The Honourable Chester Gillan Minister of Health, today announced the committee responsible for completing a role study and a master plan for the new West Prince Hospital, to be located in Bloomfield.
Mr. Albert Bernard, of Alberton, will serve as chair of the committee. Mr. Bernard has extensive experience in health system administration, having served as an administrator for the Western Hospital and Director of Corporate Services for the West Prince Regional Health Authority. He is presently Property Supervisor for the Western School Board. The committee consists of representatives of the Community Hospital Board in O’Leary, the Western Hospital Board of Alberton, administration and staff of both hospitals, the medical community of West Prince, as well as the Provincial Department of Health.
Minister Gillan said, “I am confident that this project will prove to be very worthwhile for the citizens of West Prince. I recognize that we must work hard to ensure that current healthcare challenges in the area are resolved through a multi-level strategy.”
The establishment of a new single acute care facility in West Prince was the major recommendation of the West Prince Consultation Project, accepted by Premier Pat Binns in the fall of 2006, as a way to stabilize the medical needs of the residents of West Prince.
Mr. Bernard added, “I am very pleased to be part of this project which aims to help strengthen healthcare services in West Prince. By bringing staff and physicians from Western Hospital and Community Hospital together in one new facility, the goal is to have increased capacity to provide reliable, high-quality health services and to better manage the workload of healthcare providers in the area. I commend the staff at both hospitals for their dedication to providing quality healthcare for residents in West Prince.“
The new planning committee will facilitate the completion of a role study and master plan over a four to six-month period. The role study will determine the most appropriate roles for the hospital, in relation to other services and facilities. Upon completion of the role study, a master plan will be developed. The master plan will identify, in broad terms, the range and scope of services to be provided at the hospital. The role study and master plan provide the foundation for the more detailed and technical facility planning required to complete a new hospital which reflects modern standards and models of care.
During the role study and master planning stage, activities will focus on collection and analysis of data and information from various sources required to develop recommendations on the role of the facility, and scope of services to be provided. Planners will involve representatives from numerous stakeholder groups in the process including health staff and members of the community.
Resources Planning Group Inc. have been retained to work on both the role study and the master plan for the new hospital. The Group is a recognized leader in health facilities planning in Canada and the United States. Work on this phase of the project is already underway.
BACKGROUNDER
WEST PRINCE HOSPITAL ROLE STUDY / MASTER PLAN COMMITTEE
Community Representative: Albert Bernard (Chair)
Community Hospital, O’Leary Board Chair or designate: Allison Ellis/designate
Western Hospital, Alberton Board Chair or designate: Colleen Handrahan/designate
Administrators: John Martin, Administrator, Community Hospital, O’Leary; and Marlene Bolger, Administrator, Western Hospital, Alberton
Chiefs of Staff: Dr. Herb Dickieson, Chief of Staff, O’Leary/designate; and Dr. Baldev Sethi, Chief of Staff, Alberton/designate
Directors of Nursing: Pamela Seitz, Director of Nursing, Community Hospital, O’Leary; and Dorothy Ellsworth, Director of Nursing, Western Hospital, Alberton
Representative ~ Support Services: Karen Milligan, Manager, Support Services, Community Hospital, O’Leary; and Mary Perry, Manager, Support Services, Western Hospital, Alberton
Representative ~ Hospital Services (ie. Diagnostic Imaging): Pauline Stewart, Diagnostic Imaging/Laboratory Representative
Transportation and Public Works: Holly Hinds and Foster Miller
Human Resources: Karen Fraser
Director, Community Hospitals and Continuing Care: Cecil Villard
Resources to the Committee:
Consultant ~ Faith Nesdoly, Resource Planning Group
Communications ~ Terry Allen, Future Learning Inc.