CEO of the Southeast Local Health Integration Network, Paul Huras. (Photo: Quinte News).
Anything is possible as long as there is enthusiastic support from healthcare organizations and the wider community.
That was the main point enthusiastically hammered home by the CEO of the Southeast Local Health Integration Network Paul Huras at a meeting of the Trenton Memorial Hospital Implementation Task Force Thursday.
The Task Force and its member boards of directors all support integration but there are stumbling blocks around dollars and cents around the creation of a health hub.
The Task Force continues to recommend integration plus the construction of a new building on land owned by Quinte Health Care right across from Trenton Memorial to hold a health hub, to be made up of various healthcare providers.
Those might be the V.O.N., Addictions and Mental Health, and the Belleville/Quinte West Community Health Centre, among others yet to be determined.
However, as we reported recently, a new build is estimated to cost around 17 million dollars, and initial estimates suggest the healthcare providers now on the Task Force would end up paying a total of over $400,000 a year more in rent than they now do at their current locations.
The organizations around the table all agree that they don’t have the money to pay that much more in rent in a new location, as it would seriously hurt patient services.
The Task Force will consult with other “hub” organizations on how space costs are calculated and shared in an effort to see if those rent costs can be brought down.
In regards to the 17 million dollar capital cost issue, LHIN CEO Huras will be meeting with provincial government officials next week to inform them of the Task Force’s plan.
“There has to be whole hearted support from this Task Force and loud support from the whole community for this health hub concept. You can’t be half in and half out because you’ll get no funding support from the Ministry if you are”, said Huras.
He went on to say that with widespread community support, the capital dollars could well be approved.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Eric Hoskins, in a recent visit to Trenton Memorial Hospital, said he was very interested in the health hub concept and was looking forward to hearing more about the efforts to create one locally.
Meanwhile, a meeting to discuss the governance model of a hub with the Task Force members’ boards will be held May 24.
The Task Force will have a business plan ready by June 1, and a final report ready for presentation to the Southeast LHIN by the end of June.
