The West Lincoln Memorial Hospital rebuild team has submitted Stage Two plans to the Ministry of Health for review and approval, as part of Ontario’s five-stage process for building a hospital.
Planning began in March, a week before the pandemic started, which changed things a little bit, but the community was able to get it done. Most meetings were moved online, but that did not stop participation. Approximately 150 staff members from WLMH and Hamilton Health Sciences contributed to this planning, along with stakeholders.
“We got great questions, ideas, and comments in all of our user group meetings. The engagement got even better as we progressed through the process. This was new for all of us, but it was a robust experience and that’s definitely reflected in the final plan,” said Bart DeVries, director of the redevelopment.
These plans outline the services to be included in the hospital as set by the Ministry. This includes a list of spaces within the new building, a plan of how these spaces may be laid out in the new facility, a site plan showing features like parking and landscape, a list of needed furniture and equipment, and a cost estimate.
Some of these spaces include four operating suites, double the number currently at the WLMH site and a multi-faith room for allowing families a quiet space for reflection when needed, a space not available in the current site.
To ensure accessibility, infection control and service delivery, the planned hospital will be roughly 65,000 square feet to 120,000 square feet, almost double the size of the current hospital.
The proposed plan will have the hospital being built behind the existing site and the old site will be demolished once the new hospital is open. This can allow for additional landscaping and parking. More details on this will be determined during Stage Three.
The full plan is not available to the public until it has been approved by the Ministry, so there is not too much that can be shared before then. Approval is anticipated in early 2021.
Learn More:
10 things to know about Stage 2 submission