Muskoka Algonquin Health Care CEO Cheryl Harrison and new Board Chair Dave Uffelmann appeared before Huntsville’s General Committee on June 26 to provide an update on the status of a new hospital model.
Uffelmann thanked councillors for letting the conversation with stakeholders in South Muskoka take place.
“I know that many in this room and beyond have been very supportive of the proposed model, and you’ve been willing to speak out but have held back out of respect for your fellow citizens in the South. Many have watched closely as community discussions have advanced. Fuelling a North versus South debate would’ve added no value; thank you for letting those conversations unfold,” he told councillors. “It is now time to move forward. We will continue to listen and work with others to build the supports necessary to make the model work well for as many as we possibly can. It is time now for those who have quietly supported the model to let your voices be heard,” he added.
Harrison told councillors that the new regional health care model would provide access to high-quality patient care inside and outside hospital walls.
“We value the input and feedback that we receive from our stakeholders, and we want to continue to fine-tune the model with adjustments based on our continued consultation with our staff physicians, healthcare partners, and community, and this so far has included adjusting the distribution of beds across the sites including adding ICU beds at the Bracebridge site, and preserving labour and delivery service at both sites.”
Harrison said the new plan for Muskoka’s multi-site regional hospital “is set to revolutionize healthcare locally, with a one billion dollar provincial and local share investment. We’ll be seeing the doubling of our emergency departments capacities and expanding square footage by 80 per cent. This regional approach will also allow us to expand services across our communities,” she said.
“With an expanded emergency department and a surgical centre of excellence and advanced diagnostic imaging, the Bracebridge hub will be a busy hub for outpatient services. Bracebridge will also serve as the region’s home for cancer care, specialty clinics, and much more.” Harrison said the Huntsville and Bracebridge sites see approximately 60,000 visits annually and in the future, “Bracebridge will more than double to 140,000,” she added.
“The Huntsville site will serve patients with longer-term and more complex needs. It will be equipped with a level three Intensive Care Unit, which is new to what we have today, a designated stroke unit, and specialized units for reactivation and rehabilitation. Huntsville will have more beds because patients will require longer stays, greater than six days, and will require specialized services like Acute Rehab, Reactivation, and acute care for the elderly,” said Harrison.
MAHC serves over 40,000 square miles and more than 60,000 people who double in the summer. Harrison noted that MAHC’s catchment area goes as far south as Severn Bridge, beyond Gravenhurst, and as far North as Sundridge, West to West Parry Sound, and all the way East to Haliburton.
“Dividing our catchment area in the centre, 51 per cent of the population served is in the South and 49 per cent in the North, making both hospitals essential [and] designed to fit together… like two sides of a heart. The Bracebridge and Huntsville site, although one is smaller than the other, they are so dependent on each other in order continue to provide the services across our region and… really important in terms of the longevity of care in our community,” said Harrison.
She said the way healthcare is delivered needs to be considered differently. “Care is not defined by beds but by services and programs available to support the unique needs of each patient. Beds don’t heal people; services do,” Harrison told those present.
“We’ve heard concerns about the number of beds allocated to the Bracebridge site. Yes, if we continue to deliver healthcare the way we’re delivering it today, and with our increased population of 65 and older, we will never have enough beds. Our projected bed numbers will not be sufficient, and that is why we are planning for a future of new care, to get patients healthier and home quicker.” Harrison said a rigorous Reactivation program is one way to do that, reducing the number of patients who need to be transferred to alternate levels of care.
“Most importantly, in partnership with MAHC, community and home programs will deliver vital care outside the walls of our hospital, providing much-needed support to our outlying communities,” she added.
“With our new approach to regional healthcare, we will preserve all existing services in our region and expand the services we offer across the communities,” she said. “Guided by our consultant resource planning group, who are experts in hospital planning and Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare leadership and informed by extensive stakeholder engagement, including more than four thousand engagement touch points to date, the plan for the new multi-site regional hospital is guided by comprehensive data and decades of healthcare planning expertise. This dedication and meticulous planning promises that patients will get the right care in the right place and at the right time.”
Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock said ongoing consultation is essential “so that we get it right. We are also very keen on seeing: let’s make this opportunity happen…,” she told those present, adding that it is, in her opinion, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Councillors heard that MAHC and 40 other hospitals are on the Province’s redevelopment radar. Harrison said MAHC hopes to submit a plan to the Ontario Ministry of Health in November.
Uffelmann said community discussions over the past six months have produced a lot of good. “Everybody on the street now knows what an alternate level of care is.” He said stakeholders are discussing how they can help with long-term care and programs to get people out of hospital.
