Bracebridge advised to 'plan carefully' with healthcare moving forward
Bracebridge Committee was advised to 'plan carefully' with healthcare moving forward, in the November 5, 2024, General meeting.
The Committee received a report back from Principle of Medcura, David Murray, about Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare’s (MACH) hospital re-development proposal.
Murray said the Town’s healthcare system will be an important factor for attracting people in the future.
He advised that although beds shouldn’t be used to measure their healthcare system, they will be a resource given that it’s hard to predict the future.
He added that the Town has a “bright future” because of the services they’re offering.
Mayor, Rick Maloney, said that there would be risk if changes hadn’t been made to the model.
Murray advised that the 10 additional beds for the Town “provides assurance that there’s enough capacity moving forward.” They can be transitional depending on the different needs that arise moving forward. He added, “A bit of a safety net to ensure you have the right resources.”
Committee members discussed the importance of the beds being used constructively, however, and how services like alternative care needs to change.
Murray said that 16% or 10,000 people in all hospital beds in the province are used for alternative care. He said, “It’s a waste of resources in the system.” This is why moving these patients to Huntsville will be beneficial because “it allows Bracebridge to provide emergency, ambulance, and surgical services.”
He added that the province needs to do better at delivering homecare programs, and hopefully the alternative care issue will be resolved with more services in place.
He continued that the Town has “great opportunity and political support in the area.” And provincial partnerships will also be key moving forward, especially in rural areas, which need a unique delivery model given the geographic and low-density challenges.
He said, “You have an opportunity to replan and develop a system and set an example for other areas,” and recommended ensuring the Ministry and healthcare “has strategies to work towards versus communities struggling regarding what not to do.”
He added, “It all has to mesh together.” For instance, Bracebridge and nearby Town’s, such as Orillia and North Bay are interconnected, so, it’s important to consider “where you’re going and what you can do effectively, safely, and economically,” especially in smaller areas.
Councillor, Barry Hammond, inquired about whether having the extra beds will result in added costs and “overbuilding” given the goal to reduce alternative care.
Murray advised that the extra resources will add flexibility for other services that may arise in the future that they may not see now, such as dementia management. He said, “It’s important to plan carefully,” including getting creative about using existing resources.
Maloney quoted the report as saying, “There will be a need to have ongoing reviews to ensure that the plan meets current and future needs.” He expressed the importance of MACH “living up to the plan and checks and balances in internal reviews…to ensure the plan presented is the plan received.”
Murray advised that given the Ministry’s financial commitment of 75% they will also be reviewing the plan and ensuring that it meets the needs of the area. So, between MACH, the communities, and the Ministry, reviews will be ongoing to ensure the model is meeting the appropriate needs.
Councillor, Don Smith, inquired about how the Town can measure whether they have a “good proportion of services that meets the community needs.”
Murray said, “Look for the percentage of services they can access locally,” which is what drives an effective healthcare system. He said if the Town has 90% of services needed “the system is working well” ensuring people’s needs can be met in their own area.
He said the Town hits “over 90%...that’s the gold standard.”
He added that the biggest concern is travel, in addition to “the right mix of services that will be available to the people in your area.”
Committee added clauses to their commitment allowing them to re-evaluate their local share in the instance of significant change to MACH”s hospital redevelopment model, and to support “community care capacity in Muskoka.”
