S TRATHROY M IDDLESEX G ENERAL H OSPITAL F OUNDATION A hospital is a - - PDF document

STRATHROY MIDDLESEX GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

A hospital is a community’s lifeline. This is especially true in small towns and rural communities, where often the time it takes to reach the nearest urban centre’s hospital could mean life or death. London’s hospitals are 40 kilometres away. Sarnia’s hospitals are 55 kilometres away, but in the heart of Strathroy-Caradoc there is Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital (SMGH). SMGH offers a comprehensive range of diagnostic and ambulatory services, 24/7 emergency services, as well as both primary and secondary care — for all ages. Our hospital also provides specialized care, such as cataract removal, joint replacement and diabetes education, which draws people from across the region. Many of these specialty services are ranked among the best in Canada. All meet or exceed provincial standards for quality. As an example, only two hospitals in southwestern Ontario meet the provincial benchmark of 48 hours for repairing hip fractures. Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital is one of them.

Maintaining a hospital is no different than maintaining a home, and every homeowner knows that, over time, a house will need upgrades, systems will need to be replaced and structural issues may need to be addressed.

We have identified the most pressing issues and challenges facing our hospital. These fall into three main categories: (1) ongoing critical equipment needs, (2) technology infrastructure issues, and (3) building infrastructure issues Critical Equipment Needs Having the most-up-to-date medical equipment is important because it speeds up care, allows for quicker diagnoses and shortens wait times. The latest technology also attracts and retains highly skilled doctors and nurses who have trained on the latest equipment. These are the everyday tools that medical professionals use to provide the exceptional patient-centred care our community has come to expect — and deserves. Some of these items and equipment needs are so urgent that we cannot call this a wish list — all of these items are essential for patient care, and some are near end of life: CT scanner: A CT scan provides vital information that a traditional X-ray cannot provide, and is therefore essential for effective diagnosis. Our current scanner is nearly 10 years old and will need to be replaced within the next few years. Clinical Cart: Portable clinical carts are connected to the network, but once they reach end

• f life they are automatically disconnected and become immediately obsolete. SMGH must

replace the current OTN clinical cart. CO2 Monitoring: Our endoscopy department requires a system to monitor C02 levels for patients receiving conscious sedation.

STRATHROY MIDDLESEX GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

Pain Pumps: We currently need three new pain pumps. The new ambulatory infusion smart pumps deliver medication while allowing the patient to be mobile, effective for improving clinical outcomes and reducing length of hospital stays. Automated Medication Dispensing Cabinet (ADC): 2 South requires an automated medication dispensing cabinet. ADCs improve patient safety, reduce medication errors, control costs and save nursing staff time for patient care. Portable Vital Signs Monitors: Both ambulatory care and South nursing need portable vital sign monitors, three in total. A vital sign monitor assesses blood pressure, pulse and oxygen saturation — standard practice for assessing the most accurate blood pressure. Portable Ventilators: In both ICU and CCU two ventilators are needed. Currently, the Hospital cannot provide BiPAP at high pressures nor can they ventilate obese individuals. This new unit can adapt to each patient’s needs with a push of the button. Bariatric Stretcher: Used to move and transport patients between the Emergency and other departments in the hospital, this type of stretcher can also be used for examination and treatment and accommodates above average weight loads. Grounding Pads for OR: These green pads seen on OR tables are grounding devices used during surgery to keep the patient safe during the procedure. They need to be replaced every two years. Microscope: The current ophthalmology microscope (used to perform numerous cataract surgeries annually) is twenty-five years old. It needs to be replaced as soon as possible. Patient Beds, BP Cuffs and LED Headlight: SMGH currently has 22 patient beds that need to be replaced and two midray BP cuffs for Pre operative and Post Operative areas, one for every three bays. Also, a new surgery headlight for use in oral/ENT/plastic surgery and general surgery is needed. Technology Infrastructure Issues In today’s health care world a hospital relies heavily on technology to operate. Without a functional information technology system we cannot deliver the incredible diagnostic and life-saving tools we are proud of. Investment in health care infrastructure is essential in order to maintain a safe physical environment, to keep our doors open, and to allow clinicians and patients access to new and effective technologies. Building Issues Much of the core equipment that runs our hospital and keeps our doors open is over 20 years past their expected life span. The cost of repairing and maintaining the old equipment is both expensive and challenging, given that parts are very hard to come by, if at all. Failure to replace any of these vital organs means our hospital shuts down

