From Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare
To ensure the continued delivery of high-quality obstetrical services at the South Muskoka Memorial Hospital (SMMH) Site, Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) will temporarily consolidate labour and delivery care at the Huntsville District Memorial Hospital (HDMH) Site. This temporary measure is effective March 11, 2025, and will be in place for up to 12 months.
Our decision to consolidate services follows extensive consultations with our clinical teams, including the Medical Advisory Committee, physicians, nurses, and other medical staff. The consolidation period will allow clinical teams to focus attention on several factors, including low patient volumes, referral patterns and leaves of absence, and nursing and physician coverage which has made it difficult to sustain the safety of labour and delivery services at SMMH. Over this period, attention will be placed on recruitment, assessment of patient volumes and referral pattens to strengthen capacity and ensure the delivery of safe, reliable obstetrical services. Regular evaluations will be conducted.
“Safe, high-quality obstetrical care is a top priority,” says Cheryl Harrison, President & CEO. “Our decision to temporarily consolidate services reflects our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of patient care within our obstetrical program.”
For patients, this means that those who present to SMMH requiring labour and delivery services will be assessed, stabilized, and transferred to the HDMH Site to ensure safe care. Emergency obstetrical care will continue to be available at SMMH. For the program, this temporary consolidation allows us to improve staffing stability, integrate best practices from external reviews, and enhance training programs — all focused on strengthening the future of obstetrical services at MAHC.
Our care team will continue to work at the same physical location at the SMMH Site, with the same shifts ensuring continuity in the workplace. Patients can continue to utilize available community prenatal and post-partum services.
MAHC’s decision to consolidate services at HDMH will be reassessed in six and nine months as we work to strengthen capacity at the SMMH Site, with the goal of reinstating obstetrical services as soon as it is safe to do so.
“We appreciate your patience as we work to improve obstetrical services at SMMH,” says Harrison. “I’d like to acknowledge the very hard work of our obstetrical teams of physicians, midwives and nurses providing labour and delivery services.”
For any questions regarding your care plan, please contact your healthcare provider.
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How many more services can Huntsville handle?
The hospital ED is wall to wall patients. (no family doctor)
Does the hospital have the space, the staff, the doctors?
Can the Bracebridge hospital ED handle birthing emergencies
or is it Huntsville or nothing???
As a Huntsville resident, I think it is time MAHC split up and have each site operated separately. There seem to be too many issues between Bracebridge and Huntsville. There is no unlimited money. Muskoka, in the grand scheme of things, is very small and without money to spend to keep services that are unnecessary or not fiscally sustainable. I think there is too much fighting; Bracebridge should go it alone and maybe see the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.
Remember, last year, MAHC said that 2/3 of the births in Muskoka were already happening in Huntsville, so it makes sense. Births that are an emergency, of course, could happen in Bracebridge. If someone has to travel the extra 20 minutes to Huntsville for better quality of service, because that is where the nurses are, then at least they are being treated by nurses who do baby deliveries every day.
Very bad news. Huge blow to south Muskoka. Action needed.
Cheryl Harrison will not rest until everything is at the Huntsville “district” hospital. I think Bracebridge should separate from MAHC as we are treated like the poor cousin. We will NEVER get equal treatment from Ms. Harrison.