Province recommits $9.8M for Windsor mega-hospital
Plans to build a new hospital in Windsor and Essex County are officially underway.
In a visit to Windsor on October 18, Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated the province’s planned investment of $9.8 million to support planning for a new acute care mega-hospital in the region. Funding for the build was originally announced in the province’s March budget.
Once complete, the new hospital will add more hospital beds and expand services for the region.
“Our government is providing access to world class health care, wherever you live in Ontario,” said Ford. “The people of Windsor-Essex have waited too long for a new hospital that suits the needs of this growing community. This new hospital means they can get the care they need, closer to home.”
Windsor Regional Hospital currently operates two separate acute care campuses in Windsor.
The new hospital will consolidate and expand acute care services and replace outdated infrastructure with high tech facilities and supporting better, connected care in the region.
Planned services will 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.
“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 Health Minister Christine Elliott. “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.”
As part of the planning for the new hospital, as many as 68 acute mental health beds will 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, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “At the new Centre of Mental Health Excellence, clients will be able to access effective and safe services through a single-entry point, making it easier to receive the high-quality care they expect and deserve.”
Windsor Regional Hospital is the regional tertiary provider of advanced care in complex traumas, dialysis, cardiac care, stroke and neurosurgery, intensive care, acute mental health, family birthing, neonatal intensive care, pediatric services, regional cancer services and a broad range of medical and surgical services.
Last year, the hospital received up to 32 temporary hospital beds to help alleviate capacity pressures and reduce wait times. The support was part of the government's investment of $351 million to help build additional capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital also received support for six additional ICU beds as part of an investment of up to $125 million to support hospital capacity in areas with high rates of COVID-19 transmission.
This year, the province has announced a boost in operating funding in both hospitals for the third straight year. Windsor Regional Hospital will receive over $7.8 million in additional funding starting this year, while Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare received $1.57 million.
Featured image: Premier Doug Ford reiterated the funding commitment for the Windsor hospital on October 18. (YouTube)