Bracebridge general committee has agreed to follow through on a promise of $10 million for two new hospitals, but only with fail-safes in place.
Earlier today, the Bracebridge General Committee 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, Mayor Rick Maloney also put forward an amendment, which was unanimously supported, stipulating that if there were any major changes to the plan, the Town reserves the right to re-evaluate its contribution.
“We can follow through with the model as presented, given an endorsement from our doctors…but I think the concern is there’s no real backstop, should the model change substantially over time,” said Maloney in putting forward the motion.
Coun. Archie Buie and Barb McMurray both said they were prepared to vote against the $10 M allocation. However, with the amendment in place, they believed there was enough security to proceed.
The meeting began with a presentation from Dave Uffelmann, board chair of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) and Cheryl Harrison, MAHC president and CEO.
The presentation detailed the proposal for the new hospital build and how they arrived there.
The committee also received a report from Dave Murray of Medcura, a consultant hired to review MAHC’s redevelopment proposal.
In their report, Medcura finds that although the 36-bed model may have been adequate under normal operating conditions, it would have been stressed during surge events and provided limited opportunities for flexibility and growth. The final proposed model, which includes 10 additional beds in Bracebridge, provides a sufficiently robust local solution, according to the consultant.
The review was based on MAHC’s current capital redevelopment proposal, including for both sites: expanded emergency departments; labour and delivery services; ICU capacity; and general surgery, as well as non-duplicated services separated between the sites.
Medcura also highlights the value of the provincial government’s support and the importance of capitalizing on the opportunity for significant healthcare investment in the area.
Not all hospital beds are created equal, the report indicates, and the types of services to be delivered in Huntsville require more beds and more physical footprint due to the long stays those patients will experience.
Medcura believes that, although recruitment and retention is a challenge throughout Ontario, healthcare workers will be attracted to the Bracebridge site as it will provide more predictability given the scheduled nature of many of the services to be delivered.
The committee’s decision must still be ratified by council next Wednesday.
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