Central East LHIN Partners Work Together on Reopening Whitby
(Whitby,Ontario) Following a report from the Lakeridge Health Whitby Steering Committee (LHWSC) of the Central East LHIN; the CE LHIN Board approved a motion that will help to see that necessary retrofits to Lakeridge Health Whitby are approved to allow the hospital site to reopen.
“There are no easy answers or quick fixes to a challenging situation of this magnitude,” said Marion Saunders, Chair of. Lakeridge Health Board of Trustees “ We’d like to thank our local partners (the Central East LHIN, Rouge Valley Health System (RVHS), Whitby Mental Health Centre (WMHC)) for coming together to help resolve the situation until LH Whitby can reopen.”
“We are extremely pleased the Steering Committee recognized the important role the Whitby hospital site plays in providing patient care by approving this motion,” added Saunders. “Lakeridge Health Whitby is important in order to meet the healthcare needs of our growing community. We anxiously await approvals from the ministry’.
The Central East LHIN, Lakeridge Health and its community partners have been working together to identify how best to provide the services normally provided at Lakeridge Health Whitby (LH Whitby) since the hospital was temporarily shut down after an electrical fire in July 2007.
Following an extensive, independent review of the LH Whitby site undertaken by LH and the Whitby Fire Services/Fire Marshal, it was concluded that LH Whitby requires that the balance of the facility (15%) be protected by a sprinkler system and other retrofits prior to re-occupancy. The cost for this work has been estimated at $2.5 million, and is expected to take one year to complete, depending upon approval time frames.
Patient care arrangements made immediately after the fire were temporary with the expectation that LH Whitby would be reoccupied within a short time frame. Interim accommodations have proven to be costly, and problematic for patients, their families, staff, physicians and volunteers due to such issues as lack of adequate space.
Since the reopening of LH Whitby is expected to take at least a year, the LH Whitby Steering Committee has also put forward recommendations to address challenges over the interim approval and renovation period.
These recommendations are meant to:
- Alleviate patient care space pressures throughout the LH hospital network and beyond
- Reduce transportation distances and costs for families and friends of patients more likely to be in hospital for extended periods of time.
- Improve patient care and comfort by better aligning programs in more appropriately designed spaces
- Improve staff, physicians and volunteer work environments and overall efficiency.
See Backgrounder for more details.pdf
“When patients stay with us for an extended period, they become like our family. Any decisions we make that might change or affect their routines aren’t made lightly,” said Chris Kooy, Vice President Patient Services & Chief Nursing Officer at Lakeridge Health. “However, we feel this helps ensure the right patient is in the right place to receive the right treatment until Lakeridge Health Whitby can return to service.”
Prior to the implementation of any change, Lakeridge Health will work with its partners, patients, their families, staff, physicians, and volunteers. More information will be shared as plans are developed.
“We would like to thank our partners (the CE LHIN, RVHS and WMHC) for their assistance in accommodating our patients. Their assistance and kind offers of ongoing support as we seek to reopen Whitby is appreciated by our patients, physicians, volunteers and staff.” said Brian Lemon, Lakeridge Health CEO. “ Of course, we also owe a debt of gratitude to our patients, families, staff, physicians and volunteers who have been so patient and worked so diligently during and since the fire,” he added.
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For more information contact:
Leigh Winn-Kruck,
Lakeridge Health – Communications
Tel: 905-576-8711, ext. 4317