Council receives insight into hospital integration

Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tillsonburg council members received a glimpse into what hospital health care will look like after integration of Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital and Alexandra Hospital in Ingersoll (AHI).

Carrie Lewis, TDMH board chair, and Nadia Facca, integrated president/CEO of TDMH

and AHI made a presentation to council at the Sept. 23 meeting outlining the integration process, and what it will mean for patients and local health care.

“Integration means that our two hospitals are coming together as one organization,” Lewis said.

The journey to integration started more than a decade ago when the two hospitals started sharing a CEO/president. The final goal is to have one hospital with two sites. The final application for the change was approved by the board in May and the application was just sent in to the Ministry of Health. The entire process has been voluntary.

“We believe that working together has allowed us to have a stronger presence in the larger health care system and will continue to allow us to have a stronger presence in the future,” Lewis said.

Throughout the process, several non-negotiables have been identified, including the fact that both hospitals will retain their own site and foundation.

A set of guiding principles has been followed by the boards during the intengration. These include:

• Keep patient care first and foremost

• Inform and engage staff and physicians through the process and ensure they understand

• Focus on the benefits of increasing capacity vs. closing hospitals

• Make decisions that sustain our hospitals in our communities

• Establish a clear communication plan and know our ‘why’ throughout this journey, anchored on transparency

• Identify what has been working well and build on our strengths, emphasizing the integration that has already happened

Facca explained that integration will benefit patients, efficiency, team members, and the health care system.

“We are stronger together and we all firmly believe this,” she said. “We think this will make us stronger players in the larger, complex health system.”

Facca also provided an update on plans to expand TDMH, which has been discussed for many years. She said this is a long process that involves capital planning, preparation of a plan, and submission to the Ministry of Health. This process is just starting.

“I’m excited about this but it’s a long journey,” she said. “I have to remind myself this is a walking pace not a sprinting pace.”

Mayor Deb Gilvesy questioned that plans for hospital expansion started previously.

Facca said that was almost 10 years ago. She found records of plans for submitting to the Ministry of Health on the expansion but could not find a response or even proof it was submitted.

“Essentially, that means we will be starting from scratch,” she added.

Gilvesy asked about Tillsonburg’s emergency department, asking for assurance that it would continue to operate 24/7 after the integration versus having either Tillsonburg or Ingersoll only open late at night and if an expansion was needed if that would be identified through the expansion process.

Facca said the need for an emergency room expansion would be identified through the expansion planning but explained that Tillsonburg’s emergency department currently depends on Heath Force Ontario locums to keep it open 24/7.

“We are committed to having both emergency departments, but the issue is staffing,” Facca said. “We are trying to preserve as much as we can but it’s difficult with staff. It depends on our ability to recruit and retain health care professionals in both hospitals.”

Deputy Mayor Dave Beres commented that the integration London Health Sciences Centres did several years ago was a win-win but asked if things like diabetic education, which is done at both hospitals, will be cut to only one. Facca said this service is based in Ingersoll but is also offered in Tillsonburg. She said it will likely continue that way in the future.

Coun. Kelly Spencer asked if there would be one board or two and raised concerns about specialties offered at both hospitals.

Lewis answered that currently there are two boards, but there are joint meetings. The eventual goal is to have one board.

Facca said which specialties are offered at which site will come through the planning process with the ministry.

“It’s more advantageous to ask when you are in partnership with two hospitals rather than just one,” she said.

Council received the presentation for information.

Hospitals by the numbers

TDMH

380 team members, 133 physicians, 89 volunteers

20,660 ER visits

1,435 admissions

Surgeries 1,226

$3.25 investment in recent upgrades, including a generator, elevators, and electrical

AHI

220 team members, 113 physicians, 42 volunteers,

15,533 ER visits

607 admissions

3 million in upgrades, including a generator, elevators, and chillers