Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) president and CEO Janice Skot shared long-term plans for the new south campus at Yonge Street and Innisfil Beach Road with Innisfil town councillors at Wednesday night's meeting.
The south campus, located at the southwest corner, is to be built on an 83-acre site acquired from the Eisses family, directly across the town's civic campus and Rizzardo Health Care Centre.
In her presentation, Skot presented the plan for a graduated one-site, two-campus hospital.
Currently, RVH has 390 beds at its Georgian Drive location in north-end Barrie. As part of its $3-billion expansion plans, that will grow to 478 beds in five years and 611 beds in a decade. There are to be 915 beds between both campuses in 20 years and see more than one million patient visits each year.
Last month, Premier Doug Ford announced a $2.5-million planning grant for the campus, which will allow for detailed site planning.
The south campus in Innisfil is expected to be built using a phased approach.
The first phase, which is to be completed within the next 10 years, will include ambulatory and urgent-care services. Patients are envisioned to have access to outpatient services closer to home, including day surgeries, minor medical procedures, treatments, and diagnostic tests.
The second phase will include post-acute care, adding in-patient beds that are not dependent on the emergency department.
The third phase will occur within 20 years for the site to become a full-service hospital with inpatient units, surgical suites and a 24/7 emergency department.
"It's very important to note the north and south campuses are completely inter-dependent. One cannot proceed without the other," Skot said. "For example, while Innisfil residents will continue to receive advanced cardiac care at the north campus, their diagnostics and follow-up care could occur at the south campus. Integrated, not duplicated."
Skot explained the five site principles being used to develop the campus, including community connection, health and wellness, financial stability, environment integration and strategic growth.
"Our principles are aligned with the Town of Innisfil's planning goals to create an integrated civic hub on both sides of Yonge Street," she said.
She noted the hospital is working closely with the County of Simcoe on road planning to ensure visible, easy access to the campus, especially in emergency situations.
There is a 36-foot difference in elevation between Yonge Street and Innisfil Beach Road, and the hospital plans to use the natural grading of the site when developing the new campus.
"We are not going to work against it," said Skot. "This could mean you might enter at a ground-level main entrance from the front at Yonge Street, but it would actually be Level 2 of the building."
She noted this is similar to the design of the current north campus in Barrie.
The back of the campus will face west, backing onto a wooded lot, the "jewel in the crown of the property."
Skot noted the natural environment will tie into the key design principles of healing and wellness. The woodlot will also have a 30-metre buffer around it that will be designated as environmentally protected.
Environmental enhancements for the plan include stormwater management ponds, natural plantings and walking paths, as well as a 'wellness loop'. The loop will line the woodlot and lead to the campus. Lover's Creek, a natural underground spring, can be elevated and enhanced with a pedestrian walkway and walking trails. Other features of the property will include an Indigenous healing garden to plant sacred herbs, as well as pollinator and community gardens and a playground.
Skot said the goal of the plan is to create a landscape that will connect patients, families and caregivers to the natural environment and also to the community.
One of the main priorities that came out of community consultations was proximity to the campus. There are also considerations being made for a pedestrian underpass which will travel below Yonge Street and connect residents to the wellness loop.
Skot also noted driveways will be aligned to ensure direct access from the civic campus to the south campus to minimize traffic congestion and maximize safety.
A large public plaza at the main entrance of the south campus would serve as a visible landmark for the hospital. The area will become an area for patients to congregate and wait for appointments and can be used as a community gathering spot for events and musical performances.
In terms of accessibility, there will be the main driveway into the campus accessible via Yonge Street, a natural continuation of the civic campus. Ambulance and emergency drop-off will be accessible via Innisfil Beach Road, providing quick access from Highway 400.
As for parking, there will be ample spaces close to the building and entrances, as well as two levels of underground and protected lots. Trees will be plated around the above-ground parking to provide shade and add to the healing environment.
On the south side of the property, Skot noted there is room for flexibility to add partner buildings, such as clinics, physician offices and a future university campus.
"There will be so many opportunities to make this a health, education, and an innovation hub," said Skot. "Are you excited yet? Because I sure am."
The new south campus health hub will also free up capacity and reduce wait times at the north campus emergency department in Barrie and will allow for expanded services and infrastructure. Barrie’s expanded RVH will feature a new, nine-storey tower, in-patient beds, operating rooms and an expanded emergency department.
Skot called the project a "huge economic driver for the region," which will add 5,000 employees to RVH.
While the hospital works with the government on its expansion plan, they continue to work with the community in consultation processes through presentations, newsletters and surveys, and over the past six months have recorded 83,700 engagement interactions. An archaeological assessment of the site will be conducted this fall with the hospital's Indigenous partners.
The Town of Innisfil plays a vital element in RVH's expansion plan, said Skot, who promised to work closely with the town's planning team to ensure their goals for the hospital campus are aligned.
"Together, we'll build an integrated civic hub on both sides of Yonge Street," she said.
Coun. Donna Orsatti thanked Skot for the presentation.
"It's exciting and really gives all residents of Innisfil to be excited for and hope for health care closer to home," she said.
To view the RVH expansion plan presentation, click here.
