South Bruce Grey Health Centre has received funding and Ministry approval to move onto the next stage of the Kincardine hospital redevelopment planning process.
Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson made the announcement at the hospital on Friday.
South Bruce Grey Health Centre can now proceed to Stage 2 of the Ministry of Health’s five-stage capital planning process for the hospital.
The redevelopment itself is composed of two phases, according to SBGHC. The first focuses on outpatient areas of the hospital, an expansion of the emergency department, diagnostic imaging, laboratory and lobby services. The second phase will primarily include the impatient unit, but won’t occur for “several years”.
To support the development of the hospital organization’s Stage 2 Functional Program Submission, the Ministry of Health has approved a capital-planning grant of up to $1.52-million. This brings the total one-time funding SBGHC is receiving for this project to $2.02-million.
“The physical infrastructure of the Kincardine site is aging and requires replacement, and these announcements today will bring us one step closer to seeing new infrastructure to meet the needs of the growing community of Kincardine and surrounding area. This is excellent news for the Kincardine community, our hospital staff, and physicians,” says SBGHC President and CEO Michael Barrett in a statement.
The municipalities of Kincardine and Huron-Kinloss also contributed $300,000 and $50,000 respectively in 2016, towards planning costs of the hospital redevelopment project.
With the upcoming Major Component Replacement Project at the Bruce Power Nuclear Facility, the population of the Kincardine area will increase significantly in the coming years, with a corresponding increase in demand on the Kincardine hospital’s Emergency Department, Diagnostic Imaging, and Laboratory Services.
In addition, the Ministry of Health granted approval to proceed to the next stage of the process to add a CT Scanner at the Kincardine Hospital.
The Ministry approved a one-time capital grant of up to $1.4-million for related construction. The Kincardine and Community Health Care Foundation will fund the entire cost of the CT Scanner equipment and additional building development, estimated around $2.4-million.
South Bruce Grey Health Centre advises it is proposed the CT Scanner will be constructed as a small addition on the east side of the existing hospital adjacent to the front entrance.
The aim is to have this addition constructed early next year.
“The introduction of a CT scanner in Kincardine will mean that patients can receive this important service close to home, eliminating the need to travel to another centre,” Barrett explains. “We thank the Government of Ontario for this important capital investment in the Kincardine hospital.”
According to South Bruce Grey Health Centre, it’s Kincardine site has the highest demand for CT scans from emergency department visits and inpatients across its four hospitals.
The CT Scanner fundraising campaign was kick-started by a $1-million donation from Bruce Power in 2014 to support improvement to the Kincardine Hospital emergency department.
In a statement, Kincardine and Community Health Care Foundation Chair Becky Fair says: “We have been fortunate in the past to have strong support from the residents of our communities, local businesses, major stakeholders and community organizations, and we are confident that the community will continue to support fundraising efforts for the CT scanner and the Hospital Redevelopment over the next few years.”