857, BOUL. CÉCILE, HAWKESBURY, ONTARIO
Submitted photo
Glengarry-Prescott-Russell M.P.P. Jean-Marc Lalonde, HealthMinister DebMatthews,
Dr. Wilbert Keon, President of the Champlain LHIN.
Hospital expansion cleared
newsroom@eap.on.ca
surgical areas. The hospital will also
consolidate services such as specialized
H AWKESBURY
clinics,rehabilitation,hemodialysis,medical
day care and cardiology into a new wing
The Ontario government has approved
that will be more accessible to patients. The
a $100 million expansion of the
new wing will accommodate about 5,000
HawkesburyandDistrictGeneralHospital,
morevisits frompatients. Theexactprice tag
one of the biggest projects to be ever
will beknownoncebids havebeen received.
undertaken in Prescott-Russell.
If all goes as planned, construction of the
Givingarearesidentsbetteraccesstostate-
addition to the 69-bed institution will begin
of-the-arthealthcareservices,closertohome,
in 2013, said Marc LeBoutillier, chief
the addition will expand the emergency
executive officer of the HGH.
departmenttotwiceitscurrentsize,enabling
Since the province is funding the bulk of
it to accommodate an additional 3,500 visits
the cost, a $14 million local fund-raising
from patients. A new family birthing unit
target has been set.
will accommodate 70more births; therewill
“I knowhow important this expansion is
beanewintensivecareunit andmodernized
to the people of this community and I’m
proud to see it move forward. For area
Gosselin:
residents, these new upgrades mean faster
and easier access to high quality health care
services much closer to home,” said Deb
Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-
just another
Term Care, who visited the hospital this
week to confirm approval of the addition.
“I’m proud that this investment will
promise
improve access the care for the people of
Hawkesbury and surrounding area. I’d like
to thank the staff, volunteers and friends of
G l e n g a r r y - P r e s c o t t - R u s s e l l
Hawkesbury and District General Hospital
ConservativecandidateMarilissaGosselin
for their dedication, compassion and
dismisses the province’s approval of the
professionalism,” said Glengarry-Prescott-
HawkesburyandDistrictGeneralHospital
Russell M.P.P. Jean-Marc Lalonde.
as being just another empty promise.
“I’m delighted the government is
“I don’t believe they (Liberals) have any
supporting our hospital’s plan to improve
intention of actually building this project.
its facilities so that residents ofHawkesbury
The panicked and desperate McGuinty
and the surrounding area will soon have
Liberals will say anything to get elected,
access to the very best in hospital care,”
only to backtrack later. We’ve seen this
commented HGH board chair Sébastien
playout in the previous two elections,” she
Racine.
states. “They’ve had eight years to do
Sketch plans are near completion and the
something here for the families, seniors
project will reach the pre-construction stage
and patients who depend on the
this summer.
HawkesburyandDistrictGeneralHospital.
During a recent visit, Champlain Local
Instead they ensured that life has never
Health IntegrationNetwork chief executive
beenbetter for the insiders, appointees and
officerAlexMunterreferredtotheexpansion
managers at Dalton McGuinty’s Local
as the biggest undertaking in this region
Health Integration Network (LHIN)
since the construction of Highway 417.
bureaucracies. Since2006, $12.2millionhas
The additions aredeemed tobeurgent by
been spent on administrative expenses to
hospital officials who note that “there are
runtheChamplainLHIN,insteadofputting
major issues of space, safety, functionality
actual money into this expansion. This
and code compliance. Infrastructure
includes a bloating of executive salaries,
limitations aredetrimental topatient access,
with the number of Champlain LHIN
clinical service development and a healthy
employees making more than $100,000 a
work place.”
year increasing from 2 to 5. This includes
There are threemain components. Anew
the LHIN CEO who has now received
ambulatory carepavilion, 60,000 square feet
$61,000 in raises since 2006.”
on two floors, on the west side, will
Shecontinues: “In timesofurgent health
consolidate all specialty clinics, out-patient
care needs, we just cannot afford anymore
rehabilitation, dialysis and cardiology
of Dalton McGuinty’s scandals, waste and
services.
broken promises. In total, $176 million
A new perioperative department, 8,600
health care dollars have been wasted on
square feet, will be built in the current open
salaries and administration for LHIN
courtyardandwill includeOR, day surgery,
officials. Local families deserve a
endoscopy and minor surgery.
government thatwill actuallyput frontline
The east wing expansion will be carried
care first. The only thing you can count on
out on two floors. On Level 1, about 15,500
DaltonMcGuinty to do if re-elected is raise
The Lowest Price, starts Friday, July 15 th to Thursday July 21 st 2011 ALL ITEMS WHILE SUPPLIES LAST, WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES, NO RAINCHECKS www.pricechopper.ca.
square feet, emergency services will be
taxes again. He’s done it before; he’ll do it
expanded and the intensive care unit
again. The only way to stop the tax man
relocated; on level 2, about 8,600 square feet,
and the broken promises is to change the
thenewfamilybirthingcentrewillbecreated.
government.”
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