Hospital redevelopment approved; city contributes $60m
Budget & Corporate Services Comm. Aug. 30, 9:30am, City Hall
Our community hospital has gotten the green light to proceed with a redevelopment that will improve access and patient care for residents. This summer, the province approved a redevelopment for Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital to provide:
- 76 more beds
- 10 new operating rooms
- a new intensive care unit
- larger, enhanced cancer unit
- more parking
- new diagnostic imaging and laboratory areas
- expanded outpatient surgical suite
Provincial funding formulas for all hospitals require that the community pay for 100% of equipment, and 10% of capital costs. This is called the "local share." On a project this size - more than $300 million - the local share is $120m.Half of that will be raised by the hospital foundation through community donations. In 2010, city council committed to the other half - $60m - and began a special tax levy to raise the funds. So far $4.8m has been collected.The fact that our local share is in place contributed to achieving our approval.A preliminary contribution schedule calls for $7.5 million annually from the city from 2012-2015, and $15 million in each of 2016 & 2017. Read more in the city's report here and Appendices here coming to the Budget & Corporate Services Committee Aug. 30, 9:30am.Click links to watch a three-part video series on the redevelopment:Part 1Part 2Part 3My take: The approval is welcome and long awaited news for our community. As a citizen member of the hospital board of governors since 2008, and now the city council representative on the board, I know the importance of this redevelopment for the health of our residents. Our hospital is a priority for our community. To meet our funding commitment will require an evaluation of all spending, with a focus on core activities. It's a privilege to be part of making the redevelopment happen - a once in a generation experience that hundreds of residents, staff and community leaders have worked to achieve. My thanks to all involved - this is the first step in a journey to better health for Burlington.