In the wake of the controversy surrounding Muskoka Algonquin HealthCare (MAHC)‘s proposal to change the service levels at Muskoka’s two hospitals, some 47 local physicians have offered a counter-proposal.
Dubbed the Care Close to Home capital redevelopment proposal (which heavily favours South Muskoka) offers a different model of care than MAHC’s Made in Muskoka model which was revealed during several public information sessions held throughout Muskoka in January and February. The Made in Muskoka proposal met with strong opposition in South Muskoka, primarily due to a decrease in beds and some services at the South Muskoka Memorial Hospital in Bracebridge.
Under the newly proposed Care Close to Home proposal, the Huntsville site would have 50 inpatient beds (including 12 beds for stroke rehabilitation), seven ICU beds, and a 24/7 emergency department. Outpatient/diagnostic services would include chemotherapy and a dialysis unit along with specialized diagnostics including nuclear medicine, bone density and an MRI.
Under the new plan, the Bracebridge site would have 90 inpatient beds including seven ICU beds and a 24/7 emergency department. It would maintain obstetrics and inpatient surgical services. Outpatient/diagnostic services would include services such as mammograms, ultrasounds, and CT scans as well as continued outpatient surgical and endoscopy services. Bracebridge would also have seven level two ICU beds.
The loss of the obstetrics unit in Bracebridge had been a point of contention during the public meetings and the new proposal argues that obstetric services at both hospitals are necessary to provide equitable access for everyone in Muskoka. The physicians also point out that maintaining obstetrics in Bracebridge would help to alleviate overcrowding at Soldiers Memorial Hospital in Orillia.
The proposal argues that South Muskoka has a higher population density and growth rate, making it more sensible to have increased inpatient beds in Bracebridge.
According to the Care Close to Home proposal, the new plan would result in minimizing patient transfers, as both sites would now have adequate inpatient services to support the local population.
The report says MAHC should conduct a full analysis on the cost of renovating the existing sites as opposed to building two entirely new hospitals. MAHC should also make public the consultants’ report, including those pertaining to site selection, and provide transparent engagement with the community and healthcare providers.
MAHC has pledged to engage in further talks before submitting any final plans to the province.
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Norm Raynor says
This plan makes more sense than the made in Muskoka plan…especially the part about possibly not needing 2 brand new buildings and the need for transparency when MAHC deals with the information given to the public.
The way MAHC went about the whole process it makes me think the board has a hidden agenda.
And by the way why isn’t it called Muskoka Almaguin Health Care?
Randy Spencer says
As usual typical response from our friends to the South God forbid Huntsville were to have a leg up on them. I’m sorry the Huntsville site was always the most cost effective location land already available and access to highway etc. Yet we agreed to a 2 site model
. Now some would love to see this reversed completely. Huntsville medical team please speak up (Doctors & Nurses) I Know it probably will not be completed in my life time but we need to the think of our next generation’s
Richard Hogg says
We all love our separate communities & want the best for each. BUT disputes over annual allocations will continue for perpetuity unless some guidelines are established. Therefore I encourage 2 separate equal facilities & SEPARATELY managed hospitals be built, with annual allocations based on full & part time populations. THEN encourage each community to support their facilities through donations, physician & staff recruitment, housing and ancillary services.
Wendy J Brown says
The doctors seem to be forgetting Huntsville has a much larger drawing area for patients and a bigger population. Doctors are worthwhile to have but shouldnt be the deciders on this decision. Bracebridge is closer to a larger hospital and its 80 miles to the next closest large hospital from Huntsville, so logically we need to be able to do everything we need to do. This is rather pathetic Bracebridge has been like this ever since i can remember, wanting to be the most important. Maybe its time for Huntsville to be listed as back in Northern Ontario.
Lyle Hall says
To Norm Raynor,
“And by the way why isn’t it called Muskoka Almaguin Health Care?”
My understanding was up until the dissolution of the South River Almaguin Hospital it actually was called Muskoka Almaguin Health Care. When the arbitrary decision was made (without public consultation by the Provincial Liberal government of the time) the Almaguin hospitals budget was put into the Huntsville hospital revenue and the name “Almaguin” was removed. This allowed concentration of the decision making to be done in the Muskoka area and the 150 kilometer space between Huntsville and North Bay became devoid of hospitals or Walk-in Clinics.
We feel the pain of the Bracebridge public (everybody needs more and better Health care) but welcome the changes to restore some of the services that were removed from Almaguin over a decade ago.
Lyle Hall says
Sorry, Burks Falls Almaguin Hospital not South River.
John Whitty says
The doctor’s proposal favours continuing health care in Muskoka as it is now.
Not drastically reducing it.
As the ONA president said:
“There’s no shortage of money. The Ford government underspent, we know from the Financial Accountability Office, their budget by $22.6 billion. There is no reason why both communities cannot have hospitals.”
Exactly. No reason at all.
https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/ona-president-speaks-against-hospital-redevelopment-model-offers-to-collaborate-with-mahc-ceo/
Doug Ford has demonstrated health care is not a priority of his government.
Is the single site agenda coming from Ford?
Plus a mini, unviable hospital that will be cancelled/closed as in other communities?
The mini hospital is just a ruse to placate those in the southern 2/3 of Muskoka and keep donations flowing.
It’s not working.
