by Tom Sasvari
MINDEMOYA—Renovations and expansion of the emergency department at the Mindemoya Hospital site of the Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) are close to completion and the new expanded site is in full use.
“This is a true testament of the amazing residents, businesses and organizations that helped make this happen,” stated Sheri Hore, RN nurse manager, emergency/chemotherapy department of the MHC last week.
“MHC is known for delivering high quality care to its residents and visitors,” said Ms. Hore. “This new space allows our team to deliver the high standards of care to every patient, while providing our staff and physicians with an area that meets all needs. Thank you for your patience, resilience and encouragement. Truly a great team.”
Ms. Hore explained, “the new expanded emergency department at the Mindemoya site is in full use. Although there is still some construction noise happening, it is now focused on other areas. The needs of our patients and our clinical teams guided the development of this new space, which includes a new triage and registration area. Emergency patients will now register in the emergency department after being triaged. There is an isolation room with anteroom, a larger trauma bay, and a family room which provides a dedicated space for our patients and families.”
“This new space also includes separate treatment rooms that are larger and private as well as a new nurse’s station with many workstations to improve workflow and collaboration,” said Ms. Hore.
“We never closed the emergency department, but as for phase two of the emergency department renovations, this work is completed. It is amazing,” said Ms. Hore. “The contractors did a wonderful job and the space provided fits everyone’s needs.”
The project has been carried out even with many delays because of supply chain issues, and without government funding support for the project.
“The fundraising goal of $2.5 million was raised,” Eric Theriault, vice-president corporate support service and chief financial officer of the MHC told The Expositor. “For the most part, the funds were there for the entire project. We have put forward a small ask of the government to bring it home. Yes, this was basically an own-funds (MHC and fundraising) project with no assistance from the government. We have the equivalent of a 10 percent ask of funds from the government to finalize the funding portion of the project.”
“For sure we were able to accomplish the fundraising goal thanks to the generosity of the Island community,” said Mr. Theriault. “We made our funding request to the province in late 2022.”
In 2021 the MHC announced tenders had been approved and the MHC team celebrated with a shovel in the ground on Monday, June 14, 2021, for the planned renovation and expansion of the Mindemoya emergency department.
“Let’s Emerge Together” was the campaign slogan chosen to champion the Mindemoya site emergency department renovation and expansion project. The renovation provides a clean line of site to patient areas from the nursing station, greater patient confidentiality during a visit, a dedicated mental health observation suite, an extra bed in the trauma area, a larger chemotherapy suite and an infectious disease suite, complete with anteroom. The plan is still to open the chemotherapy suite this spring once certification of the rooms and nurses is complete.
The total project was estimated to be $5 million with the MHC funding one-half of the cost from its own resources.
An MHC release states, “After many delays because of supply chain issues, the newly renovated and expanded emergency department is open for business at the Mindemoya site. Currently when patients arrive for lab or diagnostic imaging or to be seen in the emergency department, they will register at admitting. All of those patients will proceed down the hall to the new emergency department waiting room. Each department will receive notification that their patient has arrived and registered. Patients will wait until their name is called.”
“In the coming days, there will be changes to some of those processes,” a MHC release notes. “Patients arriving for lab or diagnostic imaging will continue to register at admitting. Effective Thursday, April 13, patients arriving for emergency would go directly to the emergency department, take a number and ring the bell. Those patients would be seen by a registered nurse in triage and would be directed on from there. It will be very important for the public to read the signs as these changes are implemented.”
“The board, management and staff of MHC would like to extend a huge thank you to the community for their patience throughout this process,” the release stresses.
“We have received nothing but positive comments from the communities, residents and visitors to the hospital,” said Ms. Hore. “This is a dream to have this space and we all love it. Everyone has been patient and encouraging, even when COVID was part of the mix.”by Tom Sasvari
MINDEMOYA—Renovations and expansion of the emergency department at the Mindemoya Hospital site of the Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) are close to completion and the new expanded site is in full use.
“This is a true testament of the amazing residents, businesses and organizations that helped make this happen,” stated Sheri Hore, RN nurse manager, emergency/chemotherapy department of the MHC last week.
“MHC is known for delivering high quality care to its residents and visitors,” said Ms. Hore. “This new space allows our team to deliver the high standards of care to every patient, while providing our staff and physicians with an area that meets all needs. Thank you for your patience, resilience and encouragement. Truly a great team.”
Ms. Hore explained, “the new expanded emergency department at the Mindemoya site is in full use. Although there is still some construction noise happening, it is now focused on other areas. The needs of our patients and our clinical teams guided the development of this new space, which includes a new triage and registration area. Emergency patients will now register in the emergency department after being triaged. There is an isolation room with anteroom, a larger trauma bay, and a family room which provides a dedicated space for our patients and families.”
“This new space also includes separate treatment rooms that are larger and private as well as a new nurse’s station with many workstations to improve workflow and collaboration,” said Ms. Hore.
“We never closed the emergency department, but as for phase two of the emergency department renovations, this work is completed. It is amazing,” said Ms. Hore. “The contractors did a wonderful job and the space provided fits everyone’s needs.”
The project has been carried out even with many delays because of supply chain issues, and without government funding support for the project.
“The fundraising goal of $2.5 million was raised,” Eric Theriault, vice-president corporate support service and chief financial officer of the MHC told The Expositor. “For the most part, the funds were there for the entire project. We have put forward a small ask of the government to bring it home. Yes, this was basically an own-funds (MHC and fundraising) project with no assistance from the government. We have the equivalent of a 10 percent ask of funds from the government to finalize the funding portion of the project.”
“For sure we were able to accomplish the fundraising goal thanks to the generosity of the Island community,” said Mr. Theriault. “We made our funding request to the province in late 2022.”
In 2021 the MHC announced tenders had been approved and the MHC team celebrated with a shovel in the ground on Monday, June 14, 2021, for the planned renovation and expansion of the Mindemoya emergency department.
Mindemoya Hospital.
“Let’s Emerge Together” was the campaign slogan chosen to champion the Mindemoya site emergency department renovation and expansion project. The renovation provides a clean line of site to patient areas from the nursing station, greater patient confidentiality during a visit, a dedicated mental health observation suite, an extra bed in the trauma area, a larger chemotherapy suite and an infectious disease suite, complete with anteroom. The plan is still to open the chemotherapy suite this spring once certification of the rooms and nurses is complete.
The total project was estimated to be $5 million with the MHC funding one-half of the cost from its own resources.
An MHC release states, “After many delays because of supply chain issues, the newly renovated and expanded emergency department is open for business at the Mindemoya site. Currently when patients arrive for lab or diagnostic imaging or to be seen in the emergency department, they will register at admitting. All of those patients will proceed down the hall to the new emergency department waiting room. Each department will receive notification that their patient has arrived and registered. Patients will wait until their name is called.”
“In the coming days, there will be changes to some of those processes,” a MHC release notes. “Patients arriving for lab or diagnostic imaging will continue to register at admitting. Effective Thursday, April 13, patients arriving for emergency would go directly to the emergency department, take a number and ring the bell. Those patients would be seen by a registered nurse in triage and would be directed on from there. It will be very important for the public to read the signs as these changes are implemented.”
“The board, management and staff of MHC would like to extend a huge thank you to the community for their patience throughout this process,” the release stresses.
“We have received nothing but positive comments from the communities, residents and visitors to the hospital,” said Ms. Hore. “This is a dream to have this space and we all love it. Everyone has been patient and encouraging, even when COVID was part of the mix.”
