The need for a new hospital to serve the region “is undeniable.”
That’s the message St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital President and CEO Karen Davies will deliver to Elgin county council at its scheduled meeting Tuesday morning.
In her presentation handout Davies notes, “our aging infrastructure and growing demands strain our ability to meet healthcare needs effectively.”
The presentation “provides information and updates about STEGH and outlines the need for a new hospital to meet the evolving healthcare needs of St. Thomas and Elgin County.”
The hospital relies on over 1,300 staff, physicians and volunteers to keep the 179-bed medium-sized facility functioning.
In the 2023-24 fiscal year, there were 831 births, 9,850 surgeries, 1.9 million lab tests, 19,467 outpatient/clinic visits and nearly 60,000 emergency visits.
Of those emergency visits, 10 per cent of the individuals come from London.
And, there were 550 substance-related emergency department visits, up 20 per cent from the previous year.
The document notes, “Our communities also have disproportionately high levels of primary care unattachment and access to home and community care, mental health and addictions. Hospitals play a substitution role in the absence of these services.”
The projected population of the city in 2051 is 79,500 with 20 percent aged 65 or older.
A shortage of primary care, home and community care services, and long-term care options impact hospital capacity.
Looking ahead to this year, over 57,000 emergency department visits are projected, equal to University Hospital in London.
The main building at the 179-bed medium-sized facility opened in 1954.
According to the presentation, there is $42.5 million in deferred maintenance for the Main Building and $15.7 million for the South Building over 25 years.
The hospital site is maxed out with no room for expansion, despite growing patient numbers.
Written by Ian McCallum
