By: Save South Muskoka Hospital Committee
The Save South Muskoka Hospital Committee (SSMHC) has completed a comprehensive assessment on the healthcare delivery models proposed for the Muskoka hospital sites. This assessment evaluates the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare’s (MAHC) “Made in Muskoka” model and the newly redeveloped “Care Close to Home V2” model that is virtually unanimously endorsed by physicians in South Muskoka. The SSMHC has determined and strongly recommends that the Care Close to Home V2 model be adopted for the MAHC redevelopment proposal submission to the Ontario Ministry of Health. The Care Close to Home V2 model includes a minimum 60 acute care beds for the future South Muskoka Hospital site.
The assessment applies the following eight principles that our team of professionals with decades of healthcare experience have identified as critical to an effective healthcare system:
● Accessibility
● Equity
● Patient-Centredness
● System Integration
● Continuity of Care
● Responsiveness to Changing Community Needs
● Respect for the Quintuple Aim
● Interdependency
The assessment concludes that the Made in Muskoka model is significantly flawed measured against the critical principles outlined above: the model is fundamentally inequitable and its implementation would be detrimental to the health, safety and well-being of the residents of South Muskoka. The assessment discussion calls for the Made in Muskoka model to be rejected.
By contrast, the assessment concludes that the Care Close to Home V2 model provides an equitable approach that respects the essential healthcare delivery principles.
Significantly, the Care Close to Home V2 model includes an acute care bed allocation that is appropriate for the population of South Muskoka and addresses and mitigates travel concerns across the region. Overall, it offers an equitable and effective solution for healthcare for residents across all of Muskoka into the future.
SSMHC invites stakeholders, community members, and healthcare professionals to review the full position statement, which outlines our findings and recommendations in detail. As the Made in Muskoka model is not supported by this assessment nor by the public at large, the Care Close to Home V2 model provides an appropriate and needed solution to address future healthcare needs.
We strongly encourage the public to voice its concerns with the Made in Muskoka model and show support for the Care Close to Home V2 model through continued pressure on local municipal and provincial politicians, and the MAHC board. Further, we encourage all residents of Muskoka to continue engaging with your community on this critical matter.
For a copy of the SSMHC position statement, please visit our website here.