News Release
Important Message Regarding: Proposed Final Hospital Restructuring Plan for Niagara Health System and Hotel Dieu Announced
- Date of Issue: Friday, December 13, 2002
- Français
St. Catharines , ON - Mr. Dennis Timbrell, Investigator appointed by the Honourable Tony Clement, the Minister of Health and Long Term Care, and co-chair of the Joint Executive Committee of Niagara Health System and Hotel Dieu Health Sciences Hospital, Niagara today received mutual endorsment from the Boards of Trustees of the Niagara Health System and Hotel Dieu Health Sciences Hospital, Niagara of a restructuring plan that will see the rapid implementation of the Health Services Restructuring Commission's directions and further enhancements for patient services throughout the Niagara Region.
"Today marks a tremendous breakthrough for these two hospitals. We've overcome the obstacles," said Mr. Dennis Timbrell. "The Niagara Health System and Hotel Dieu can now move ahead with realizing their complementary roles. This ultimately will result in tremendous improvement in the services patients receive and in the hospital buildings where they are served."
Mr. Timbrell reported that the plan would be forwarded to Minister Clement with a recommendation for approval and request to take all necessary steps to give effect to the plan that has been endorsed by both Boards.
The plan, which was developed through the Joint Executive Committee, calls for:
- Completion of all clinical service transfers between the Niagara Health System and Hotel Dieu by February, 2004;
- The Hotel Dieu to govern and manage all of the Niagara Health System's acute mental health in-patient and out-patient services, as well as the tertiary mental health services as directed by the Health Services Restructuring Commission;
- The Hotel Dieu to govern and manage the out-patient rehabilitation services currently provided at the Niagara Rehabilitation site of the Niagara Health System;
- The Hotel Dieu to provide the majority of ambulatory care services for St. Catharines, Thorold and surrounding communities;
- The Niagara Health System's St. Catharines General site to provide all emergency and in-patient acute care service for St. Catharines, Thorold and surrounding communities;
- The Niagara Health System's St. Catharines General site to provide all in-patient and out-patient oncology services;
- The Niagara Health System to provide all dialysis services, with the provision of a new out-patient satellite clinic to be located at the Welland Site, and the provision of out-patient satellite clinics at the St. Catharines General and Hotel Dieu.
As part of this plan, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care will pay its share of the approved costs of all capital redevelopment projects required to implement HSRC directions at the Niagara Health System sites and Hotel Dieu. This includes the Niagara Regional Cancer Centre.
"The agreement carves out a distinct and viable role for the Hotel Dieu. We look forward to continuing to play a leading role in the delivery of essential health care services to Niagara," said Sean Jackson, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Hotel Dieu. "An incredible amount of progress has been made by the Niagara Health System to integrate patient care across the region. The Hotel Dieu fully intends to maintain the excellent work that has been done, particularly in rehabilitation services between the Niagara Rehab and Shaver site," said Mr. Jackson.
"It's a new chapter for both our organizations and we're very excited," said Paul Leon, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Niagara Health System. "We sincerely appreciate the government's commitment to invest in our buildings and infrastructure this goes a long way in enabling the Niagara Health System to provide quality of care that is second to none," said Mr. Leon.