STRATHROY MIDDLESEX GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

Hospital Funding in Ontario Many people believe that because we have a publicly funded system in Canada hospitals are fully supported by the government. This is not the case. In Ontario, a hospital’s capital equipment expenditures are exclusively — 100 percent — funded by its community. The province funds only a hospital’s operating costs, and those funds are non-transferable to capital purchases. Not even capital construction projects within hospitals are fully funded by the government. These projects are usually funded through a cost-sharing mechanism between the MOHLTC (Ministry of Health and Long Term Care) and local community donations to the hospital and its Foundation The Challenge Can you imagine Strathroy-Caradoc without its hospital? If we do not invest in our hospital, we will not be able to provide the standard of care you have come to expect from SMGH. The funds we raise together will replace aging equipment that keeps SMGH operational. They will upgrade servers and switches to keep us connected to 21st century medical care and keep life-saving machines functioning. Most critically, they will purchase the equipment our physicians and nurses need to care for their patients.

MUNICIPAL FUNDING OF LOCAL HOSPITAL CAMPAIGNS

MUNICIPALITY YEAR TOTAL COMMITMENT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Norfolk County 2016 $5 million over 10 years Temiskaming Shores 2016 $1 million over 5 years Windsor 2016 $200 million To be split between the City

• f Windsor and Essex
• County. The exact amount

for each is still being negotiated between both Councils. Oakville 2014 $130 million over 10 years Burlington 2014 $60 million over 10 years Milton 2014 $35 million over 10 years Wellington County 2014 $9.4 million (one-time gift paid out of reserves) $5 million to Fergus $2.2 million to Mount Forest $2.2 million to Palmerston

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2014-2016 Board of

Directors Ron Tyler, Chair Kevin Fryday, Vice Chair Janet Grantham, Vice Chair Chris Oas, Secretary/Treasurer Jason Timmermans, Past Chair John Brennan Tim Hamilton John Pommer Nick Prigioniero Suzanne Racine Todd Stepanuik, MHA President & CEO Ken Williams Susan Mclean, CFRE,

CEO

July 12, 2016 The Mayor and Council Municipality of Strathroy-Caradoc 52 Frank Street Strathroy ON N7G 2R4 Dear Mayor Vanderheyden and Council Members; Thanks to the visionary planning and fundraising efforts of

• ur community over the last one hundred years, there is a

patient centered, life-saving and caring hospital in our municipality today. Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital (SMGH) has been the cornerstone of our community since 1914. SMGH offers a comprehensive range of diagnostic, ambulatory, 24/ 7 emergency, as well as many surgical and specialist services. We can be proud of the wide breadth of healthcare that our hospital provides and the quality of delivery, validated by our Accreditation of Excellence. SMGH has evolved into one of the preeminent community hospitals in Southwestern Ontario. Currently, SMGH is facing critical capital financial challenges because, in addition to our annual equipment needs, we must also address urgent building infrastructure and technology infrastructure issues. In the most part, capital equipment expenditures for Ontario hospitals are funded by donors. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care funds a hospital's operating costs, and

• perational funding is non-transferable to capital purchases.

The exception to this rule is a provincial program called the

Inspiring local giving to sustain Strathroy Middlesex General as a vibrant community hospital

• S

MG H

Foundation

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Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital

395 Carrie Street Strathroy, ON N7G 3J4 519-246-5906 www.smghfoundation.com Charitable Registration # 13297 4270 RR0001

Hospital Infrastructure Renewal Fund (HIRF). HIRF funding is project based, and allowed us to clad the outside of the SMGH last year. The HIRF program has limitations, and although we will continue to apply for funding, on its own HIRF will not resolve our capital deficit.

It

is urgent that we address our infrastructure issues soon. The repercussions of doing nothing will be harshly felt by future

• generations. We need only look to Fort Erie or Wallaceburg to

appreciate the value that our hospital brings to our

• community. As one of the largest employers in the area,

SMGH is an economic lynchpin, and an important asset for the community's future economic development.

If

we do not invest in our hospital, we will lose the ability to provide the healthcare that our community needs. Therefore, the SMGH Foundation is launching a crucial fundraising campaign to help ensure that our hospital survives for generations to come.

REQUEST TO ADDRESS COUNCIL

Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital Foundation formally requests an opportunity to present and discuss the long-term funding needs of Strathroy Middlesex Hospital prior to the commencement of 2017 municipal budget deliberations.

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Chair, Board of Directors Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital Foundation