“What we hope is going to happen in the near future is the rhetoric is going to shift more to how we solve these problems,” he said, citing as examples the shortage of primary care providers as well as housing. “A lot of the issues which we all have to address are now out there, and we’re all talking about them, and, hopefully, more of the energy can shift to how do we solve some of these massive problems.”
The Town of Huntsville issued a media release following the meeting, noting its support for the model. You can find it Here.
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I agree with everything you stated.
I am one of your ‘cidiots’ that many around so kindly refer to us as. So, my comment may not mean anything to some. But I am also, a new neighbour, who loves this town and has felt welcomed by many.
I have very recently moved her from the GTA. I have listened, watched, read and participated in, the many discussions, decisions and revisions of what one would have assumed should have been a very welcoming opportunity for Muskoka and surrounding areas. It is surprising to me it is not.
I am not an expert in health care, but I am not ignorant to our health care challenges and gaps here and everywhere else.
I lived in the GTA that had one hospital, about 20 minutes one way and another about 20 minutes the other way. Both hospitals had similiar services, but not equal services. And neither had all the services. Neither were equal in bed size, ICU beds, emergency beds, etc And many days, neither could handle effectively, the emergency care provided. And quite often, heart attack patients were not even sent via ambulance to a local hospital, they were sent to Scarborough or Markham. Also, even though both hospitals have the ability to deliver babies, many mothers opted to travel to elsewhere. These are also familiar scenarios in Southern Ontario, etc. Northern Ontario is much worse. Availability may be hundreds of miles away. My brother had major heart surgery in Hamilton where he lived. Many patients were brought weekly for heart surgeries, from Northern Ontario. Once they were ready to go home, they had to figure it out. Some ended up taking a bus or a train. However, I never heard anyone complain. Not one. Even simple visits to specialists, a trip out of town with over an hour’s drive, was the norm, in the GTA. And the two local hospitals where I lived are both considerably larger than what is being proposed here. And we still didn’t have everything.
As for transportation, you figured it out on your own, if you did not have your own vehicle, you used public transport and that wasn’t easy.
My point is, it is not going to be what we think we are owed or should have. There will be two hospitals, newly equipped with better, coordinating services, to help and care for more people than what it currently does, for many communities.
Is there additional planning to be done now, absolutely. Doctor, nurses, PSW, technicians, home care recruitment and retention needs to start. Plus other stuff. However, the shovels in the ground are the first priority.
However, nothing gets started unless the two towns can unite and agree that we are building together, not separately. I am most concerned that Mr Graydon is choosing a side and not leading the way to a unified understanding of providing the best for an entire people, not just one town or two towns.
I am also concerned, that one town would deny everyone else, new healthcare with more services, by withholding their contribution of funds.
It would seem, that nothing will be built, because the province will move on to the communities that are begging to get their shovels in the ground. And we should place ourselves at the back of the que, until everyone is willing to see the big picture, instead of their own selfie.
Wait while the models swap locations and Bracebridge gets the 139 bed regional centre. No problem for Huntsville since they say they are in favour.
So the Bracebridge site is going to be the place for advanced diagnostic imaging but the MRI will be in Huntsville. Would it not make sense to reverse the model and have Huntsville as the site for advanced imaging?
Dave Uffelman to the rescue and I suppose I am to stand corrected. Our mayor and council with-held comment on the hospital debate in order to subdue a North/South debate! That’s as may be and maybe that’s a good thing. But would having released some sort of comment to that fact have made us seem haughty? Given the plan away. C’mon! It would have been nice to have some sort of assurance that there was reason for the deafening silence from Huntsville Town Hall. So I still wonder.
And to Dan Waters with his “Huntsville can’t suck and blow” comment of June 24. Maybe we could have. Apparently we just refrained. Hoping to remain aloof and above such dalliance. Ya think?
Are there blueprints of these facilities yet? Contractors hired? Just kidding. Because there’s not a tree injured yet nor any bedrock disturbed. This could be good for a few more election.
Enough talk ! Get the shovels in the ground !
” You can please some of the people some of the time etc. and Some People Never “…..DIG PLEASE.
General words of support from Huntsville Council may or may not help the Muskoka community engagement move ahead to reach some sort of consensus of support. It’s about our quality of life in Huntsville and Muskoka. Real work could happen now to clearly identify needs and to increase the community based access to services like home care, appropriate and supportive housing for all, and addressing the transportation needs, and assist families struggling to support identified patients, and other many many services that keep us out of the hospital and preventing long term care placement as long as possible. The District may have lead responsibility but as the Town’s primary care recruitment efforts show, there are actions that the Town can take. It starts with our local decision makers, councillors and others, becoming knowledgable about and meaningfully engaged with agencies working in this area. And of course inviting engagement with Huntsville residents to identify service gaps and needs. Not just the elders but families too.