On Tuesday, September 8, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care announced final approval for capital funding of $9,655,200 towards the cost of St. Francis Memorial Hospital’s expansion.
Renfrew-Nippising-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski, who was on hand for the announcement, noted that the redevelopment project has been ongoing for a number of years. The SFMH emergency department has seen its annual visits more than double since it was last redeveloped in 1986. Yakabuski said, “This was absolutely needed. So, for the province to be able to provide just under $10 million for this project is something I was very pleased to hear from the Honourable Christine Elliott, our Minister of Health, when she approved the project.”
We are thrilled to move forward in the process, said Joanne King, SFMH Board Chair. “This project represents the largest ever investment in SFMH since the construction of the hospital. The expansion and revitalization of our hospital will ensure the continued delivery of high-quality health care now and in the future. The project is the culmination of tremendous foresight, a very strong management/medical team and a solid financial base. These are the dividends you can realize with a well-supported hospital.”
“On behalf of our hospital and most importantly our patients and their families, I would like to thank the Premier of Ontario and the Minister of Health for this very significant investment in our hospital,” stated Julia Boudreau, CEO of St. Francis Memorial Hospital. “I would also like to thank John Yakabuski for his unwavering commitment to this project.”
The expansion plans include a 5,000 square foot addition to the emergency department, and a major redevelopment of the outpatient clinical service area. Patients, staff, and physicians will benefit from more space, improved health and safety, visual sight-lines for safety, LEAN considerations for patient and work flow, patient-centred design, enhanced infection control, privacy and confidentiality.
The St. Francis Memorial Hospital Emergency Department is our most important clinical service to our community. The distance to secondary facilities is well over an hour in each direction. As the only Emergency Department between Pembroke and Huntsville, SFMH sees more than 11,000 visits a year, accounting for 63% of patient interactions with the hospital.
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