Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare
wants to hear what is important to you when considering future hospital care.
Following five community information
sessions, an online survey is live to gather public feedback on potential
models for delivering hospital services in the future and proposed criteria
that MAHC’s new Capital Plan Development Task Force will use to evaluate those models before
making a recommendation to the MAHC Board of Directors. This is the first in a
number of surveys MAHC will be using to seek community input.
Despite a previous Board of Directors
decision around a preferred one-site model for the future, the task force is
further reexamining a two-site model before making a recommendation to the
Board of Directors in the spring of 2018. There are three models on the table
for public feedback that will be evaluated by the task force:
Two
Sites (not status quo)
– Maintain two sites with Emergency Departments, recognizing the need to
further single site programs and services across the two sites. Recent examples
of single sited services include Gynecological Surgery, Ophthalmology (cataract
surgery), and Chemotherapy. Service siting would be based on clinical needs and
service co-location requirements to create greater efficiencies, larger volumes
and critical mass, and reducing duplication of staffing and equipment.
One
Site Inpatient / One Site Outpatient
– Maintain two facilities with emergency care. One site would have a primarily
outpatient focus (few or no beds) and could include services such as some day
surgery, specialty diagnostics (such as MRI), clinics (such as Dialysis), etc.
The other site would have a primarily inpatient focus (majority of beds) and
could include inpatient services such as medical/surgical care, intensive care
and obstetrics.
One
Hospital (centrally located)
– Provide all programs and services on a single hospital site. Comprehensive
work would be done to determine the role of potential vacated building(s)
including the ability to support local urgent and primary care needs, community
services, Health Hub development, or other alternative models. This exploration
will include determining best ways to support access for urgent care needs.
The survey link is www.mahc.ca/survey and can also be accessed through the
home page of the MAHC website where the community presentation and an
information brochure are also posted. The survey will remain open until Friday,
October 13. As well, hard copies are available in a number of community
locations, such as Chambers of Commerce, municipal offices, libraries, physician offices, and some
recreation facilities.
Your feedback is critical to helping
the Capital Plan Development Task Force make the best recommendation for the
future to the MAHC Board of Directors.
I encourage everyone and especially our future generations to complete the
survey.
