Message from the Campaign Chair
Dr. Hamilton Hall M.D., FRCSC
Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto
Chairperson, Centre Grey Hospital Campaign
Advanced medical technology has dramatically improved healthcare. Timely access to state-of-the-art medical technology in emergency, ambulatory, in-patient and diagnostic care is the defining mark of quality in hospitals across Ontario. To be successful, treatment of some life-threatening conditions should begin within an hour. In an area such as ours, only access to adequate facilities, equipment and experienced staff in a local hospital ensures the maintenance of this standard of patient care.
The Markdale Hospital is at significant risk of falling below an acceptable level of care. Structural deterioration, the obsolete layout of the facility particularly in the emergency department, and inadequate out-patient and diagnostic areas put the existing building at odds with current medical practices.
Current techniques and administrative systems have radically reduced the length of hospital stay. Procedures that once necessitated weeks of hospitalization are now available on an out-patient basis. This improvement is accomplished by providing increased out-patient and ambulatory patient care but our current hospital building cannot support this transition. Similar restrictions exist for the hospitalized patients. Our present facility simply cannot accommodate current medical advances in diagnosis and treatment.
Radical changes are needed if the Markdale Hospital is to continue providing relevant, quality patient care. We all depend on local, timely, up-to-date healthcare and we should not accept less than the provincial standard.
Markdale needs a new hospital. We must take action.
Frequently Asked Questions About the New Centre Grey Hospital
The Need
Why is a new Hospital needed?
Grey Bruce Health Services Markdale needs a new Hospital because the current facility, built over several decades ago is now outdated and inefficient. The emergency department is too small and lacks privacy. The Hospital’s layout and design is increasingly at odds with the outpatient delivery system now in place. Due to current space limitations new services and technology cannot be implemented.
Is renovation of the current building an option?
No. Renovation costs are estimated to be higher than new construction. The current site is not large enough for a major renovation.
What improvements will be made by building a new hospital?
The new Hospital will be a modern facility complete with the following:
54,000 square ft of new construction
Larger more Private Emergency Department
Diagnostic Imaging Department
Digital Technology
Inpatient and Outpatient Rehabilitation
Medical Unit with larger patient rooms
Fully Handicapped Accessibility in all areas
How will I benefit from the new Hospital?
You and your family will continue to have access to quality emergency, ambulatory and inpatient health care right in the community where you live or visit.
What will the new Hospital Cost?
The total cost is $24 million. The proposed provincial government portion is 50% leaving $12 million to be raised locally.
Where will the new Hospital be built?
The new Centre Grey Hospital will be built on the Grey Gables Site on the south end of Markdale.
The Campaign
What is the Centre Grey Hospital Capital Campaign?
The Centre Grey Hospital Campaign ‘Quality Care Close To You’ is a $12 million public campaign designed to raise pledge donations from corporations, community individuals, local businesses, service clubs, and foundations. The campaign is a challenging and extraordinary event in the life of the region.
Who is being asked to give?
Everyone is being asked to give. The entire community is being encouraged to participate in building a new Hospital.
How can I make a gift to the Centre Grey Hospital Campaign?
You can support the Centre Grey Hospital Campaign by making a multi-year pledge. You can also make gifts of stocks, bonds, insurance policies, or make arrangements for the Hospital in your will.
Who should I make my pledge form/cheque payable to?
All pledges/cheques should be made payable to: Centre Grey Health Services Foundation. The Foundation is an independent, legally incorporated local organization with charitable registration number: 89063 40325 RR0001
Does this mean that my gift qualifies for a tax credit?
Yes. All gifts to the Centre Grey Hospital Campaign qualify for a tax credit. Charitable receipts are issued annually to all donors on a timely basis.
How long is the pledge period?
Gifts may be payable over a three to five-year period. This system allows people to plan and budget their gift and give to their maximum.
How will the Hospital use my donation?
All funds raised by the Centre Grey Health Services Foundation are spent at the local level to improve health care. Funds donated to the Centre Grey Hospital campaign will be used to build the new Hospital.
How can I get more information about the campaign?
You can get more information by calling the campaign office at 519 986-3040 ext. 178 by fax: 519 986-4562 or by e-mailing markdalecampaign@cablerocket.com
How can I help build the new Hospital in Markdale?
You can help by making a gift and by getting involved in the campaign as a volunteer.
Why should I give in support of the Markdale Campaign?
You should give because your support will help build a new Hospital. This is a rare and special chance to ensure access to quality health care for years to come and to significantly enhance quality of life in the region. You should give because your support will make a difference.
History of the Development of the New Centre Grey Hospital
A $12 million public campaign designed to raise pledge donations from corporations, individuals, local businesses, service clubs and foundations. The campaign is a challenging and extraordinary event in the life of our area!
