” he said, adding that such a committee will likely not be convened until the new year.
“So we’re trying to get the strategy done by that time so that this council has its options,” said Alexander, adding that the intent is to work with other stakeholders.
“I think it’s in their best interest, and certainly it’s in our best interest, if we can work together and try and influence that in a way that works for everybody and that’s the direction we’re taking.”Rob Alexander
Council approved an anticipated $30,000 consulting fee, not to exceed $60,000, for a consultant to work with Huntsville’s hospital retention committee.
Mayors make a presentation to the LHIN, blast MAHC’s decision
Alexander’s presentation came on the same day that Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Muskoka Lakes mayors presented their position to the LHIN, holding no punches.
The report, obtained by Doppler Online, blasts MAHC for the methodology it used to arrive at a single-site hospital recommendation.
“The information sessions held by MAHC were not reflective of an approach based on true consultation,” it states.
It also expresses concerns with servicing a hospital site in Port Sydney, the cost of the infrastructure required as well as its reliance on fundraising for community dollars, which may not be as easy to come by.
It accuses MAHC of not adhering to sound land-use planning policies and legislation and making its decision in a vacuum without taking into consideration other healthcare providers.
The report also makes a veiled threat by stating “it is difficult to see how the District of Muskoka, Town of Huntsville, or, for that matter, the Ontario Municipal Board could approve such a recommendation.”
According to sources, the presentation was made primarily by Bracebridge Mayor Graydon Smith.
A PDF copy of the report follows: Response to the MAHC PCS.
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