Campbellford Memorial Hospital has unveiled the first rendering of its proposed “Campus of Care” to be located on County Road 30 just west of Campbellford.
The ambitious concept would see an array of health care services in a single location within the decade, including a redeveloped 50-bed hospital, a new 128-bed long-term care home, and a medical office building designed to house the hospital’s community mental health program, geriatric assessment and intervention network, primary care offices, and other ancillary health services.
The site would also include supportive and staff housing complexes, recreational trails, community gardens, and wooded areas.
“This project will usher in a new era of health care excellence in our region,” says Campbellford Memorial Hospital president and CEO Jeff Hohenkerk in a media release.
“By expanding the hospital’s capacity, adding more long-term care beds, and offering a comprehensive range of ancillary health services all in one location, we will provide an unprecedented level of care that surpasses what is typically available in communities our size.”
Built in 1953, Campbellford Memorial Hospital has not undergone any major renovations or expansions since the construction of its emergency department wing, which was completed in 1987.
According to Hohenkerk, the proposed Campus of Care would represent a substantial improvement in the delivery of care, including more private rooms, increased accessibility features, medical units optimized for efficient patient flow, and an upgraded electrical grid to accommodate advanced medical equipment, and it would also help attract health care professionals to the region.
“In a competitive job market, modern and state-of-the-art facilities play a crucial role in attracting health care workers, especially new graduates,” Hohenkerk explains. “Our new hospital will be designed to meet the highest standards, offering a cutting-edge environment not seen elsewhere in our region.”
Having secured a 48-acre parcel of land donated by local farmer Jim Curle last October, Campbellford Memorial Hospital has been working to address zoning issues, conduct soil testing, study traffic flow, and develop comprehensive program plans.
Once provincial government approval is received for its planning grant, the hospital expects it will take three or four years before construction begins and another three to five years for construction to be completed.
“Right now our hope is to have our new hospital completed within the next seven to 10 years,” says Campbellford Memorial Hospital board chair Carrie Hayward. “We are working every day to ensure those timelines are met.”
The hospital says it “is committed to ensuring a meticulous, transparent, and efficient development process” for the proposed Campus of Care project. For more information about the project, visit cmh.ca/redevelopment.
