CORNWALL – The McGuinty government is improving health care services for the people of the Stormont, Dundas and Charlottenburgh region by approving the expansion and redevelopment of the Winchester District Memorial Hospital and Cornwall Community Hospital, Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced today.

"Our government is ensuring that people in all areas of the province have access to the health care they need, and that includes the highest quality local hospitals," said Smitherman. "I'm pleased to announce that the Stormont, Dundas and Charlottenburgh region will soon have even better hospital facilities to serve the needs of area residents."

Today's announcement outlined several major projects that will take place at both hospitals with construction scheduled to begin between 2007/2008 and 2008/2009.

• Expansion of operating room suites, emergency services and outpatient areas at the Winchester District Memorial Hospital will provide patients with greater access to care in the future.
• Construction of a new wing and renovations to the existing facility to consolidate all acute and rehabilitation services at the Cornwall Community Hospital means that patients will have access to improved facilities for acute care, acute mental health and rehabilitation services.
• In advance of the implementation of the broader redevelopment project at Cornwall Community Hospital, which is included in the five-year plan for implementation in 2008/09, the government is also giving Cornwall Community Hospital approval to proceed with an early works project. This project will consolidate critical care, maternal and child and emergency services on the McConnell Avenue site to assist the hospital with improving operational efficiencies.
• The government is providing an approval for a $7.5M Planning and Design Grant for Cornwall Community Hospital to assist the hospital with the costs of planning and designing the consolidation of acute care, acute mental health and rehabilitation services at the McConnell Avenue site.
• On December 13, 2005, the ministry provided the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph with an approval to award the contract for the redevelopment of a 59-bed complex continuing care project. The 59-bed complex continuing care service will provide care to patients in Cornwall at the Hotel Dieu Hospital and St. Joseph's Villa.

"I'm delighted the government is supporting our hospital's plan to improve its facilities, so that residents of the Stormont, Dundas and Charlottenburgh region will have access to the very best in hospital care," said Trudy Reid, Chief Executive Officer of the Winchester District Memorial Hospital.

"The confirmation of approvals today by the government is a positive and critical step in advancing the Cornwall Community Hospital's capital projects," said Jeanette Despatie, President and CEO of the Cornwall Community Hospital. "We are pleased to have approval to move ahead with a portion of the project in 2006, which will result in immediate improvements in service to our patients."

Winchester District Memorial Hospital and Cornwall Community Hospital are two of several hospital projects approved under ReNew Ontario, the government's five-year, $30-billion infrastructure investment plan, which commits $5 billion to health care infrastructure. ReNew Ontario is a comprehensive plan to modernize and replace many of the province's hospitals, schools and post-secondary institutions. It will also support the provincial economy through investments in transportation, transit and research and by accommodating growth.

"The ReNew Ontario plan will make it possible for many hospitals to undertake much-needed capital improvements to facilities that, across Ontario, average 43 years old," said Hilary Short, President and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA). "We welcome today's important investments in the Cornwall Community Hospital and the Winchester District Memorial Hospital, and we look forward to further investments like these in the months and years ahead."

"These hospital capital projects are part of our government's plan to help ensure Ontarians have the high quality services they need and deserve," said David Caplan, Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal. "For the first time, this province has a long-term plan for building and developing our hospitals that will bring much needed stability and certainty to hospitals and better health care for Ontarians."

"Our government has a vision of a health care system that will help keep Ontarians healthier, get them good care when they are sick, and that will be there for their children and grandchildren," said Jim Brownell, MPP for Stormont-Dundas Charlottenburgh. "Upgrading and modernizing our hospitals is critical to making that vision a reality."

These initiatives are part of the McGuinty government's plan to build a health care system that delivers on three priorities-keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.

For further information :

Members of the general public : (416) 327-4327, or (800) 268-1154

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