Hospital expansion moving on to next stage

Plans to expand the emergency room and ambulatory care at Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest continue to move forward, officials announced on Oct. 31.

Staff, volunteers and consultants are completing Stage 2 of a five-step capital planning process to double the size of the hospital’s emergency and ambulatory care space.

The original announcement of the expected $15-million expansion took place in August 2011.

“The space is very constrained right now; it’s been over 20 years since we’ve had a major expansion,” said hospital CEO Stephen Street.

The expansion would upgrade the current six stretcher spaces to six clinical spaces for major treatment. In addition, it would improve the oncologist space, add a medical education centre and central hub.

“The greatest meaning (to the community) is improved access to care. We’re constrained right now, our emergency department is undersized,” said Street.

Stage 2, the schematic architectural planning stage, has to be approved by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care before moving on to Stage 3, the preliminary design stage.

The Oct. 31 meeting was for minor project adjustments required to meet the ministry’s approval and to develop a work schedule moving forward.

While the ministry is funding 90 per cent of “the bricks and mortar,” the hospital and its foundation is responsible for furnishing the rooms with proper equipment and fixtures.

Street said their portion would be approximately $5 million.

Street is hoping there will be shovels in the ground by the end of 2017 – and the new space occupied by 2019.

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