July 8, 2024 – Last week, the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare Board passed a motion that may have been misunderstood. The decision does not mean that the organization is moving ahead with a final plan for the hospitals without further consultation.
The decision by the board means that they have given permission to consultants to start designing ideas. These designs will be flexible to fit future healthcare needs.
The main goal is to improve local healthcare by making two bigger hospitals that offer more services than they do now. The planning team are focused on keeping high quality care as the foundation of all decisions throughout this process.
Here is where things stand right now:
- Government Approval: MAHC will not submit a plan to the government until November. That means the plan is still being worked on.
- Listening and Changing: MAHC is listening to feedback from the community and doctors. This input from stakeholders will be included in the submission to the Ministry in the fall.
- Teams Working Together: Three groups are being formed to work on these issues with doctors from both North and South Muskoka and community members.
- Working Together: MAHC will keep working closely with Muskoka’s leaders and healthcare teams to ensure the consideration of everyone’s needs. The board has specifically directed the planning team to enhance partnerships to address transportation, bed capacity/distribution, and community service integration.
The team at MAHC believes that improving these hospitals is crucial to giving better healthcare to Muskoka residents while still keeping all core services available at both the Bracebridge and Huntsville sites. Local healthcare workers are doing a great job, and MAHC wants to support them even more with these changes.
MAHC is committed to getting this right and appreciates the ongoing input from all stakeholders.
