Great Canadian Hospital Thread

[J.OT13]

What's the windowless podium?

[cranes]

https://futureofcaretogether.ca/wate...waterloo-site/
Waterloo Region planning for a new hospital to be built on University of Waterloo site
22 July 2024

Waterloo, ON (July 22, 2024) – In a historic milestone for healthcare in Waterloo Region, St. Mary’s General Hospital and Grand River Hospital are excited to announce their new hospital being planned on a future site that is part of the David Johnston Research + Technology Park (R+T Park) at the University of Waterloo.

The Hospitals and the University are partnering to plan development of land located west of Bearinger Road and Hagey Boulevard in Waterloo for the new, joint acute care hospital. The new state-of-the-art hospital, if approved by the Government for implementation, will bring more hospital beds and acute care capacity to the region, introduce new services, and bring more care closer to home for patients.

The future site was identified as the preferred location for the new hospital following a ten-month property review process, led by an independent Site Selection Panel.

Through this new partnership, the Hospitals and the University will continue to build on years of collaboration to bring education, innovation, and healthcare delivery closer together than ever before. Most recently, their work together through the Care Next Coalition brings local innovations, including those developed at the University, directly to patients at the Hospitals.

“We are thrilled that the University of Waterloo will be the future home to Waterloo Region’s new hospital,” says Mark Fam, President of St. Mary’s General Hospital. “Not only does the location make great sense in terms of patient accessibility, it also allows our organizations to deepen our relationship even further for the benefit of the communities we serve.”

“Together with the province, the Hospitals and the University of Waterloo have the opportunity to truly create a better health system for the Region and become an innovation campus of care,” says Ron Gagnon, President and CEO of Grand River Hospital. “This is a major milestone on our journey in planning for a new hospital and we couldn’t have a better partner than the University of Waterloo.”

The Hospitals are now working with the University of Waterloo to determine how the land will be developed to house the future hospital. The planning process for the new hospital will take approximately five years, followed by five years of construction. The new hospital is expected to open by 2035.

“Today’s announcement means more than a new state-of-the-art hospital in our region, it is a deepening of an already strong collaboration between our University and health institutions across the Region,” said Vivek Goel, President of the University of Waterloo.

“It’s yet another example of empowering students, faculty, and the community to contribute to a healthier Region through community-focused, cutting-edge research and experiential learning opportunities.”

“Our government is making record investments in our hospital infrastructure, expanding hospital capacity with shovels in the ground for over 50 new hospital projects across the province,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “The new hospital site in Waterloo will support the region’s fast-growing community, ensure people can access world-class, convenient care for years to come.”

“The new site for the Waterloo Region hospital at the University of Waterloo will foster innovation, enhance research and better connect the growing region to convenient care closer to home,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Right across the province, our government is investing more than $50 billion to support more than 50 major hospital projects. When it comes to your health, we’re building a healthcare system that people across Ontario can count on.”

In April, the Hospitals’ Boards announced their goal of joining together through a voluntary merger, creating a single organization to oversee current Hospital sites, services and ongoing capital redevelopment projects.

Selecting a site for the new acute care hospital is an important milestone for the project and a necessary next step towards the integration of the two Hospital organizations. The new hospital will be one of three campuses operated by the new joint Hospital organization, including the existing Kitchener-Waterloo and Freeport Campuses, currently part of Grand River. Plans call for these two sites to be renewed and repurposed as part of the development proposal.

The future of the St. Mary’s site will be determined by the St. Joseph’s Health System through consultation with patients, community members, municipal planning bodies, and health care partners, including the KW4 Ontario Health Team. The Hospital location will remain operational until the new hospital opens.

For more information and to stay up to date on the Hospitals’ redevelopment projects, visit futureofcaretogether.ca.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitch...ment-1.7271115
New hospital to be located on land owned by University of Waterloo
Waterloo region 'growing at a rapid pace,' Premier Doug Ford says
CBC News · Posted: Jul 22, 2024 11:52 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago


Ron Gagnon, president and CEO of Grand River Hospital, stands at the podium Monday afternoon to announce the site of the new hospital in Waterloo region. With him is Mark Fam, president of St. Mary's General Hospital. The new hospital will go on land owned by the University of Waterloo. (Lauren Kuivenhoven/CBC)


The red pin shows where the new hospital is slated to be built in Waterloo. (Google Maps)


Premier Doug Ford announced funding for skilled trades during a stop in Kitchener on Monday. During the announcement, he said he would also be on hand for the announcement of the location for the new Waterloo region hospital later in the day. (Claude Beaudoin/CBC)

[kwoldtimer]

If Doug were on the ball, he'd have announced plans for a medical faculty at UofW.

