After 10 months of turmoil, Bracebridge Mayor Rick Maloney says it’s time to review Muskoka Algonquin HealthCare (MAHC)’s governance board.
“The process has been nothing but divisive, nothing but strained. It’s positioned our doctors to take sides. It’s polarized our communities,” said Rick Maloney during this week’s Town council meeting. “Quite frankly I don’t think any community should have to endure the discourse we have over the past 10 months.”
On Nov. 13, Bracebridge council formally confirmed their commitment of $10 million as of July 1, 2037, consisting in combined value of funds, land or in-kind goods or services towards the local share cost of developing two new hospitals in Muskoka. However, council also stipulated that if there were any major changes to the plan, the Town reserves the right to re-evaluate its contribution.
During the meeting, Maloney said he would be actively advocating for a review of hospital board governance.
“In my opinion, many of the challenges we experienced over the past year were because we didn’t have that community connection,” he said.
Maloney also thanked local doctors for the active role they’ve taken on throughout the process.
On Monday MAHC announced the submission of its Stage 1.3 Proposal to the Ontario Ministry of Health for the redevelopment of its hospital facilities in Huntsville and Bracebridge.
Don’t miss out on Doppler!Sign up here to receive our email digest with links to our most recent stories.
Local news in your inbox three times per week!
Click here to support local news
Over 10 year process without transparency at any level arriving at a model precdetermined by a board lacking in integrity finally awakens Smith and his prodigy Maloney is an embarrassment at least and dangerous to future Healthcare delivery in the area.
I couldn’t agree more, Bracebridge Council has sat on this far to long. The Major and his buddy Graden (now our provincial rep) had taken absolutely no action until these last 2 months. I can only say they follow and are not fit to lead. Their focus is on their own agenda and they think they know best for all of us. I call for new blood at Council, this group doesn’t have the back bone to advance a public interest agenda.
Maloney basically sat silent the whole time while members of the community rose up to fight the MAHC steamroller. When it got too hot in the kitchen with his pal at the provincial level they decided to speak up. Had a provincial election not be coming who knows if the proposal would have been changed.
We have a right to be cynical about the politics in Muskoka and especially in Bracebridge.
Now Maloney wants to restrict signs in Bracebridge with the new sign bylaw. How convenient.
No doubt about it. If the people sitting on the MAHC board were all year round residents appointed by our elected municipal councils things would run a a lot better. Just do an internet search and you will find that not all the MAHC board members live in Muskoka or Almaguin. A cottager is not a full time resident of MAHC service area.
The board members should be responsible to the public they serve, not to the board itself. Check out the requirement to serve on the board!