G&M Hospital plans expansion
Collingwood General and Marine Hospital (CGMH) is out of space.
The CGMH Board of Trustees is fully committed to find a solution to its current situation, with its 2013 – 2017 Strategic Plan identifying “Our Hospital” as one of its five strategic directions.
Next month, the hospital is hosting a fourth community engagement session to update the public on its journey and progress to date. All members of the public are encouraged to attend.
It will be held at the Stayner Community Centre on Thursday, April 16 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
A preliminary proposal submitted in 2010 has received support from the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (NSM LHIN) and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC).
“Recent conversations with both the NSM LHIN and MOHLTC indicate that there is still support for our expansion. We must be cautious however, support does not mean approval!” said Guy Chartrand, CGMH president and CEO. “To move forward, we need to complete the Master Plan and Master Program and submit it to the MOHLTC for approval. There’s still a lot of unknowns and ultimately the Ministry makes the final decision on whether we’re renovating the space we have or if we receive support for a new build.”
The Consulting Firm was recently finalized and the planning work is now just getting underway. The Master Program will focus on how programs and services will change in the future (at 5, 10, 20 years), while the Master Plan identifies the physical space needed in the future (at 25 and 50 years), where and how services will be located, and describes the different stages of development.
The consultants will work with eight different planning teams in the coming months, representing both clinical and support systems, and are comprised of both physicians and hospital staff. A visioning day is also in the works for early April comprised of key stakeholders and community partners.
We continue to explore the opportunity of a Health Campus and building the case for a campus of care for our community, which may take the form of a new hospital and/or a major expansion.
“At the present time all options are on the table when it comes to the future location of the hospital and our focus remains on creating a great process, which ultimately equals great results,” says Chartrand.
Our Hospital Foundation is planning for a redevelopment campaign in the next couple of years, but the magnitude of the campaign has not yet been determined. A lot depends on whether the MOHLTC approves a redevelopment or a new build.
The Stayner Community Centre is located at 269 Regina St.
