When it comes to the future of healthcare at Northumberland Hills Hospital (NHH) in Cobourg, community members are being invited to hear about the hospital’s master plan and share their input, starting this week.
As part of an overall community engagement plan, NHH recently announced the launch of three public forums seeking community input into the hospital’s future as part of its “Growing Care for the Future” master plan.
“We want to raise awareness that this is a process we are embarking on and set the stage for the coming months of meaningful community conversations around the future of hospital programs and services,” NHH president and CEO Susan Walsh told kawarthaNOW.
Registration is open for the first session, which takes place on Zoom at 5:30 p.m. this Thursday (November 27). In the forum, NHH will share an overview of its current services, patient volumes, growth projects already underway, and community growth predictions.
“We encourage people to register as soon as possible, but registration will remain open until just prior to the kick-off of the discussion,” Walsh said, noting in a media release the consultations are “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide input into the hospital’s future.”
The second forum, which will take place on Zoom on Wednesday, December 10, will take a deeper look at the hospital’s inpatient priorities, including medical services, surgical services, intensive care, post-acute, and palliative, as well as an overview of current and future needs and strategic partnership opportunities to enhance local care.
The final forum on Wednesday, January 28 will explore the hospital’s outpatient services, including emergency services, ambulatory clinics, cancer and supportive care, dialysis, and community mental health and addiction services. As with the second forum, there will be an overview of current and future needs and strategic partnership opportunities to enhance local care.
VIDEO: Growing Care for the Future – Northumberland Hills Hospital Master Plan
“Between now and March we will be taking this conversation into all corners of our community,” Walsh said. “From one-to-one conversations with our master planning steering committee members, to group discussions at community partner tables, online forums and surveys, there will be many ways to get involved.”
With the 22-year-old hospital will soon be at its maximum available capacity due to growing pressures from patient volumes and acuity, NHH is embarking on the master planning process in part to meet an expected population surge, an aging population, and the resulting need for healthcare services in Northumberland County and surrounding area.
Population projections for Northumberland County indicate growth of at least 22 per cent over the next 20 years alone, from 92,500 in 2021 to 112,800 in 2041 — a figure that will increase if projects like the proposed nuclear generation facility in Wesleyville, which would create 1,700 new jobs in Port Hope, move forward.
In addition, the proportion of the population aged 65 and over is expected to grow to 34.5 per cent by 2036, which will be 12 per cent higher than the Ontario average of 22.5 per cent.
An aging population will have a significant impact on the hospital, as older patients tend to have complex acute care needs. Currently, over 75 per cent of the hospital’s acute inpatient days are for patients 65 and over.
While a number of key growth projects already underway at NHH to meet increasing demand for healthcare services — including the construction of a fourth operating room, the replacement of critical diagnostic imaging equipment, and an upgrade to critical supporting services like pharmacy and medical device reprocessing — the hospital is creating a master plan to determine needs for hospital services and space in the coming decades.
The plan will be guided by input from staff, physicians, patients, caregivers, volunteers, and community partners. NHH said the necessary government approval is underway and it’s ready to hear input from the public.
Launched this past May, the master plan is expected to take about 12 months to complete, concluding in May 2026 with a formal submission to the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health regarding the proposed long-term program and facility requirements of NHH.
For more information about the master plan and to register for the upcoming virtual public forums, visit nhh.ca/AboutNHH/master-planning.
