Following the provincial government’s approval in April 2022 to build the new hospital on the existing Uxbridge Hospital site, the project has now received further approval to secure a design architect and develop the full plan for the new facility. This design process, expected to take approximately 12 months, will be followed by the next stage to proceed with construction of the new campus.
“Moving into the design phase is another significant step forward in bringing this innovative campus of care together,” says Jo-anne Marr, President and Chief Executive Officer, Oak Valley Health. “Our Uxbridge Hospital is already such a pivotal resource in the community and this new campus will only strengthen that further.”
Once complete, the new hospital will be a brand new state-of-the-art building, where patients will receive the highest quality care and an extraordinary patient experience. The vision for the Uxbridge campus is moving to a community health hub including acute, ambulatory and emergency services, long term care, and primary care services.
This is a really exciting phase in the redevelopment where we get to see the design concepts start to take shape.
Elena Pacheco, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Oak Valley Health
Last year, in partnership with Uxbridge Health Centre’s physician group and Oak Valley Health, the Oak Tree Medical Centre opened on the site marking completion of the first phase of the redevelopment project.
“This is a really exciting phase in the redevelopment where we get to see the design concepts start to take shape,” says Elena Pacheco, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Oak Valley Health. “It is also another opportunity where we get to work with our key stakeholders, including our staff and the Uxbridge community, to help design a hospital that we can all be proud of.”
To help meet the growing need for access to long-term care (LTC), a new home is an important component of the campus vision. The LTC space will be fully funded by the operator that holds the licences for those LTC beds. There is also a plan for a post acute unit to help build additional acute capacity across the region including Markham Stouffville Hospital.
With a view to the future, the rebuild will amply support modern care procedures and technologies, including advanced infection control. The new hospital will have greater diagnostic and laboratory capacity. A new cardio-respiratory clinic will include services such as virtual cardiologist consultation. And, with the addition of stress and pulmonary function testing capabilities, the cardio-respiratory clinic will support Durham residents for the early identification and intervention for heart disease.
Planning will ensure continuous service during construction and transition of the new hospital opening and the old one closing. All programs and services will remain open until they move into the new building.
For more on the redevelopment project – and to watch the virtual community town hall from May 31, 2023, where an update on the project included answering a variety of questions from the community – visit our dedicated web space created to share ongoing updates.
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This article appeared in the July 2023 issue of The Link. To receive Oak Valley Health’s community newsletter, subscribe now.