Kincardine looking at $100-million hospital project

By Liz Dadson

Kincardine council

To Comment on this article Click Here

Patricia Cawley (L), Paul Davies and David Cerny explain the proposed hospital redevelopment  

Kincardine is looking at a $100-million hospital redevelopment project over two phases, with the municipality on the hook for $10 million.

That's the recommendation from David Cerny of Cohos Evamy architects and Patricia Cawley of Agnew-Peckham health care planning consultants, both of Toronto, as they made the presentation to council Wednesday night (Jan. 13). Also on hand was Paul Davies, chief executive officer of the South Bruce Grey Health Centre.

Davies said the redevelopment of the Kincardine site has been ongoing for two decades, beginning with the former Kincardine and District General Hospital board. In June, 2007, the health centre received funding from the province to have a redevelopment of the hospital drawn up, complete with a business case.

Cawley outlined the information used to determine what space is required for the hospital now and in the next five, 10 and 20 years.

As for patient services, she said the ambulatory care area (for outpatients) is too small and in three locations. It should be altogether beside the emergency room. Surgical services are also too small and in the wrong location, as are laboratory and pharmacy. Diagnostic imaging is in two locations, and there are deficiencies with inpatient units and other services.

Cerny explained the various scenarios for phasing in development versus putting up a brand new building.

In the phased approach, a single-storey addition would be built over two phases, followed by demolition of the existing hospital. The first phase, which would cost about $43 million, would have new space for emergency and ambulatory care, laboratory, health records and pharmacy, education and diagnostic imaging, and new mechanical and electrical services. The second phase, which would cost about $56 million, would house surgical services and inpatient units.

The addition would be built to the south and east of the existing hospital, connecting it with the existing Kincardine Community Medical Clinic, said Cerny.

A new facility, which would cost about $84 million, would be built directly south of the medical clinic.

Cerny and Cawley recommended the phased redevelopment , with the first phase at $43,568,000 (December, 2009 dollars). The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care covers 90 per cent of the shareable costs (construction and design), to the tune of $34,427,000, while the community is on the hook for 10 per cent, plus non-shareable costs (parking, equipment and furniture). This means Kincardine must come up with $9,141,000.

The recommendation has been endorsed by the health centre board and has been submitted to the Southwest Local Health Integrated Network (LHIN) for approval before going to the health ministry, said Cerny. If it receives ministry approval by February of this year, and everything goes according to plan, the first phase of the addition could be open by July, 2014.

Deputy mayor Laura Haight asked how long after that would phase two be done.

"Depends on funding and the ministry's plans for service delivery," said Cerny. "It could be 10-20 years down the road."

He said the phased approach is better than a new facility, even though it is more expensive, because it speaks of an urgency to correct deficiencies in the existing hospital, for services that are definitely going to continue at the Kincardine site.

"If we don't upgrade the surgery or inpatient services, and the government decides we can't proceed with phase two, then we have a really nice first-aid station," said councillor Guy Anderson. "That's my concern."

"But you would not have torn down your existing surgical and inpatient areas," said Cawley.

"It's easier to close down an old portion of the hospital if it's not being used," said Anderson.

As for the funding, Davies said the ministry will want a guarantee that the community can raise that much money. However, he does not believe in Cerny's timeline that the first phase will be done by 2014. "The wheels of government grind slowly and finely," he said. "Once we have ministry approval for this project, then we will start fund-raising."

Kincardine's hospital has 36 beds and there is no plan to increase that number. Davies said that at the four centres, there were 65 patients in hospital, 21 of those were acute care, waiting for long-term-care facilities.

"So, what can we do?" asked Haight.

Davies suggested council encourage the community to get behind this proposal and promote it as a municipal and provincial asset.

"We have a provincial election coming up next year," he said, "and projects like this always move faster prior to an election. We have a sitting member in the Legislature on the right side of the floor and who is involved in health care. We need support from the community. It's like getting behind the Olympics, it catches on." 

"Thank you for your presentation," said mayor Larry Kraemer. "I'm very supportive of this plan and I believe council will support it as well."

For full details of the presentation click here

^{for world news, books, sports, movies ...}

Friday, January 15, 2010