Health officials discuss super hospital

By Shaun Garrity

 

Officials and provincial politicians are working to merge the city’s two hospitals.

 

A press conference held Feb. 12 at the Tayfour campus of Windsor Regional Hospital discussed a long-term vision for all health institutions to become a super hospital.

Local hospital presidents, chiefs of staff and other health figures gathered to speak to the public about the benefits this facility will bring to the community. Windsor Star and other sources said the project will cost about $1 billion to build.

Twenty years ago, the city maintained four hospitals and struggled to do so, which led to the closing of two. The eyesore of the Grace site has been a problem for the last decade. The officials brought short- and long-term plans to the table. During construction the existing hospitals will begin the restructuring process, but stay at their current locations until the new hospital is finished.

David Musyj, CEO at Windsor Regional Hospital, said the hospital would not only save money, but it would be a better system to keep patients healthier and well.

“I was born and raised in this community, I’ve been here for forty years and every decade we keep talking about this and we’ve had very little progress,” said Musyj.

“We want to focus on the patient’s perspective we want their experience to be at the highest level no matter which institution they go to.”

Once the super hospital is built Musyj said Windsor Regional would operate all acute care services in the city. The Hotel-Dieu building on Ouellette would be scaled down and used for urgent and ambulatory care.

Dr. Gary Ing, Chief of Staff at Windsor Regional, is excited at the thought of a unified medical staff.

“This is a monumental moment and personally I’m very grateful, I’m grateful because I’m getting a chance to be involved now. I’m most grateful that in ten years’ time I will be the first consumer of this particular facility,” said Ing.

Ken Deane, CEO, Hotel-Dieu Grace hospital said he hopes for a government approval.

“We need to continue to provide optimal levels of patients care,” said Deane.

The project is being submitted to the Local Health Integration Network and the ministry. If accepted the next stage would be detailed planning.