Ford assures CEO new hospital will be approved
"It's a matter of when, not if, we get the go ahead."
Premier Doug Ford has met with the head of Campbellford Memorial Hospital and told him we will get a new hospital, but the timing is still unclear.
“It’s a matter of when, not if, we get the go ahead,” Jeff Hohenkerk, CEO of Campbellford Memorial Hospital, said Tuesday, May 14 in an interview following a news conference to announce completion of a $6-million upgrade to the existing hospital’s HVAC system.
“It’s a political decision now,” Hohenkerk said, noting that Whitby, Orillia, and Georgetown, are also seeking planning grants. He said Campbellford is helped by the fact that it already has land donated, health care partners lined up, and a community ready to start fundraising for the new building.
Hohenkerk said he appreciated the opportunity to make his case directly to the Premier and make sure he understood the need for hospital care in this area.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones recently toured the hospital and met staff who discussed how they could provide better patient care in a new, larger facility.
In recent years, hospital projects under construction have gone way over budget due to staff shortages and inflation, so the Premier told Hohenkerk he has been reluctant to approve more new facilities.
“Our goal is to be in the top tier on the list when the province is ready to move ahead with planning grants,” Hohenkerk said.
Hohenkerk said he felt confident that the hospital’s plan for a campus of care that includes a long-term care facility, and other medical facilities will be approved. The project is currently waiting for a $3-million planning grant that would finance about three years of work.
Looking at the current situation, Hohenkerk said the crush of patients that had filled the emergency department over the past couple of weeks seems to have abated. “We were at 140 per cent of capacity,” he added.
There were many people coming to emergency suffering from colds and upper respiratory issues, in part due to a lack of primary care for them, especially in the evening and weekends.
The hospital was forced to cancel some surgeries and use the operating room for extra beds.
The HVAC upgrades will improve the hospital’s sustainability efforts by reducing natural gas consumption and lowering greenhouse gas emissions more than 19 tons annually.
The project that replaced seven air handling units with five new ones was done by Trane. “The upgrades implemented will not only enhance the operational efficiency of the hospital, but also contribute to creating a healthier and more comfortable environment for patients and staff,” said Luis Rodrigues, General Manager, Comprehensive Energy and Infrastructure Solutions at Trane.
To mark the completion, Rodrigues presented Jessica Clarke, Manager of Community Services at the hospital, with a cheque for $2,500 to support a new healing garden that is being constructed in a lot behind the hospital on Front St. Coincidentally, yesterday the municipality gave approval for a water supply tap on that property.
Hohenkerk said the existing hospital soon will need to spend about $5 million on a new generator that will provide back up power and allow the use of the latest equipment. Last year, the province provided more than $9 million that was earmarked for the HVAC and generator upgrades.
Such improvements are necessary to ensure the hospital can provide top quality care until it gets a new facility, he said.
