{"id":149655,"date":"2024-02-02T18:05:10","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T23:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/rwddev\/?p=149655"},"modified":"2024-02-07T09:17:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-07T14:17:36","slug":"new-model-of-healthcare-for-the-future-talks-draw-a-large-crowd-in-huntsville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/doppleronline.ca\/huntsville\/new-model-of-healthcare-for-the-future-talks-draw-a-large-crowd-in-huntsville\/","title":{"rendered":"Talks about a future model of healthcare draw a large crowd in Huntsville"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) representatives spoke about their made-in-Muskoka healthcare plan for the future to a packed Active Living Centre in Huntsville on Thursday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those in attendance heard that ideally, there would be fully equipped, full-service hospitals providing all services at not only two but three or four communities in Muskoka, but that is beyond the possible, said Chief of Staff Dr. Khaled Abdel-Razek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“With the amount of funding that we have, and with each of the challenges that we will be facing, keeping all services, adding beds, adding services in an integrated model, as described, will be the best way forward,” he assured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAHC CEO Cheryl Harrison said the model will not require an increase in the community share of $225 million and is realistic compared to building two full-service hospitals about 30 minutes apart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAHC, which manages both the Bracebridge and Huntsville hospitals, has been making the rounds explaining the proposed healthcare model for the future, which involves building two new hospitals and distributing services between the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building the two new hospitals will cost just under a billion dollars. One will be built in Bracebridge and one in Huntsville. Both will have emergency rooms and acute care beds. The Bracebridge site will focus on ambulatory, short-term care services while Huntsville will focus on inpatient complex care services. The interdependency of both of the sites and the ability to concentrate patient volumes for certain services in one rather than two locations, will concentrate volumes and help bring more medical staff and services to the community, noted MAHC representatives. Services like, for example, orthopedic joint replacement, expanded orthopedic trauma care, and gynecology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“As I said, we’re not losing anything, and the status quo I think is more a risk for us in terms of losing things because if you’re doing exactly the same at both sites, and it’s watered down, there is more of a risk that we start losing those services because you can’t find staff, you can’t be efficient…,” said Harrison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Change is hard and change management will be key, she added. “Designing a new model like this that’s focused on centres of excellence around clinical services, plus being system-based (hospice, nursing homes, and other care providers outside of hospital) even more than what we are, really does mean that we’re going to have to do things differently and change management is going to be dramatic. Change is hard,” she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both hospitals will have a fully-equipped, 27-bed Emergency Department with diagnostic equipment and staff. The Bracebridge ER currently has 11 beds and Huntsville currently has 17 ER beds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Huntsville<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n