Save South Muskoka Hospital Committee asks Bracebridge Council to reject new hospital model
The Save South Muskoka Hospital Committee (SSMHC) asked Bracebridge Council to reject the new hospital model, in the July 10, 2024, meeting.
The not-for-profit represents 120 members and 11,000 petition participants who have signed up to support public concerns.
They advised Council that they are advocating for “equitable access to acute care services across the District.”
In their report, they indicated, “We strongly reject the current model proposed by MAHC [Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare] as it is fundamentally inequitable and will be detrimental to the health, safety and well being of Muskokans.”
The SSMHC is seeking long-term support for residents and taxpayers in the community and represent concerns from doctors regarding patients about the current model, or as indicated in their report, “To be the voice of doctors and medical professionals who have been muzzled.”
Representative, Tony Vanderstelt, said, “The doctors feel they just have no voice. It’s gotten to that point where they have publicly said it’s toxic, with fear of retribution on their part individually.”
According to their report, the SSMHC have issued position statements encouraging development of a separate and additional facility for alternate level of care patients who they indicate occupy 20-25% of the current 67 acute care beds in the south Muskoka hospital, increased consideration to transferring and transportation options for patients, and working with doctors for solutions to issues.
They asked Council to create a motion to reject the 36 beds proposed, in favour of at least 56 and a full-service hospital, and withdraw the $10 million of local share.
They also requested that MAHC rescind their decision to allow consultants to continue with stage 1.3 submission to the Ministry of Health, and to listen to the concerns of healthcare professionals, and ensure transparency with funding costs for land and development.
The SSMHC acknowledged Mayor, Rick Maloney, “for his resolute letter to MAHC expressing his deep dissatisfaction with the Board’s conduct,” along with other Council member support.
They expressed appreciation for MPP, Graydon Smith for “condemning the actions taken by the MAHC Board.”
They also emphasized the crucial need for having a full-service hospital as the community grows and the long-term needs that will continue to be in demand with the population, and also drew attention to the potential to have to re-develop again in another 15 years because of lack of beds and services available to meet the demand.
Councillor, Tatianna Sutherland, indicated that there have been provincial and international discussions about reduction of services and areas in hospitals. She said, “When you take services away or beds away from hospitals and shrink certain areas of hospitals there’s a danger that the hospital will be seen as non-sustainable by governing bodies and at risk.”
Vanderstelt explained that doctors have already identified this reduction in services as a problem with retention. He said, “That’s something the doctors identified right away. The critical mass needs to be there to attract doctors, to retain doctors. Several have already said, ‘It makes no sense for me. I’m not going to be here.’”
He added, “The doctors have said since day one that there’s not going to be enough to keep them, to make enough money, is what it boils down to.”
Councillor, Debbie Vernon, expressed concern about losing existing healthcare providers. She referred to the Minden hospital closing as an example of not having enough workers. She said, “That’s my greatest fear in all of this, is that we’re not on the cusp of some kind of disastrous outcome and everything gets shifted to the north.”
Other concerns included the lack of transparency of funds by MACH.
Sutherland, said, “We’re asking for tax payers to pony up significant amounts of money both at the lower tier and the upper tier municipal levels with an understanding that a plan was going to be something that is now not what is in front of us, and if we can’t even have transparency as to the details of what that change means financially to the individual residents it can’t stand.”
Mayor, Rick Maloney, indicated that the SSMHC has raised issues that Council has been concerned about.
Council adopted the recommendation by the Planning and Development Committee on July 3rd to invite MACH to a Special General Committee meeting for a presentation on the new model, and to have staff look into conditions to be applied to the Town’s $10 million Local Share Contribution.
