2016 Highlights
Dec 31, 2016 | Design & Innovation
Setting the Stage for a Fruitful New Year
In 2016, the team working on the Windsor-Essex Hospitals System – which is much more than just a new state-of-the-art acute care hospital – completed stage 1 of a 5-stage planning process. The Co-chairs overseeing the project are eager to move forward with the planning in 2017 and the region is well positioned to hit the ground running as soon as the province commits to funding the next stages of planning, thanks to a productive and united 2016.
HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS:
1) Region unites to tell province #WEareready for a new system of hospital care.
This year, recognizing the importance of a new system that includes a new state-of-the-art acute care hospital, integrated and seamless mental health care with a Centre of Excellence at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare’s Prince Road Campus and outpatient mental health services in the city’s core, and an Urgent Care Centre in at the former Grace Hospital site, elected leaders in Windsor-Essex put politics aside and declared in a united voice:
#WEareready.
In January, area MPPs, along with the Warden of Essex County and Mayor of Windsor, issued a letter to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care outlining a regional commitment to seeing this much-needed capital investment approved for the nearly 400,000 residents of the City and County.
“I was born and raised in this region and have never seen people of all backgrounds and political stripes come together to support an initiative like they have for the new Windsor-Essex Hospitals System,” said David Musyj, Co-Chair of the Program and Services Steering Committee.
It’s not only elected officials that have endorsed the project. There is also a
growing list of community groups calling for the province to move the project forward.
2) Region commits to a $200 million local share.
There are several other communities in Ontario working on similar-sized new hospital system projects. Windsor-Essex is the only one that has already committed to paying its share. In April, Essex County Council and Windsor City Council each committed to covering a portion of the $200 million local share. This generous contribution from residents in Windsor-Essex demonstrates to the province a strong desire to make the Windsor-Essex Hospitals System a reality.
3) Many more voices were added to the discussion.
Community engagement is an essential part of this planning process. This year alone, project leaders have attended 20+ information session/town hall events and participated in several radio phone-in programs. At a town hall event in January, Lucy Brun, a healthcare and facility planner who has worked on hundreds of hospitals worldwide stated the community engagement process in Windsor-Essex is unprecedented and far exceeds anything she has ever seen before.
WATCH: Community engagement in Windsor-Essex. Lucy Brun, Agnew Peckham
View the
complete list here of community events or
inquire about hosting a discussion here with your group/agency/workplace or club.
4) Start of the rezoning process
In order to continue with the planning for a new state-of-the-art, acute care hospital at County Rd. 42 and the 9th Concession, Windsor Regional Hospital has submitted an application to the City of Windsor, requesting an amendment to the city’s Official Plan and Zoning By-laws.
This is the natural next step to ensure we can proceed with the planning process when the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care gives the approval to move to the next stage.
Learn more here.
5) Creating a vision for education and research
December 2016
From the beginning of this project, education, and research have been among the main drivers. An expanded focus on clinical research strengthens the research and scholarship culture and puts Windsor-Essex in a better position to recruit and retain top physicians, professional healthcare staff, and medical leaders.
The current hospital infrastructure has limited space for clinical research and education. The opportunity to redesign the way hospital care is delivered opens the door for us to tap into the pockets of research we have and build collaboration right into the system.
At a visioning session in early December, leaders in the field started work on a shared vision for the future in this area.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The project requires approval from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in order to move forward to the next planning stage.
Stage 2 is where the rubber hits the road for a project of this size. It includes detailed planning of how programs and services will function. It also looks at what staffing, space and equipment will be required and will require considerable input from users.
Approval to move to stage 2 means additional funding for planning and signals a commitment from the province to move the project forward.
While the Co-chairs overseeing planning for the new hospital are hopeful that the province will approve the hospital in the new year, they warn it is not a given.
“In 2016 Windsor-Essex demonstrated a true commitment to this project,” said David Musyj. “Everything we are hearing from the Ministry is positive, but we cannot become apathetic. We must continue to press it and make it become a reality.”
For more information about the project, please
view the Fact Sheet here.