MAHC's Journey To Date

2012-2015

The Pre-Capital Submission is the entry point into the Ministry of Health’s capital planning process, which subsequently moves through another five distinct stages. To begin the planning work toward a future vision, MAHC established a number of planning teams comprised of MAHC staff and other community-based care stakeholders to provide direction on programming requirements throughout 2013. In addition, stakeholder engagement with hundreds of staff and community members on three touch points during the project in 2014 and 2015 was critical to consulting with the public and obtaining community feedback.

In the fall of 2015, MAHC submitted a Board of Directors endorsed Pre-Capital Submission to the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN and the Ministry of Health.  The Pre-Capital Submission considered three different models and ultimately proposed one hospital, centrally located as the capital redevelopment approach.  Additional correspondence with the Ministry and clarification related to the submission occurred throughout 2016.

2017-2019

In 2017, the Ministry of Health provided a planning grant and approval for MAHC to begin Stage 1 Proposal.  In approving MAHC to this next stage and with significant community feedback regarding the future one-hospital direction, the Ministry required MAHC’s planning to further explore and analyze the different models presented in MAHC’s Pre-Capital Submission and specifically a thorough consideration of the use of one or both of the current facilities.  MAHC created a 25-member Capital Plan Development Task Force with broad membership including internal and external stakeholders and municipal representation to oversee Stage 1 planning and make recommendations to the Board of Directors.

The Stage 1 planning process involved extensive internal consultation with clinicians and hospital leaders and external involvement by community care providers such as primary care, public health, paramedic services, mental health, home & community care, etc. Through workshops and focus groups, the planning work identified the programs and services MAHC would provide and those that could potentially be shifted to the community and considered three different service delivery models. Study of potential infrastructure redevelopment approaches (renovation/expansion or replacement) was also a consultative process with numerous stakeholders. Over the course of the project, community feedback was critical and MAHC held close to 50 information sessions, reaching thousands of internal and external stakeholders.

In November 2019, following months of engagement and careful study, MAHC submitted its Stage 1 Proposal to the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN and the Ministry of Health.  The Stage 1 Proposal recommends to the Ministry of Health a capital redevelopment approach that maintains two acute sites and replaces both hospitals with new buildings – in Huntsville on the current land, and in Bracebridge on new land. View the executive summaries of the Stage 1 Proposal.  Should you wish to view the submission in its entirety, please contact Marta Long or call 705-789-2311 ext. 2756 to make arrangements.

Spring 2022: Provincial Support

In April 2022, Premier Doug Ford announced provincial government support to modernize and expand MAHC’s two sites and a $14 million planning grant for the phased redevelopment of the two sites.  Read the news release and watch the announcement made on April 24, 2022. The Premier’s announcement on April 24 is a milestone in MAHC’s future planning journey and demonstrates the provincial government’s commitment to two acute care hospital sites in Bracebridge and Huntsville for future generations.

MAHC awaits formal communication from the Ministry’s Capital Investment Branch with respect to parameters of the $14 million capital planning grant.  The next planning phase is called Stage 2, also known as the functional program submission.  This stage informs the functional requirements of the space to satisfy the program needs, and the physical surroundings needed to support them.

It is not uncommon for hospitals to spend 10 or more years progressing through the Ministry’s planning stages before construction begins on an approved project.  At each stage of the Ministry’s process, MAHC is committed to refining the future plan using the most current information available.