The West Prince Hospital Consultation Project Committee has confirmed the schedule for partner and stakeholder consultations on the concept of a single new acute-care hospital, centrally located between the existing hospitals in West Prince. The first public session is to be held at the O’Leary Lions Club on April 20 at 7 p.m.
The public consultations will run between April 20 and May 2 in a variety of venues in West Prince. Advertisements detailing the sessions will be placed in local newspapers and through mail outs in the community. Citizens can also present written submissions, by appointment, to the Project Committee on May 3 & 4 at Rodd’s Mill River Resort. In addition to the public meetings, municipal leaders and health system stakeholders will be consulted during this period.
All meetings will feature special presentations on the state of healthcare in the West Prince area as well as an opportunity for all participants to provide their views and perspectives regarding a single new acute-care hospital, centrally located between the existing hospitals in West Prince.
Ernie Hudson, Chair of the Project Committee said, “The Committee has recruited professional resource staff to ensure that an effective and open-consultation process occurs. The staff will also provide assistance in preparing interim and final reports of findings from the consultation process. The West Prince Hospital Consultation Project Committee will report the findings back to government.
Mr. Hudson added, “The Committee is taking many steps to ensure that partners, stakeholders and citizens will have many opportunities to present their views. For instance, citizens will have an opportunity to provide input through e-mail, a web page, through the postal service and through the scheduled meetings. Details on these opportunities will also be announced through advertisements.”
These consultations will provide an opportunity to discuss the future of healthcare in West Prince while taking into account the community views and perceptions, the realities of an aging population, recruitment and retention challenges for healthcare providers and related facility needs.
The Planning Committee consists of twelve members. There are ten voting members representing the community and two non-voting members representing the Department of Health. The Chair of the Committee is Ernest Hudson, who was the Chair of the former West Prince Health Board.
Members include three former members of the West Prince Health Board, including Barry Clohossey, Maxine Ellis and Eva Rennie. There is also Allison Ellis, Chair of the Community Hospital Board in O’Leary, and Colleen Handrahan, Chair of the Western Hospital in Alberton. Other committee members include Dr. Herb Dickieson, Dr. Baldev Sethi, Dorothy Ellsworth, Cheryl Doran, Cecil Villard, Director of Community Hospitals and Continuing Care, and Garth Waite, Manager of Corporate Relations and Evaluation for the Department of Health.
WEST PRINCE HOSPITAL CONSULTATION PROCESS
Public Meeting Schedule:
April 20 7 - 9 p.m. O’Leary Lions Club
April 24 7 - 9 p.m. West Point Harbourside
April 25 7 - 9 p.m. Alberton CMHA Social Club (old Lions Club)
April 26 7 - 9 p.m. Tignish Parish Center
April 27 7 - 9 p.m. Palmer Road Hall (Meeting to be conducted in French with simultaneous translation)