This is great news! Slowly but surely the process of the expansion of our hospital continues. Many thanks to all Miltonians who over the last several years fought with us to ensure this happens as quickly as possible.
Released today via Halton Healthcare Services website.
For immediate release
October 4, 2012
Milton Hospital Expansion Launches Into Next Stage of Planning
Staff and physicians at Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) are working diligently ‘behind the scenes’ as plans for a significant expansion at Milton District Hospital continue to develop.
In April 2012, Halton Healthcare Services received a $22.5 million Planning & Design grant from the provincial government to fund the prepatory work that must take place before the first shovels hit the ground. Work on the project has now proceeded to the next stage of planning – the development of the Functional Program.
The Functional Program is an essential planning document that outlines all the functions, operations, staffing, major equipment, room and space requirements for each department or service in order to describe the components of the expansion. The Functional Program must be submitted to the Ministry of Health and Long‐Term Care for review before the Hospital can continue its work with the architects on the more detailed design work.
“I am very pleased that we are launching into the functional programming stage of the project. Through this process we will identify the equipment and staffing requirements and also lay out the detail necessary for the architectural design and construction phase of this exciting project,” said Al Coady, Executive Director of Milton Redevelopment at HHS. “It really is a cornerstone document for us because it forms the basis for all the future planning and design decisions that will need to be made as we move forward in the process.”
The development of the Functional Program involves numerous HHS employees organized into teams based on the area or department in which they work. These teams consist of managers, key staff members, representatives of the medical staff and, in some instances, the senior team member responsible for that area. The Hospital’s Functional Program teams have already started meeting in order to ensure the plan is submitted to the Ministry in November 2012.
“There is a tremendous amount of work to be completed prior to the start of construction. We are very excited to begin this planning because we know that each stage we complete brings us one step closer to getting this project into the ground,” said John Oliver, HHS President & CEO.
Milton District Hospital was built in 1959 and, following the Hospital’s last major expansion in 1987, was prepared to meet the healthcare needs of a population of 32,000 people. With the Town’s population nearing 100,000 and growing, this much needed expansion will approximately triple the size of the current facility.
The approval for the expansion at Milton District Hospital was announced by the Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long‐Term Care at an event held on August 25, 2011. Plans for the Hospital’s expansion include new space for the Emergency Department, Diagnostic Imaging Department, Maternal Child Unit, Surgical Suites, Intensive Care Unit and the Medical Surgical Inpatient Units.
“Ensuring Milton families have access to the primary care services they need is among the highest priorities for Halton Healthcare Services,” concluded Mr. Oliver. “In order to do that, we absolutely need a larger more modern facility, right here in Milton.”
Contact:
Andrea Korol
Communications Specialist, Redevelopment
Halton Healthcare Services
905‐878‐2383, ext 6531
akorol@haltonhealthcare.on.ca