A $2.75M infrastructure project is underway at South Bruce Grey Health Centre’s (SBGHC) Chesley site to replace the facility’s air-handling units, and install a sprinkler system throughout the site.
In January 2019, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care announced this one-time Health Infrastructure Renewal Funding (HIRF) for SBGHC, which was earmarked for this project, and construction began in March.
This substantial investment in the Chesley hospital will ensure that this facility will be able to operate efficiently for years to come, and ensure that the site will meet the upcoming provincial requirement for hospitals to have a full sprinkler system by 2025.
Construction is underway throughout the site at this time, and will begin on the inpatient unit on the main level of the hospital in late July.
During the 10-week construction period in the inpatient area, there will be no air exchanges and cooling during the summer months, and the noise, smells and disruption from the construction will have an impact patients and staff. As a result, from July 22nd to October 1st, the inpatient unit will be temporarily reduced to two holding beds, and relocated to the Emergency Department, allowing the contractor to set up a larger work area and minimize disruption to patients and staff.
The Emergency Department and outpatient services will remain open during the construction period.
Ten additional beds will be opened at the Durham site of SBGHC on a temporary basis to accommodate patient overflow from the Chesley site. The Seniors Centre of Care will be temporarily closed during the construction period, and will reopen when the project is completed.
At the end of the construction, the bed numbers at the Chesley site will remain at their current level with 8 acute beds, and 10 Seniors Centre of Care beds.
No layoffs are expected. Staff from the Chesley site will be reassigned to the Durham site to support the additional beds, and vacation time during the summer months will allow for more flexibility in scheduling.
“We want to thank the Government of Ontario for making this important capital investment in our hospitals,” says Board Chair Larry Allison. “These facility upgrades will ensure that we can continue to provide reliable, high quality patient care at our Chesley site now and into the future.”
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