St. Mary’s Hospital to receive funding for Heart Rhythm Program
The Ministry of Health announced new funding for St. Mary's General Hospital in Kitchener earlier this month.
Minister Christine Elliott said the provincial government would provide an investment of up to $7.4 million to redevelop the hospital’s Heart Rhythm Program. Through the project, the hospital will add new cardiac services that treat abnormal heart rhythms to the existing cardiac program to reduce wait times. St. Mary’s Regional Cardiac Care Centre is considered to be one of Canada’s top three cardiac centres for patient outcomes.
"Our comprehensive plan to end hallway health care includes building additional capacity for specialized services in communities like Kitchener-Waterloo," said Elliott. "This project will enable the hospital to offer a full continuum of cardiac services and provide patients and families with better access to the quality care they expect and deserve closer to home."
The new funding tops up the $6 million previously committed to the project, and is the final injection of money the hospital needs to make the new centre a reality.
Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2020 and will include a new electrophysiology lab, adding 3,500 square feet of patient recovery space and expanded cardiac diagnostic clinic space.
The minister also announced nearly $750,000 in additional funding for the hospital to help support roof replacements and upgrades to generators—money promised previously under a $175-million commitment to repair and upgrade hospital infrastructure across the province through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund.
"Investments in hospital infrastructure will help ensure that patients in Kitchener-Waterloo and across Ontario can receive the care they need in a safe and comfortable setting," said Elliott. "Maintaining hospital infrastructure is one more example of how we are working towards ensuring that Ontarians have the health care services they can depend on while building the capacity we need to end hallway health care."
This funding will help hospitals to address urgent issues, including upgrades or replacements of roofs, windows, heating and air conditioning systems, fire alarms and backup generators.
"We are thrilled to bring these important services to St. Mary's General Hospital, one of Canada's top three centres for cardiac patient outcomes," said Dr. Thomas Stewart, CEO of St. Joseph's Health System and Niagara Health. "We are extremely grateful for the commitment by the Ontario government to support this important program that will reduce wait times and bring new cardiac services to the Waterloo region."