SARNIA, November 21, 1996 - The Health Services Restructuring Commission today released its report and recommendations on restructuring hospital services in Lambton County.
The restructuring plan is contained in notices of intention to issue directions, which the Commission has distributed to local hospitals, the Lambton District Health Council and the Minister of Health.
Local organizations and individuals have 30 days to submit written comments. After considering new information received during this period, the Commission will issue its directions to hospitals and recommendations to the Minister of Health.
The restructuring plan, which is based on a report by the Lambton District Health Council, calls for Sarnia General Hospital, St. Joseph's Health Centre and Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital (CEEH) to retain their separate governance structures under a single administrative organization, and to share support services and medical staff. By April 1, 1997, the hospitals will appoint a chief executive officer to manage the operations of all three hospitals, a medical advisory committee and a chief of staff, all accountable to the board of directors of each organization.
"The Commission's philosophy is to implement locally developed restructuring plans when we are assured that these plans are credible and will satisfy the health care needs of the communities and the fiscal realities of the hospitals," said commissioner Doug Lawson. "The restructuring plan submitted by the Lambton DHC certainly falls into this category.
"The Commission's plan builds directly on the work currently under way by the three hospitals to develop a strategic alliance agreement and establish a joint operational planning committee. The new streamlined structure will mean more efficient coordination of services for the people of Sarnia and the surrounding rural community."
Sarnia General and St. Joseph's Health Centre will be co-located on the St. Joseph's site. By April 30, 1997, Sarnia General and St. Joseph's are to have reached an agreement regarding the transfer of ownership, from St. Joseph's to Sarnia General, of the buildings and land necessary to provide acute care. Also by that date, the two hospitals must have reached agreement about each organization's responsibility for the capital planning and financing necessary for their consolidation and co-location.
The Sarnia General site will be decommissioned by 1999 after the two hospitals consolidate on the St. Joseph's site.
St. Joseph's Health Centre will assume responsibility for chronic care and rehabilitation. St. Joseph's and CEEH will work with Lambton County's Placement Coordination Service to develop a plan to coordinate access to chronic care services for Lambton County residents. The Commission will determine the final number of chronic care beds needed in the county on the basis of further research. In the interim, CEEH will continue to operate its chronic care program.
The St. Joseph's site will be expanded and renovated to allow for consolidation of 172 acute care beds, 26 adult mental health beds, three mental health beds for children and adolescents, 24 rehabilitation beds, 101 chronic care beds, 14 transitional care beds (a new level of care in Ontario, also known as sub-acute), one emergency department and the hospitals' integrated administrative and support services.
The Commission has recognized the special needs of Lambton County's rural population, which relies on Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital in Petrolia for ambulatory and community-based services. CEEH will provide ambulatory care, outpatient and health promotion services in Petrolia. Its emergency department will be converted to an 18-hour-per-day "urgicentre."
"Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital will be transformed into a rural primary and community care centre, while retaining its Ontario hospital designation," said Lawson.
The restructuring plan builds on CEEH's existing ambulatory and community-based programs and transfers its acute inpatient caseload - which has been declining steadily for the past four years - to Sarnia. The three hospitals will share one medical staff.
CEEH's programs will have two key components:
The Commission is recommending to the Minister of Health that a budget of up to $21.7 million be approved for St. Joseph's and Sarnia General to expand and renovate the St. Joseph's site, and that up to $4 million be approved for equipment and furnishings. The redeveloped site will total 393,000 square feet. It is also recommending a budget of up to $2.5 million for renovations at CEEH to accommodate the new ambulatory care activity.
The Commission is recommending that the Ministry of Health provide additional funding to support expansion of community services in Lambton County, especially home care and related services. This includes $1,106,000 for home care (resulting in an additional 28,000 visits a year) and $354,000 for rehabilitation beds. It is also recommending $515,000 to $595,000 for transitional care and $1,214,000 for additional mental health beds.
As a result of clinical efficiencies, program transfers and integration of support and administrative services, restructuring Lambton County's three hospitals will result in annual savings of approximately $22 million.
"This restructuring plan owes much to the significant contribution made to the restructuring process by Lambton County's District Health Council and hospitals," said Lawson. "The community has already made a great deal of progress in identifying and achieving opportunities for coordination and consolidation.
"Restructuring the hospital system may change where and how people in Lambton County receive their health services, but it will not reduce the number of people receiving treatment - the volume of services. Restructuring will mean that hospital services will be delivered more efficiently, and less will be spent on administration."
The Health Services Restructuring Commission is an independent and expert agency with a four-year mandate to preserve health care services in Ontario. It has been charged with restructuring hospital systems and advising the Minister of Health on restructuring other health services to improve quality, outcomes and efficiency.
For information: (416) 327-5919
Media contact: Jane Stewart (416) 327-5919
Version française disponible
Back to the top