Great news came from Muskoka Algonquin Health Care (MAHC) this past week when they announced a revised plan for the two hospital sites in Muskoka. The plan added ten beds to the Bracebridge site, for a total of 46 beds. It has received approval from most stakeholders in Muskoka and East Parry Sound, including the mayors of the three towns in Muskoka.
In her statement, Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock said, “It is important to note that there will be no change to the model for the Huntsville site with this proposed submission.” That, of course, is good news.
Mayor Alcock is correct that the ten beds that were most recently added to the Bracebridge site did not affect Huntsville’s current model. However, one should not infer from this that Huntsville failed to contribute to finding a solution for hospital care in Muskoka that enabled consensus among stakeholders.
Originally, the MAHC proposal allocated 139 beds to the Huntsville site for the services it was being asked to provide. As more beds were allocated to the Bracebridge site, initially from 14 to 36, the number of beds allocated to Huntsville was reduced to 121.
The one question that remains unanswered, at least to me, is whether, when these 18 beds were moved from Huntsville to the Bracebridge site, any hospital services that supported them moved with them. If so, what were they?
While I believe people are entitled to clarity on that question, it is encouraging that we have reached a general consensus on a unique future-looking plan for superior hospital care in Muskoka. Of course, there is a long way to go and a number of risks along that path, but general agreement among the stakeholders in Muskoka and East Parry Sound is a huge step forward.
Of course, this did not happen overnight, and a number of people, including the three Towns and MAHC, deserve credit for finally reaching a made-in-Muskoka consensus. But the glue that held all of this together, the one person who worked behind the scenes, who proposed solutions, kept animosity to a minimum, and brought stakeholders together for an agreement that was acceptable to all parties, was our MPP Graydon Smith. There can be no question about that.
It is not surprising that Matt Richter, who will be the Green Party candidate in this riding when the provincial election is called, did not recognize Graydon Smith for his monumental efforts to find a viable solution for hospital care in Muskoka and East Parry Sound. That, I suppose, is politics.
But what Mr. Richter does say in his statement about the delivery of hospital care in Muskoka and East Parry Sound is nothing short of gross disinformation on a level that Donald Trump would be proud of.
Matt Richter said, “For too long our communities have been pitted against each other as they try to secure health care resources from a government that doesn’t care about them.” Complete nonsense.
For one thing, Premier Ford and Graydon Smith had absolutely nothing to do with pitting communities in Muskoka against each other. Huntsville and Bracebridge have been able to do that all by themselves for decades, without any outside help. A competitive spirit between neighbouring municipalities is quite natural. One Muskoka old-timer told me that it all probably started years ago, over hockey, and he is probably right.
Also, like Doug Ford or hate him (and I know I will hear from those in the latter category), when it comes to hospital care in Muskoka, he cannot be accused of not caring. His government has committed to over a billion dollars for a two-site hospital here. In spite of disagreement inside Muskoka and East Parry Sound up until now about what this should actually look like, he continues to keep this commitment and stand by Parry Sound-Muskoka.
There is nothing to be gained by placing blame, especially for political reasons, on individuals or organizations, including MAHC, for all of the deliberations, opposition, opinions, and compromises that crop up during an exercise like the one that was required to determine the best level of hospital care in Muskoka and East Parry Sound. It is important to remember that while MAHC has had to work within provincial guidelines, they are local volunteers who developed and consulted on these plans and not bureaucrats from Toronto. We owe them our thanks.
The bottom line is that we can now move forward with the next steps to make these new hospital sites in Muskoka a reality. There is still much to do. For one thing, it is important that construction on the two sites, when it finally begins, does not mean building these structures one at a time, leaving the distinct possibility, especially if there is a change in government, that the other one never gets built.
That is why it is important for Graydon Smith to stick around to make sure the job actually gets done. Someone sitting in the Opposition cannot do that.
It is just the reality of politics.
Hugh Mackenzie.
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler and South Muskoka Doppler.
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Good points! Muskoka is gaining because of our present representatives, and like it or not, a change in government definitely could delay or cancel any future hope for this build and further draw our health system down. Sure, the next government can promise us better, they always do, but either/or it will definitely delay the opening of any possible future hospital! My concern is the openness and honesty of MAHC up to this point. The trust of their words leave many questions on this huge $ expense we tax payers are expected to pay for when we don’t trust the true outcome Is for our benefit!
Enough talk already! Let’s get some thing done based on equal representation. J. Whittington Jolly.
So the MAHC with their platitudes and diatribe of sharing comes down to Huntsville winning the lottery and Bracebridge gets a smaller hospital than we currently have. I am disgusted with the mayors of Bracebridge and Gravenhurst and am I also disgusted that Graydon Smith went along with the Goebbells worthy propaganda about two locations for one hospital. The Huntsville hospital website already refers to itself as “the district hospital”. Cheryl Harrison should go for a walk in the snow. She is not elected so we cannot vote her out. Who does she report to; can she be fired?
I vacillate between agreeing with your opinion posts and finding them blatantly self-serving.
Once again you are wearing your big C sweater and putting down anyone with an opposing point of view.
Mine is that our MPP did very little to support South Muskoka until it became obvious he might not be re-elected.
I have a few of concerns. If we are having less beds why do we need a new hospital? Why not renovate? There are several hospitals in Toronto that still stand after decades of use. Why go into debt for hundreds of millions of dollars for a hospital with less beds?
I understand patients staying in hospital for longer than 6 days will be transported to Huntsville. How are hospitalized seniors with spouses suppose to make the treacherous trip to Huntsville in the Winter? For families without vehicles what are the public transportation proposals? Studies presented by the physicians indicate the importance of family visitation on a patients recovery. The physicians also tendered a study on the negative affect on a patient’s recovery when transported to another facility.
I have read if we move the seniors out of the hospital into long term care we will be fine; however, I haven’t heard of any plans in our community to build or provide more long term facilities in OUR communities for these seniors. After all, we lack facilities that is why they are still in the hospital, right? The old Bracebridge arena is currently being torn down and the town council is asking for proposals on the property. Town and District Councils show us some leadership and implement a proposal for a senior’s complex with long term care. We need this facility in our community NOW. For families who have struggle to get their aging parents in senior accommodation in Bracebridge know the hoops that you go through and still be denied accommodation for lack of space. GET IT DONE COUNCILS!!!
I am concern that prior to our new hospital being built we will have outgrown it and will be no further ahead and carrying hundreds of millions in debt for decades.
In closing, with the senior population growth that we have seen in Bracebridge and its future projection, with what we have experience in our Bracebridge hospital waiting for an open bed, and considering our summer residents and visitors, the politics in this matter needs to be set aside. It behooves the MAHC and our politicians to convince us how their proposal will work. To the MAHC and our municipal, district and provincial politicians stop clapping yourselves on the backs, your job isn’t done yet.