[theman23]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

If Doug were on the ball, he'd have announced plans for a medical faculty at UofW.

What would that accomplish at this point in time? The hospital is 10 years away and Waterloo already has a McMaster Medical satellite campus.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by theman23

What would that accomplish at this point in time? The hospital is 10 years away and Waterloo already has a McMaster Medical satellite campus.

That must be SO impactful on the community.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

That must be SO impactful on the community.

To be fair, it does help with the chronic shortage of family doctors, or at least it did in the years after it was established.

[J.OT13]

Ford has really done a number on the Health Care system by putting public money in private health care, but at least he's still building new and expanded hospitals, so the Libs won't have as big a mess to cleanup as when McGuinty had to pick up the pieces from Harris closures.

[theman23]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

That must be SO impactful on the community.

Is this sarcasm? Physicians are more likely to set up practice where they trained, so yes. It does have an impact.

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

To be fair, it does help with the chronic shortage of family doctors, or at least it did in the years after it was established.

IIRC the Waterloo campus trains royal college specialties now as well, so it does more than just that.

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Ford has really done a number on the Health Care system by putting public money in private health care, but at least he's still building new and expanded hospitals, so the Libs won't have as big a mess to cleanup as when McGuinty had to pick up the pieces from Harris closures.

Health care austerity in Ontario began again and was more severe under the Wynne/Hoskins government. Ford has actually reversed course a bit, but aside from pandemic era spending, the increases have been sub-inflation.

[Ozabald]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

That must be SO impactful on the community.

Spoken by someone with no understanding of how university medical schools are established. There are numerous examples of satellite medical schools throughout Canada.

Dalhousie has a medical school at UNBSJ and is opening another one at Cape Breton University.
Memorial is establishing one at UPEI.
U de Moncton has a satellite medical school from U de Sherbrooke.
Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a joint faculty operated by Lakehead and Laurentian universities.
UNBC has a satellite medical school of UBC.

Having satellite or joint medical schools is much more efficient manner to offer medical education vs. an university building one from scratch.

[theman23]

Originally Posted by Ozabald

Spoken by someone with no understanding of how university medical schools are established. There are numerous examples of satellite medical schools throughout Canada.

Dalhousie has a medical school at UNBSJ and is opening another one at Cape Breton University.
Memorial is establishing one at UPEI.
U de Moncton has a satellite medical school from U de Sherbrooke.
Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a joint faculty operated by Lakehead and Laurentian universities.
UNBC has a satellite medical school of UBC.
o sc
Having satellite or joint medical schools is much more efficient manner to offer medical education vs. an university building one from scratch.

Yeah. When the infrastructure and expertise is there, the Waterloo campus may well be spun off into its own medical school. But again, I'm not sure why it has to be done right this moment except to score expensive political points. It's not like Ontario is dripping with would-be faculty and the province is already in the midst of building two new medical schools from scratch in Southern Ontario. KW is also only about a 1 hour drive of three major academic centres (will eventually be five), including the largest in the country. As far as Canadian standards go, that's a very privileged position even without the Waterloo satellite campus. Maybe KWoldtimer is just being a KW homer?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Ozabald

Spoken by someone with no understanding of how university medical schools are established. There are numerous examples of satellite medical schools throughout Canada.

Dalhousie has a medical school at UNBSJ and is opening another one at Cape Breton University.
Memorial is establishing one at UPEI.
U de Moncton has a satellite medical school from U de Sherbrooke.
Northern Ontario School of Medicine is a joint faculty operated by Lakehead and Laurentian universities.
UNBC has a satellite medical school of UBC.

Having satellite or joint medical schools is much more efficient manner to offer medical education vs. an university building one from scratch.

Add the McGill satellite in Gatineau. The idea is to one day have UQO have its own medical school, though not if the CAQ (who were more focused on "dirty anglos bad" over "medical school good") is still on board with that plan.