Capital Projects
Our community hospitals will continue to flourish
We can all appreciate that it is a constant juggle to prioritize the most important initiatives for the NHS and to ensure that we have the organizational capacity (time, people, resources, capital) to deliver on these priorities.
The list of mission critical priorities is not intended to represent all initiatives currently underway in the organization but rather those that are critical to the achievement of the NHS's vision: "Together in Excellence – Leaders in Healthcare."
Significant capital projects are also taking place and/or are planned for all of our hospital sites. While the new health-care complex will in part act as a community hospital for St. Catharines, Thorold, Niagara-on-the-Lake and immediate area, and at the same time provide new services to the region of Niagara, this is not the entire capital commitment picture for the NHS.
Our community hospitals will continue to flourish as well through the redevelopment of the physical facilities, consistent with our commitment to all of our sites and our ability to provide quality care closer to home in Niagara.
Among these initiatives:
- We opened the new Jeff Morgan Emergency Department at the Greater Niagara General Site in January 2007 and are in the midst of the second phase of that $21-million redevelopment, an ambulatory care centre. Also taking place is the expansion of the hospital's main entrance.
- We began construction of a larger permanent satellite dialysis unit at the Welland Hospital Site in April of this year. This unit will facilitate the transfer of 15 temporary stations from the temporary portable structure and the expansion of nine new dialysis stations. It will also allow for new patient access to the facility and additional on-site parking.
- We are engaged in the planning process for an additional satellite dialysis unit with 12 to 15 stations at the Greater Niagara General Site in 2010. There are currently 75 patients from Niagara Falls who travel to St. Catharines or Welland several times a week for dialysis treatment.
- We are awaiting approval from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) to begin renovations to the Emergency Department at the Port Colborne General Site. Upgrades planned include an improved triage area, a new fast track area, improved access in the ED area, and various enhancements that will benefit staff, such as a new ergonomic nursing station.
- A new Mammography/Echocardiology Suite opened at the Douglas Memorial Hospital Site in May 2006, and work is currently underway for the mammography service to become an Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) satellite centre.
- Modifications are planned at the St. Catharines General Site Emergency Department (ED) to address an increased volume of patients in the ED. These modifications, which are interim measures pending the opening of the new health complex in 2011, include improvements to observation and assessment areas. We are awaiting approval from the MOHLTC before moving ahead with these modifications.