February 27, 2009

LHIN supports LDMH Outlook 2020 plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Leamington, ON – Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network CEO, Gary Switzer complimented the Leamington District Memorial Hospital plan, Outlook 2020, stating that is it an example of a hospital Board, “thinking regionally while acting locally.”  In a meeting with community leaders and representatives of the Town of Kingsville and Municipality of Leamington, the hospital and the LHIN presented information on changes and strategies that will ensure LDMH remains a strong, sustainable hospital well into the future.

“We have to be pro-active in our planning,” noted Switzer, “there are increasing demands on the system and it is imperative that we design a well coordinated approach to health care delivery across the region.”  Gary Switzer and Senior Director of Planning, Ralph Ganter, presented an overview of the Small Community Hospital Emergency Department Study currently being completed by the LHIN.  The study is a comprehensive review of small emergency departments within the Erie-St. Clair Region and includes a third party report by the Hay Group in which it was recommended that LDMH remain a full-service, 24-hour department.  Ganter commented that there are “many examples of leading practices implemented in the Leamington hospital; however, there are also opportunities to improve and coordinate services especially for those patients requiring primary care.”  The study does recommend that LDMH find ways to better integrate its Emergency services with both the larger hospitals in Windsor and the Community services such as CCAC.

Leamington Hospital representatives Warren Chant, CEO and Sarah Padfield, Vice President presented the information about the hospital’s new strategic vision Outlook 2020, noting that the plan very much compliments the work being completed as part of the LHIN’s small hospital Emergency Department study.  “A 24-hour ER is absolutely central to our acute-care hub model,” stated Chant, “also central to our plan is the need to better integrate our hospital and our services with the larger hospitals in the region.  This will be essential if we want to ensure LDMH is sustainable as a hospital into the future.”

LDMH continues to work through the implementation of the Outlook 2020 strategy, which includes:

• Maintaining a 24 hour Emergency Department and better coordinating services
• Eliminating the 6 bed inpatient rehabilitation unit
• Reclassifying the LDMH ICU to a level 2 ICU and closing 2 ICU beds
• Relocating the OBS unit to the 2nd floor and consolidating the unit with medical/surgical services
• Integrating some administrative and program services with the Windsor Hospitals.

Gary Switzer congratulated the LDMH Hospital Board for its efforts to engage and communicate with the community and encouraged the hospital to continue the dialogue about the changes to the health care system.  A special section of the LDMH web-site has been dedicated to Outlook 2020, and all members of the community are encouraged to go to www.leamingtonhospital.com for more information.

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For more information:

Warren Chant, CEO

(519) 326-2373 ext. 4101

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