Lakeridge Health and NorthWest Healthcare Properties REIT Officially Commences Construction on the Jerry Coughlan Health and Wellness Centre

Posted on Wednesday August 19, 2020

Innovative centre will provide a range of medical and community services, under one roof, for our growing region

North Pickering – On Tuesday, August 18, Lakeridge Health and NorthWest Healthcare Properties REIT (NorthWest), together with government and community partners, launched the construction of the much-anticipated Jerry Coughlan Health and Wellness Centre. The official groundbreaking took place at the future site of the centre and was broadcast live across Durham Region.

The new, outpatient medical and community health centre will be located in the rapidly growing community of North Pickering. The four-storey centre will provide day surgery procedures and other Lakeridge Health services, an urgent care clinic, along with a range of diagnostic and laboratory tests, physicians’ offices, and a pharmacy within a state-of-the-art, patient-centred setting. This integrated model will support patients from across Durham Region to seamlessly transition between the hospital and community health and physician services, enhancing the experience for the patient and care team.

“Lakeridge Health is proud to see this advanced health and wellness centre come to life in North Pickering,” said Sharon Cochran, Chair, Lakeridge Health Board of Trustees. “We are grateful for the generous support of the Coughlan family and for our incredible partnerships with the community, government and NorthWest. The Jerry Coughlan Health and Wellness Centre will meet the needs of this dynamic and growing community by bringing high quality community health care, closer to home.”

“The official commencement of construction of the Jerry Coughlan Health and Wellness Centre is an exciting milestone for NorthWest,” said Paul Dalla Lana, CEO and Chair, NorthWest Board of Trustees. “We are proud to partner with Lakeridge to bring to life our collective vision of an innovative, one-stop medical and health centre that will increase access to healthcare services in this growing community. We believe this development and our unique partnership model will set the future standard for bringing comprehensive healthcare to Ontario communities.”

“It is imperative that our government continues to invest in essential health care projects like the Jerry Coughlan Health and Wellness Centre for the residents of North of Pickering,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, MPP for Pickering-Uxbridge. “Access to top-quality medical services will continue to be a part of our government’s plan to end hallway health care as we continue to build a modern, sustainable and integrated health care system that starts and ends with the patient.”

“It’s an exciting day for Durham Region as we break ground on the Jerry Coughlan Health and Wellness Centre, a world-class medical and community health centre that will serve residents of north Pickering and beyond,” said John Henry, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer for The Regional Municipality of Durham. “Congratulations to Lakeridge Health for continuing to expand their extensive network of services. With our region growing faster than just about any place in Ontario, access to top-quality medical services will continue to draw talented, smart and ambitious people to enjoy the great quality of life we enjoy here in Durham.”

“On behalf of the City of Pickering, its Members of Council, and residents, I want to both thank and recognize the Government of Ontario, Lakeridge Health, NorthWest, and of course Jerry Coughlan and the Coughlan family for their collective efforts in realizing this innovative and integrated vision of community healthcare,” said Pickering Mayor Dave Ryan. “Pickering is one of the fastest growing communities in Ontario, and the Jerry Coughlan Health and Wellness Centre will become an integral component of our healthcare landscape.”

The Jerry Coughlan Health and Wellness Centre was named after local philanthropist, founder of Coughlan Homes and community-builder, Jerry Coughlan, in recognition of the Coughlan family’s historic $7 million gift to the Ajax Pickering Hospital Foundation in 2018 toward the capital development of the centre.

This transformational centre is the way of the future for health care. By co-locating a broad array of community and hospital services, the Jerry Coughlan Health and Wellness Centre will integrate health care provision for people from across the region referred here for procedures and other services.

Located at 1690 Dersan Street in Pickering, on a 2.3-acre property owned by Lakeridge Health, this centre is being developed through an innovative partnership model. NorthWest is a Canadian real estate investment trust listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange that works with health organizations in Canada and globally on infrastructure solutions. NorthWest will design, build, and operate the facility. Lakeridge Health will lease over 50 per cent of the space for its outpatient services. The remainder of the space will be leased by NorthWest for physician and community health services needed in this part of Durham Region.

Construction will commence in August 2020 and the centre is anticipated to begin welcoming patients and community members by Winter 2022.

Watch a recording of this milestone.

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For more information:
Sharon Navarro
Lakeridge Health
905-435-7889
snavarro@lh.ca