For Release
November 24, 2022
Building a Better Health Care System
As our communities grow, so too does the need for sustainable healthcare.
Goderich, ON— November 24, 2022 — The partnership between the Alexandra Marine & General Hospital (AMGH) and the South Huron Hospital Association (SHHA) is the start of creating regional healthcare services for our communities. In December of this year, the two boards will combine to become a single governing board that will make decisions for both hospitals. With this partnership, the boards have been busy working on a new strategic plan that will guide the organization over the next few years. New Mission, Vision, and Values have also been developed and will be revealed along with the strategic plan in the new year.
The Foundations for each hospital are vital to the work that we do and will remain separate and work closely with each respective community to continue to raise much-needed funds for patient care.
Master Planning and Functional Planning
Healthcare is changing at a rapid pace and challenges are being felt across the system. As such, both hospitals have started work on a Master Plan, which will help guide the hospitals and the boards on what to expect over the next few decades. Significant investment will be required and this process will require working closely with the Ministry of Health on future planning and the need to renovate and/or build new facilities.
Master planning is the process of looking at current physical buildings and space requirements and planning for the future development of new or existing spaces. Functional planning involves looking at the services that are currently being provided and planning for what will be required in the future. Both processes look at alignment with overall provincial system capacity, consistency with the government’s priorities, resource availability, appropriateness of proposed solution, and local affordability.
In the new year, there will be consultations with community stakeholders to start discussions about what health care will look like for our communities over the next few decades. This planning process is the start of a five (5) stage process and will take 12 – 16 months to complete. The overall length of approvals for all five (5) stages normally takes 10 – 15 years and during this time, investments in the hospitals will still need to continue so that vital patient care can be delivered.
Health Human Resources
The hospitals continue to focus on Health Human Resources (HHR) by investing in our staff and physicians. The impact of the challenges being faced by the current workforce are pronounced given the efficient staffing models that existed pre-pandemic. As a result, HHR has become the biggest issue for hospitals in the short and medium-term. HHR challenges are being felt across the entire system impacting the care continuum and patient flow. Recruitment and retention are top priorities for the leadership team and the boards. Ontario’s over-stretched hospital system has been striving to keep pace with the growing demands of an aging population with multiple co-morbidities and limited year-over-year financial increases. Many thanks to our very committed staff and physicians and it’s their dedication that has allowed our EDs to remain open when others around us have reduced services. Partnering with the municipality and the town will be an emphasis and together we will ensure there are adequate resources for our hospitals.
For more information:
Jimmy Trieu | President & CEO
Alexandra Marine & General Hospital
120 Napier St, Goderich, ON N7A 1W5
T 519.524.8689 x 5711 | F 519.524.8504
www.amgh.ca
South Huron Hospital Association
24 Huron St. W., Exeter, ON, N0M 1S2
T 519.235.2700 x 5150 | F 519.235.3405
www.shha.on.ca