Don’t be duped by the MAHC board like District councillors were duped by the airport board to go backwards from 2 to 1 runway and drastically reduce safety and usability. The alternate runway 12/30 was always a ruse.
https://johnwhitty3.wordpress.com/2023/07/11/snake-oil-salesmen-selling-to-the-gullible/
A lawsuit could force councillors to finally do the right thing.
https://southmuskoka.doppleronline.ca/speak-up-south-muskoka/
Make no mistake Muskoka is going backwards from 2 to 1 hospital with this unacceptable plan.
The second meeting in Bracebridge was just as feisty.
https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/feisty-crowd-hears-new-hospital-plan-in-bracebridge/
Ford illegally limited raises to nurses with Bill 124.
When they worked to exhaustion during Covid.
Nurses had to take Ford to court to be treated fairly and legally and won.
Ford lost the first court case, appealed and lost again.
Search “Ontario to repeal wage-cap law after Appeal Court rules Ford government’s Bill 124 unconstitutional”
Just like he lost to CUPE previously. That legislation only lasted a few days.
Search “Ford, Trudeau sign $3.1B health-care funding deal that will see Ontario hire more health workers
Agreement comes year after feds promised to boost health transfers to provinces.”
“Although Ontario and the federal government reached an agreement in principle for $8.6 billion over 10 years following the summit, the two sides have been working out the details ever since. ”
What exactly is the issue with funding again?
Of course Ford won’t spend it on health care. It will go to his buddies for needless projects.
Like $300+ million of taxpayer dollars for an underground parking lot for a private spa at Ontario Place.
While claiming no public money is being spent on the spa.
What can you do with $500 million each to Huntsville and Bracebridge to refurbish existing sites and add new wings?
Turns out quite a lot.
For a measly $100 million Midland is getting 240 beds and more.
“the $100 million project making room for 240 beds, four operating rooms and the capacity to serve over 70 thousand patients each year, added space that physicians say would be game-changing for patient care.”
Search “Georgian Bay General Hospital looks to future with $100M expansion plans”
Don’t believe any of MAHC’s justifications of this flawed plan.
Or any of the costs quoted.
Or any of their patronizing spin.
Just like most people know by now you can’t believe anything Ford says.
As Dave Wilkin said:
“This journey started about 12 years ago, and yet, here we are today with no hospital capital upgrades done and fighting again in the community over what is still an unaffordable plan.If they had listened to our and the majority of community voices back then, and instead of brand new hospitals, they opted for incremental existing site upgrades, we would be well on the way to the much-needed capacity expansion and hospital renewal, at an affordable cost. This is the route the vast majority of hospitals in Ontario take.”
MAHC’s dithering has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. And could also cost us a full service hospital in Bracebridge.
MAHC ignored the doctor’s alternate plan when it was presented recently.
If the southern 2/3 of Muskoka pulls their local share funding MAHC’s latest plan is dead in the water.
MAHC can’t ignore a massive drop in funding.
Allen Markle says
I went to one of the meetings and read and heard about some others. Amazing the way people can react. Sometimes with that anger and rage Sally Barnes is talking about. But it was worth the trip. And on Doppler we can read a variety of opinions and the recorded quotations of learned men. I’m fond of the one by the Zen patriarch Seng Ts’an. “The more you talk and think about it, the further astray you wander from the truth.” That’s us here in Muskoka.
You gotta plan for sure. But when it’s plan and plan and plan and replan, swinging this way and that; swayed by this group and that group? It makes one wonder if there was ever a plan at all. Just an “I wonder” moment. Open to suggestion. Doesn’t give one much confidence in the process.
Someone at the meeting mentioned that only a few contractors build hospitals. I thought that engineers could read plans and build what is requested. I’m sure some may be more proficient (you get what you pay for!) than others, and in that case we should be in touch with the contractor being employed by the Midland group. They seem to be getting much as each of Muskoka’s two sites want, but for a whole bunch less.
And why does everything in Muskoka seem to be so outlandishly costly? It seems to me that the carrot offered to keep Muskoka ‘blue’ has to be impressively large (and in the end we’ll get ‘Babette’? ) We can’t get by with just any competent contractor, we have to have SNC-Lavalin. I think they have rebranded.
We know money isn’t a problem with our provincial government. They haven’t spent what they themselves allocated for healthcare and the Feds just delivered another 3 billion to Ontario. To hire and train the people our hospitals need. Those people we need! It will be interesting to find if this money is actually spent as it is intended. My guess is No. Ford and his minions seem happy to deliver provincial funding into private hands. Contracting everything out.
So will somebody outline a plan that will be adhered to and give us something less important to rant about? T’would take a lot of the pressure off.
Verda-Jane Hudel says
Allen..it is just a stalling political non progressive game. It has been played for years over many subjects and projects.
Bob Slater says
Hind sight for what it is .. at the get go … 10 years ago.. a one major hospital should have been the answer ! All this in fighting, emotions, and feelings goes away .. all the issues go away about who gets what, who pays for this and that, all services at one location .. what a concept, .. but no .. here we are no further ahead! Watch what happens to health care! NEW Doctors and all supporting staff will NOT be rushing to the area with this abortion of what is being presented for services etc etc. I don’t blame government regardless who was in charge for funding at what point in time! WHY? Because WE .. MUSKOKA could not get our act together and agree on nothing! Just another major disappointment for the area that will not end well and will just go on and on ! IMO ..There was a simple solution and we would have had perhaps the funding ..shovels in the ground and WE seniors in Muskoka might have had the opportunity for local health care ‘new’ services in a brand new one hospital solution with qualified personnel!