There are very few things Canadians are more passionate about than their healthcare.
District Municipality of Muskoka Chair Jeff Lehman says he’s heard loud and clear that the hospital service delivery model being proposed by administrators and the board of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare isn’t sitting well with thousands of people, particularly in South Muskoka.
“This plan is not going to work for the communities of South Muskoka, so MAHC is going to need to go back to the table with doctors, nurses, and health care workers and try to find a better-balanced model. With a major fundraising effort ahead, and given this is the largest project that will be built in Muskoka in the next 10 years, we need a plan that will work for all of Muskoka,” he said.
“The hospital Board is in a tough place. COVID and inflation now mean that the cost of duplicating all services at two sites is not affordable with the budget they’ve been given. And although not everyone will agree, there are undoubtedly efficiencies and some strengths to having the two hospitals specialize to some degree and not duplicate services. That said, I think this model of “extreme specialization” means the loss of some services in South Muskoka that residents—by the thousands—are saying they want and need closer to home.”
However, Lehman said there are some positive things in the plan like the expansion of both Emergency Departments, the addition of a level 3 Intensive Care Unit in Huntsville, and expanded ambulatory services in Bracebridge that should reduce the number of people who have to travel to Orillia or Barrie for services that are not available in Muskoka today.
“However healthcare workers and residents have been very clear about their concerns at the community meetings. I believe the Province should allow MAHC the time to work on the model without the funding being at risk, and I am hopeful that they will. There are a full 6 years to go before ground is broken on construction…so let’s take the time now to get the plan right, and get all of Muskoka back on board. These hospitals are such a critical part of our future,” he noted.
The District Municipality of Muskoka has committed to raising $77.3 million of the $225 million local share stipulated by the Province with the remainder coming from municipalities in East Parry Sound and Muskoka, as well as the hospital foundations.
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David Hough says
We need to expand and use what we already have by updating the current facility and building new as required. South Muskoka has ample room at its current site to expand and modernize as required. There are lots of models to show how this can be done, unfortunately not one of them come from the current board. By any metrics, by making us a glorified triage centre, it will lead to closure within 10 years. The assumptions, misinformation and complete lack of understanding of the dynamics that exist in Muskoka have led to this disaster. The citizens of South Muskoka need a plan, that we will accept, that keeps our health care on a growth pattern. I have put together a draft proposal that I will post once I get some feed back . The fastest growing community in Muskoka needs to stand up and be counted as apparently the board and politicians have decided to make decisions on our behalf.
David Hough
Bruce Armstrong says
Ontario would be better off, dollar wise, with the budget if Premier Ford and his party had not decided (arbitrarily) to give all Ontario free licence stickers. These funds would have certainly went a long way in helping our slumping Health Care Services.
They could also find many more dollars by better follow-up on some of the welfare and other allowances given out. Most of which is not fully checked out as to actual needs.
If he (Ford) had given extra thought into the results of his unsolicited actions, our Health Care problem may not be in the situation it is today. Many of the saved dollars would be welcomed to save our hospital services.
Food for thought, the population of Ontario in July 2023 was 15,608,369 of which, if only 9,000,000 of those residents had automobiles the revenue would be in excess of $810,000,000.00. These dollars would go a long way to assisting some of our major problems.
Stuart Morley says
The Hospital Model: What are we missing?
It seems the hospital model faces three major challenges:
(1) Currently, we do not have a big enough population to justify the hospital model as desired?
(2) Our population is spread over a wide area and so for emergencies the distance to hospital is a concern?
(3) We are boxed into a provincial funding model we can’t seem to change?
If these are the major challenges can we:
(1) Explore the idea of medical tourism to attract international patients willing to pay a premium to access our hospital services to achieve a critical mass of patients? We charge international students a premium to study at universities and colleges in Canada. Why not charge international visitors to access our health care? There are many countries around the world offering medical tourism services to subsidize the cost to serve local patients. A world class facility could be a great attraction to bring more businesses to our region.
(2) Currently living close to a hospital offers little time advantage if you then have to spend hours waiting for attention once you reach the hospital. For some folks travelling to a hospital further away where they perceive better service is more important than the closest hospital. Maybe we need better metrics from MAHC if we want to understand the right mix of ambulance, air ambulance, in home solutions via Zoom etc. to break the geographic challenges into manageable chunks?
(3) If we want innovative thinking on the provincial funding model perhaps we need to invite Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Dr. Catherine Zahn the newly appointed chair of Ontario Health to visit and address the public to outline any fresh thinking they are willing to entertain to build more trust with the community by cutting through many rules and proceedures as a tradeoff to delivering a faster turnaround and more cost effective options? China has set the bar building hospitals in 10 days with 7,000 workers. What are we willing to ask our top politicians and bureaucrats to do?
David Hough says
After 2 meetings with MAHC it is abundantly clear that the 2 hospital system we were promised is not what the board ever considered. These meetings have been an embarrassment to the community, to say the least. They seem totally unprepared to give answers on a factual, accurate manner, never mind costing and the tax burden involved.
Last night 3 young ladies spoke about issues involving pregnancies and how impactful they could be on the lives of their unborn children. After the logical approach used to explain the different circumstance, a MALE doctor managed a totally irrelevant answer to the issues as presented. It seems to me that he has no understanding of female feelings or needs. He talked about transportation issues that made no sense whatsoever and seemed totally indifferent to their needs.
The argument about the buildings not up to code is a joke. Apparently we will have to spend another 11 years with 2 hospitals not up to code. Should we empty these hospitals?
Did you listen to the transportation issues to and from Huntsville. The costs are prohibitive as apparently it is a cross between private enterprise, regular ambulance, and some form of shared transportation with the town.
The local doctors presentation on the training and advancement of doctors for the north and his involvement is a tremendous advantage for our community. It did not sound to me that the board was aware of this enterprise or the ramifications of losing this advantage that the local doctor has put his heart and soul behind.
The current boards Doctor representative does not have the support of local doctors.
It just goes on and on with issues not addressed by the current board.
Give us our hospital back as promised or resign. We have competent people, with Muskoka backgrounds, ,willing and able to step in with common sense solutions that satisfy the needs of Muskoka.
David Hough
John Whitty says
If most donations are withdrawn this new hospital model is dead in the water.
Donations are contingent on 2 full service hospitals not just 1 plus a mini hospital that will be cancelled or closed.
Bait and switch.
Hard to believe after 12 years the MAHC board was not aware this new model would be rejected by most of Muskoka.
Funding availability is not an issue at all.
https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/ona-president-speaks-against-hospital-redevelopment-model-offers-to-collaborate-with-mahc-ceo/
MAHC’s dithering has cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
New builds must follow new, more expensive hospital building rules.
Not older parts of a hospital so the most affordable option is adding new wings to the existing sites in Huntsville and Bracebridge.
“This is the route the vast majority of hospitals in Ontario take.”
It was claimed adding to Bracebridge hospital is too disruptive. Not true at all.
Simply build over top of the existing parking lot. Not disruptive to the rest of the hospital at all.
Given a choice of having to park at the arena parking lot during the build or losing the Bracebridge hospital people will gladly park elsewhere.