Stevenson Memorial Hospital is a step closer to approval of its massive redevelopment plan, after receiving an endorsement from the Central Local Health Integration Network (CLHIN) board of directors this week.
The Stage 1 submission is the second hurdle in a five step process to final approval - and it now needs the go ahead from the Capital Branch of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC).
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Jody Levac, President and CEO, Stevenson Memorial Hospital"It’s with great pleasure that I received the news that Stevenson Memorial has the unanimous endorsement of the CLHIN Board," said Jody Levac, hospital president and CEO.
"This endorsement is a clear recognition not only of our hard work over the past fifteen months, but also the urgent need for revitalized hospital facilities in order to ensure our community has high-quality, sustainable and accessible healthcare now and for future generations."
It's been almost two years since the Stevenson board of directors decided to proceed with the intensive Stage 1 submission, without guaranteed government approval and funding.
This week's LHIN endorsement, however, is a pay-off for that risky decision and paves the way for the hospital to proceed to the next step - a step the board could again choose to take prior to receiving final approval.
According to the Ministry guidelines, the development of a Stage 2 submission requires "extensive planning expertise and the contributions of both internal and external stakeholders."
It builds on planning in Stage 1 to describe in detail the linkage between program/service elements and physical/cost elements.
At the same time, the ministry will conduct a review of Part A from a provincial perspective, with a focus on overall system capacity - beds and service volume projections, future system needs, and existing provincial programs.
There is no timeline for Ministry approval.
In her report to the board on Tuesday, Central LHIN CEO Kim Baker said the hospital's submission "addresses the requirements outlined in the MOHLTC-LHIN Joint Review Framework for Stage 1 of the capital planning process with respect to program and service elements of the proposal."
The expansion, at an estimated cost of $136 million, will more than double the size of the hospital to 161,500 square feet, and is expected to include a much larger, state-of-the-art emergency department, improved diagnostic imaging, laboratory, and surgical facilities.
Along with expected provincial government funding, the hospital is counting on contributions from the County of Simcoe and the Foundation will need to raise $30 million from the community.
"We are fully committed to providing high-quality, safe care and bringing revitalization through a new hospital which will meet our 21st Century needs," Levac said.
"When I look at our 1964 vintage facility, it's clear we've been innovative in maintaining our impressive emergency department wait times, but it also underscores that our time is now."