Construction Of A New Hospital
Plans are now in place to build a new 54,000-square-foot Centre Grey Hospital. The village of Markdale will continue to be the location of the hospital, although the current site will not be maintained. The new hospital will include:
- Construction of a new 54,000 square foot hospital
- Expanded emergency department
- Improved ambulatory care department
- Larger patient rooms
- Fully handicapped accessibility
- Energy efficient heating and electrical systems
- Proper layout of medical departments
- Modern design
- New technology and equipment including PACS
In making the decision to amalgamate, the Ministry of Health recognized that major reinvestment was needed in healthcare in Grey and Bruce Counties, and that the Markdale site in particular required extensive capital redevelopment. Reinvestment in the Centre Grey Hospital had been called for in four previous accreditation surveys dating back to 1992. The Ministry agreed that without significant action, the increasing obsolete nature of the Hospital building would jeopardize the quality of care delivered at the local level. The specific problems faced by Markdale include the following:
General redevelopment of the physical plant is required
Much of the physical plant at the Centre Grey Hospital is outdated and below current hospital codes. This is the result of age – most of the hospital was constructed 42 years ago – and heavy use. Also, the design of the hospital is based on an acute care model of health delivery whereby patients stayed in-house for long periods of time. Today, ambulatory care is the predominant department area of service. Simply put, the layout of the hospital is now increasingly at odds with the style of medicine being implemented by health professionals. More space and proper design are needed in order to accommodate expanded diagnostic imaging, specialty care services, and the ongoing operation of the Hospital.
The Emergency Department is outdated
The emergency department at the Hospital has not been updated in over 30 years and now requires rebuilding. Since the hospital’s emergency unit was first constructed in 1960, annual visits have steadily increased over time and in 2001/2002 there was over 16,500 visits to the department. After more than 30 years without renovation, It is undersized based on the number of visits taking place on an annual basis and it is poorly laid out in terms of waiting rooms, triage, and access to the nursing station. The physical appearance of the emergency department is also in need of improvement and security features must be added in order to provide better safety for patients and night staff. While current 24-hour emergency service remains at acceptable levels (with a physician on-call at all times), physical-plant needs are so extensive that rebuilding, rather than renovation, is the best option. Effecting change today is necessary so that the Hospital can continue to provide quality service and so that care can be effectively provided even in the most serious of emergencies.
Building and safety systems must be redone
Over the past 8 years the Hospital has completed recommended upgrades to the physical plant; ongoing and preventive maintenance programs (i.e. plumbing, windows, boilers, air conditioning, etc.) have also been implemented. However, in 1999, a mechanical and electrical survey commissioned by the Hospital determined that in spite of diligent maintenance, all mechanical systems were considered “aged and failing”. Major work must, therefore, be done including renovations, system upgrades, and in some cases, full system replacement.
A new ambulatory care unit is required
The provision of ambulatory care – defined as any medical service where the patient walks into and out of the Hospital on the same day (and does not require an overnight stay) – needs to be consolidated into one area of the Hospital. This will enable the medical staff to more adequately handle this area of patient care, which now accounts for 69% of Hospital visits. The current space allocation for outpatient services, spread throughout the first floor (and including the emergency unit) is now simply too small, dislocated, and inefficient. Issues of privacy, dignified treatment, and a positive environment for patients are also becoming challenging.
Day surgery facilities must be improved
The surgical program at the Hospital is a major component of the overall package of healthcare services offered to the catchment area. Eighty-six percent of surgery performed at the Hospital is done on an outpatient basis and more than 1,800 patients used the surgical day care area in 2001/2002. Unfortunately, the current location of the surgery suites no longer provides for efficiency considering surgery’s reliance on other departments, technology, and programs. Specifically, the surgical area needs to be redesigned and upgraded in order to achieve the following:
- Better reception and preparations areas (including registration, changing, treatment, and waiting)
- More efficient patient recovery area and support area
- Accessibility for family and care givers who accompany patients
- Improvements for pre-admission anesthesia clinic patients
Bed allocation needs to be adjusted
Accommodation of acute and continuing complex care patients remains a priority at the Hospital. This means that, given the changing nature of patient care, three crucial bed-space improvements must be made at the Hospital:
Allocation of bed space must be changed to meet current and anticipated demand. This means moving from a current 21 bed to a possible 24 acute care bed facility.
All patient rooms must be brought up to 2002 standards as regulated by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.
The positioning of patient rooms must be strategically located in relation to nursing stations, support services, and complementing medical departments. This means major changes to the current Hospital layout.
New technology and medical equipment are needed
As part of rebuilding the Centre Grey Hospital, new medical equipment must also be obtained. This is the case because, while modern facilities mean better care, hospitals today are also defined by the quality of their medical technology. Establishing a hospital equipment fund is the best long-term approach to this issue, since it would allow for timely, strategic, and well-planned purchases that fit within the service needs and operations of the hospital. Such a fund would provide stability and security for the community and would place the hospital in a position of strength.
The first purchases to be made through the equipment fund would be an MRI machine and PACS, bought in partnership with the other hospitals within the Grey Bruce Health Services, for which the Hospital has already received Ministry approval subject to community funding and construction. Located in Owen Sound, the MRI will be the only one of its kind within an approximate 50 kilometre radius. The new MRI machine will have dramatic effect saving lives and will enable the medical staff to diagnose and treat illness quickly and with minimum duress. Head injuries, surgical planning, cancer identification, and brain abnormalities are easier to spot with an MRI. Not achieving an MRI would put the area behind other parts of the province in terms of its diagnostic abilities. The PACS would be on site in Markdale and would significantly enhance local diagnostic abilities.
