Submitted by Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare
After working collaboratively with the community, health care providers and municipal leaders, Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) has submitted a Stage 1 redevelopment proposal requesting the Ministry of Health approve two new full-service hospitals to serve Muskoka and area in the future.
“We are pleased to inform our communities of this milestone in MAHC’s future planning journey,” says Board Chair Phil Matthews. “The Stage 1 Proposal is the culmination of 26 months of inclusive, collaborative and thoughtful planning work to arrive at a proposal that enhances care closer to home and ensures access to advanced diagnostics, programs and services that are responsive to our communities’ needs and support safe, high-quality patient care.”
MAHC’s Stage 1 submission proposes two new hospital facilities in Bracebridge and Huntsville with a full range of acute care services including emergency, inpatient and surgical services at each site. The proposal seeks to add 61 more inpatient beds including a new stroke rehabilitation unit, and MRI technology.
“This proposal represents the single largest investment in acute care in Muskoka – a $560 million legacy for future generations that is imperative for the future wellbeing of our catchment area and the thousands of seasonal residents and visitors MAHC serves every year,” says Matthews. “The Board is confident that this proposal, as unanimously recommended by a diverse task force with broad representation, has the support of the people we serve and of our local municipalities that have agreed in principle to help fund the ‘local share’ of the future redevelopment.”
Stage 1 planning has reaffirmed that MAHC’s Emergency Departments are half the size they should be to handle today’s volumes, and other clinical areas are challenged to accommodate the projected future growth. The comprehensive review of MAHC’s existing infrastructure in line with the physical space needed to accommodate future volumes and evolving health care standards has also confirmed that building new avoids significant challenges experienced today by trying to adapt aging infrastructure to new models of care and technology, and to meet accessibility, infection control, and privacy requirements.
“As part of our submission we are urging the Ministry to promptly review and approve our Stage 1 submission and move us on to Stage 2 planning,” adds CEO Natalie Bubela. “Having recently been awarded the highest rating of Accredited with Exemplary Standing from Accreditation Canada, we are excited to build on this achievement of best-in-class standards with a redevelopment proposal that ensures MAHC is best positioned to be responsive to the ever-changing health care landscape. We remain committed to refining our plan at each stage of the capital planning process to meet evolving technology, best practice, system integration and community needs.”
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This situation reminds me of the 1998 Condominium Act. After this Act was implemented, the owners of the apartments lost the right to make any decisions…Decisions are made virtually without the participation of the owners of the apartments.They also do not have the right to participate in the election of a new board for a very mundane reason. Nearly all elections take place at a significant distance from the place where the buildings belonging to the condominium are located. No one and nothing has been able to change this legal status. Newspapers wrote about it. Social groups were formed to overthrow this act of lawlessness. Politicians were making fiery speeches about it and promised to deal with it. 21 years have passed and nothing has changed. Dianne Adams, your idea of sending a petition to Mrs.Christine Elliot, the Minister of Health, is, in my humble opinion, not an effective way to reverse this disadvantage.The only person who can end this dramatic saga is our Premier Doug Ford. He is deeply connected with Huntsville. He has his home here.We often see him here. Only he can help us. No one else.
How and why was this decision made to continue on with a new hospital? Everything I have read has been in favour or expanding our existing hospital, not building a new one. When is the MAHC going to start listening to the people they are supposed to represent and stop this dictatorship they have created among themselves? Enough of these delays, ridiculous 500k expenses, and the complete ignoring of the people. Time to go over their heads and contact the Ministry of Health directly ourselves, letting them know that the MAHC voice is NOT the residents voice and that we are very tired of having words and actions passed on as ours when this is not the case. Letting them know by copious amounts of letters and emails (referring to/copying this posting statement above) is needed for them to see that there is a real problem here and we do not need to stand for it any longer. I can’t believe the total arrogance of this board and their superiority attitude. Why are they still there after a Vote of No Confidence was issued some time ago, and, as usual, ignored? Seems that every time they make a decision lately it is both unexplained and offensive to the will of those they are suppose to represent. This legacy is not a good one for future generations. We can contact [email protected] attention Christine Elliot, Minister of Health to let our reasons and individual views be known, since they are being ignored at the local level.
Obviously this bunch of people havnt listened to the general public as they havnt listened to the people at all . We don’t want a new hospital here as far as I’ve seen by comments we want ours redone. We don’t want to burden everyone in town with huge amounts of debt. I think we should arrange a picketing to the people who are above these people, so they know we don’t want it.
Good job and thank you to everyone who participated in this worthwhile endeavour. Good luck continues
WOW! .. Here we go ”’down the rabbit hole”. Promoting TWO new hospital facilities … 40 some km’s’ a part that never will be able to provide the ALL the ‘premium’ health care facilities of Orilla or RVH! Every time many many friends who need ‘premium’ care for the past 10 years … they are either shipped to Orilla, RVH or Newmarket! If our 2 NEW facilities can not provide ALL those ‘premium’ services delivered at the other facilities .. when ‘complete’ .. not in the future .. because the feature is ‘now’ .. not 5 -10 years after the 2 facilities are in service .. We as as a community have MISSED the boat .. again .. in providing ALL the ‘premium’ services that WE need and must travel down south to get those ‘premium’ services. I challenge those in ‘power’ to document ‘ALL’ the ‘premium’ services that are delivered down south that require US ALL to travel and what ‘premium’ services will be delivered ..’when and where’ .. when these new initiatives are complete and in service.? Over to you .. Board Chair ..Phil Matthews. Whats ..’in’ and whats ‘out’?