Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario government announced a $9.8 million grant to support planning for a new state-of-the-art acute care hospital in Windsor and Essex County.
“To the people of Windsor-Essex, you deserve this,” Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference at the County Road 42 and Concession 9 site. “You have waited decades and decades, and that’s much too long. Our government is going to be there and make sure this is a priority. We’re thrilled to finally deliver the quality of health care that this community needs.”
“I just can’t wait to come back and start tossing the dirt around,” he said.
Currently, Windsor Regional Hospital operates two separate acute care campuses in the City of Windsor. Once complete, the new hospital will consolidate and expand acute care services, replacing outdated infrastructure with high tech facilities and supporting better, connected care in the region.
Agnew Peckham, a consulting company that helped plan new hospitals in Toronto and Ottawa has been hired to help plan the new facility.
Planned services include cancer care, complex trauma, obstetrics, neurology and cardiology. The new hospital will also have more single-patient rooms to increase patient privacy and prevent the spread of infection. Urgent care and outpatient services will remain at Windsor Regional Hospital’s Ouellette site to preserve access for patients and their families in downtown Windsor.
The project will also include a “massive, multi-phased renovation” of Hotel-Dieu’s Prince Road site to create the hub for mental health and addictions.
“Investing in hospital infrastructure projects like the new acute care hospital in Windsor is a key part of our government’s plan to build a modern and connected health care system and end hallway health care,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This investment for this new acute care hospital will provide better access to care closer to home for patients and families in Windsor and Essex County, and the infrastructure and tools our health care workers need to continue delivering exceptional care.”
Approximately 68 acute mental health beds are expected to be transferred to Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare to improve mental health and addictions services and programs for the people in the area. These beds will support a new Centre of Excellence in Mental Health and Addictions for the region, making it easier for patients to receive mental health and addiction services in one location.
“We have been hard at work filling urgent gaps in care and addressing the extensive wait times for services across Ontario’s mental health and addictions system,” said Michael Tibollo,
In addition, the Ontario government is increasing the operating funding in both hospitals for the third straight year. Windsor Regional Hospital will receive over $7.8 million in additional operating funding starting this year, representing an increase of 2.2 per cent, and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare received $1.57 million, representing an increase of 2.1 per cent. The government is also providing Windsor Regional Hospital with $847,800 to support an additional 2,530 MRI, and 760 CT operating hours as part of Ontario’s comprehensive surgical recovery plan to provide patients with the care they need.
“This investment will create thousands of well-paying and rewarding jobs with pensions and benefits for healthcare workers and tradespeople in Windsor-Essex and across Southwestern Ontario. We’re on a mission to spread opportunity more widely and fairly. By giving more people a hand up, they can earn bigger paycheques, strengthen their families and build back a better Ontario,” said Monte McNaughton, minister of labour, training and skills development.