The Challenge
The challenge facing the Hospital and the entire surrounding community is that the needs outlined in this document must be addressed if access to quality care is to be preserved. After forty-two years of service the Hospital can no longer provide a proper environment for healthcare delivery. If radical changes are not made, medical services will have to start being withdrawn from Markdale, physician recruitment will become even more difficult, and the Hospital’s standing as a leading local institution will be threatened. This is a serious and urgent situation with far reaching consequences should the challenge not be met.
The Plan
The Board of Directors of Grey Bruce Health Services in consultation with the Centre Grey Health Services Foundation, the Grey Bruce Health Network, Grey Bruce Huron Perth District Health Council, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, and engineering and construction experts examined three possible options for resolving Hospital needs: renovate of the current facility, demolish the old Hospital and build an new one on the same site, and build a new Hospital at a new site (in Markdale)
After careful consideration, it was determined that building a new hospital at a new location was the best solution. This plan was selected for four reasons:
- New site construction is the least expensive option yet provides the highest value.
- A new hospital allows for expansion of medical services while also providing for the opportunity of future growth.
- Five acres of land has been made available by Grey County at the Grey Gables long-term care facility for potential hospital development.
- Demolition issues could be avoided and the current property might be sold as a means of generating capital funds.
Plans have, therefore, been formalized and steps are now being taken to build a new Centre Grey Hospital in Markdale.
Redevelopment Option Cost Comparisons
Improvement Options Estimated Approximate Costs
New hospital, new site
$23,851,576
Renovate hospital
$23,892,708
New hospital, old site
$25,471,824
The Future: What the New Hospital Will Look Like
The new Centre Grey Hospital will be a 54,000 square foot, twenty-five-bed hospital that includes twenty-four acute beds and one obstetric bed. Every department will be new and built to the latest health and safety codes as outlined by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Highlights of the new building will include:
- New clinic space, patient areas, and waiting rooms
- Streamlined admission, pre-op, and post-op treatment areas for day surgery
- Improved patient privacy and healthier environment for staff and patients
- Wheelchair accessible washrooms
- Space for families and patients to visit
- New diagnostic tools including a digital PACS system
- A new ambulatory care unit
- Modern patient rooms
- A new and accessible emergency unit located near the ambulance entrance, laboratory, and radiology departments that provides for fast entry, immediate treatment, and patient privacy.
Benefits of the New Hospital
Better Care – Improved and efficient work and healing environment conducive to rapid service, new technology, and quality care.
Proper Design -– A hospital designed to meet the needs of the community in keeping with the health care delivery system of the day.
Adequate Space – Room for patients and families to be treated; ample waiting and lobby space.
Attractive Environment – A new and modern facility that is attractive, calming, and patient-friendly.
Enhanced Physician Recruitment – A physician friendly facility that will assist in the recruitment and retention of physicians, healthcare practitioners, and visiting specialists.
Why I gave…
“As a pincipal in Markdale, Osprey and Dundalk schools, I’ve seen how important it is to have a hospital nearby when an emergency occurs. This is especially true when students take part in recreational activities like skiing.
My firsthand experience with how important the hospital and medical staff are prompted me to make a donation and to help raise the money needed to ensure we keep a hospital in this area.”
Willard Foster, Markdale
“Outstanding medical care has been a big part of our lives. As a youngster, Dave had polio. As an expectant mother, Barbara needed a doctor immediately. Our children had medical crises. Our careers were devoted to the field of medicine – promoting good health and providing care for others. We have experienced how vital it is for a community to have immediate access to good doctors and near-by hospitals with the most up-to-date facilities.
We hope you will join us in wholeheartedly endorsing and supporting the superb efforts of so many people dedicated to making a new hospital a reality. The members of our community deserve the highest level of care. It made a huge difference in our lives. It will make a difference in yours.”
Barbara and Dave Sackett, Markdale
“The Centre Grey Hospital is important to Eleanor and me, our family and our guests.
I’ve been active in the Hospital Campaign and will continue until we are successful in getting a new hospital for our area. I would encourage everyone to take a good hard look at contributing to the campaign to help keep a hometown hospital close by.”
Doug Freeman, Lake Eugenia
“When Anne and I first moved to Glenelg, we were weekenders. On one of our first Saturday’s here, our teenage daughter, Janet, suffered a bad gash to her forehead. We bundled into the car with me driving faster than the OPP recommend while Janet held a blood-soaked hanky to her forehead.
When we came through the door of the Markdale hospital, the women in admitting took one look at Janet, pointed to a room and said “In there. I’ll get the details in a minute”. Before that minute was up, a doctor and nurse had appeared to do the things doctors and nurses do at such times. Before long, Janet was taken care of and we were able to relax.
I remember how thankful we were to have such a wonderful hospital facility and staff so close by. I haven’t changed my mind since.”
Doug Maxwell, Markdale