Leamington hospital name changed to Erie Shores Health Care

By Cade Ryan

Leamington District Memorial Hospital has changed its name to Erie Shores Health Care almost 70 years after its opening.

The Leamington Hospital opened April 1,1950. Now more than six decades later, the hospital has a new name, made official on April 1. The Local Health Integration Network in Chatham and the hospital board approved the name Feb. 7.

The new name is meant to represent the entire the hospital services which includes Leamington, Kingsville, Wheatley, Essex and Harrow.

The word hospital was removed from the name and replaced with health care because they offer programs that include mental health care and social services. It is also meant to reflect the relationship they have with other health care facilities such as the Kingsville Family Health Unit.

Hospital spokesman Bill Baker said the name change has been a process that goes back several years and would explain why the logo was changed in 2012.

“The logo and the name change better represents the fact we are more than just a hospital and we provide additional services,” said Baker.

In the original name the word “memorial” was meant to honour the veterans and people in the community who served in WWII or those who were affected by the war.

“We felt the term has aged and it was time for a change but that does not mean we are forgetting about these people,” said Baker.

Erie Shores Health Care is still considered a hospital. A hospital defined by the Public Hospital Act is a place with a prescribed structure and infrastructure for delivering services which can include inpatients and outpatient services. It can be on one site or many, but each must be designated as a hospital site and operated through a hospital corporation. A health care facility, on the other hand, is a broader term that does not have to meet the same requirements of the hospital act and can encompass a variety of government-funded, not-for-profit or for profit health care enterprises.

The health system manager for the LHIN said the types of care offered at a hospital include acute care, post-acute care and community services.

“Acute care service is referred to services provided within the hospital. Typically these are bed services,” said Ron Sheppard.

After acute services there are post acute services which are rehabilitation services or complex continuing care which are both ways to rehabilitate patients.

Some of the many community services the hospital offers includes home care and meals on wheels.