Hospital leaders warn of work ahead

Update councillors on current status of new facility and outline need for money

One of the last crops is growing on Jim Curle’s field where the Campus of Care will sprout in coming years.

The CEO and the chair of Campbellford Memorial Hospital made a presentation to Trent Hills council on Tuesday about the planned Campus of Care development that was equal parts update and warning.

In their update, CEO Jeff Hohenkerk and Chair Carrie Hayward said things are starting to move ahead quickly now that the province has finally decided to build a new facility.

But the pair also warned that they will need quick action from the municipality to approve and build new sewer and water lines to the location and to approve land severance, rezoning, and detailed site plans.

Hayward set out the financial cost of the new facility and told council she wasn’t asking for money today, but it was clear she will be back with big demands.

Jim Curle, the farmer who is donating 48 acres for the new facility, was also on hand to support the hospital’s plan.

In addition to a 60 plus bed hospital, the site will have a long-term care facility with 128 to 256 beds. In fact, the facility owned by Omni Quality Living, which will replace Burnbrae Gardens, will probably be the first building on the new site.

“The long-term care centre should have opened this year,” Hayward said. "They’re ready to go.”

Hohenkerk said the hospital is working on an operating agreement with Omni for the site and looking at ways they can share services. He noted that one challenge is that the hospital and the long-term care facility are overseen by different provincial ministries.

“For example, we may be able to share parking space,” Hayward said.

Hohenkerk said the hospital could be built in six to eight years.

Trent Hills represents 50 per cent of the hospital’s catchment area and our residents make 35 per cent of the emergency room visits and 42 per cent of the inpatient stays. Havelock-Belmont places second with 11 per cent of the emergency room visits and 12 per cent of the inpatient stays.

Hohenkerk said a growing number of patients are coming from Stirling and Centre Hastings.

The Campus of Care will employ about 500, a 40 per cent increase over current medical facilities, in addition to the construction jobs over the next decade.

The current estimate is that the hospital will cost $450 million, but Hayward noted that a better estimate will be possible in a couple of years when the detailed planning is done and approved.

Most people don’t realize that the government doesn’t pay for equipment or furnishings and only pays 90 per cent of the construction cost, Hayward said. The local community must raise the rest, currently estimated at $80 million to $90 million.

She said that the province will insist that the community meets fundraising targets along the way or it will delay the project.

The hospital will be looking to the municipality to fund the cost of extending sewer, water, natural gas, fibre-optics and hydro services to the site, which are not paid for by the province, and to make a capital contribution, perhaps through a dedicated tax levy.

In addition to Trent Hills the hospital will have to negotiate with Northumberland County on redevelopment of County Road 30 to allow new entrances, intersections, or roundabouts.

The presentation also calls for sidewalks and pedestrian routes to the location which will require changes closer into town.

Hospital President and CEO Jeff Hohenkerk addresses council.

Board Chair Carrie Hayward explains the financial challenges ahead.

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Hospitals face cash crunch

I’ve written a couple of stories this past week about the hospital’s financial situation and its $3.4 million deficit in the latest year.

The Ontario Hospital Association has responded to my queries and confirmed my belief that there is a systemic problem, especially for smaller hospitals.

“While the Government of Ontario made significant investments in hospitals in the 2024/25 budget and provided in-year pressure funding, many hospitals finished the 2024/25 fiscal year with a deficit rather than a surplus—meaning their revenues fell short of expenses,” said Anthony Dale, President and CEO, of the association. “The hospital sector overall finished in a net deficit position. Unfortunately, in recent years, more and more hospitals are finishing their fiscal year in these circumstances.

“Ontario hospitals are managing a multitude of complex financial and operational pressures, including inflation, rapid population growth, an aging population, as well as increased compensation costs. These challenges are structural, years in the making, and will unfortunately continue into the fiscal year ahead.

“For years, small hospitals have been demonstrating extraordinary creativity, resilience and commitment to improving care for their communities, such as through innovative models of care like rural health hubs. As Ontario’s population continues to grow and age, the OHA believes that it is essential to move beyond a focus on traditional models of acute care in communities served by small hospitals.

“Health care everywhere in Ontario must adapt, especially in rural and remote parts of the province, in the face of the very significant challenges that lie ahead.”

In case you are wondering, the health ministry has not responded to my questions about how many hospitals ran deficits last year and what it plans to do to help them in the future.

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