What should the future of hospital care in Waterloo Region look like?
June 5, 2024 – Kitchener, ON – In April 2024, the Boards of St. Mary’s General Hospital and Grand River Hospital announced their plans to merge into a single hospital organization, serving the communities of Waterloo-Wellington and beyond. How will this new hospital meet the current and emerging hospital healthcare needs of the communities? An upcoming Town Hall and public survey will help direct this work.
“The decision to merge was born out of more than 40 years of partnership and collaboration, as well as insights from physicians, team members, patients, and the community as we began our redevelopment and new hospital build work,” says Sandra Hanmer, Board Chair, Grand River Hospital.
The Hospitals are currently completing due diligence, with the intent to come together formally in the spring of 2025.
“Our Hospitals have a long history of providing patient-centric care to the communities,” added Tim Rollins, Board Chair, St. Mary’s General Hospital. “We’re in one of the fastest growing regions in the province, and we’re seeing increasing diversity and demands on our hospital system. In merging, we believe we’ll be able to provide more seamless, patient-centred care that eliminates barriers to access, and supports healthier lives.”
On June 18, the Hospitals will be hosting a community town hall in the Auditorium of Kitchener Public Library’s Queen St. Branch. Doors open at 6 p.m., with opportunities for participants to share their ideas on what hospital healthcare should look like. The event, which will be live-streamed, begins at 6:30 p.m., and includes presentations from the Board Chairs, as well as Mark Fam, President of St. Mary’s, and Ron Gagnon, President and CEO at Grand River. The event will wrap with a moderated panel discussion.
“The Hospitals are here for the communities they serve. And, to be able to do that to the best of our abilities, we need to know what it is the communities want and need from us,” says Fam.
To help facilitate the collection of this information, the Hospitals are launching a community survey. The information from this survey will be gathered to help influence the values, culture and experiences of care.
“We’re bringing together and building on the strengths of each hospital, creating a stronger, more streamlined approach to patient care,” adds Gagnon. “We have the talent, we have the teams, and we have the commitment to build something better, together. We’re excited to be a part of this once-in-a-generation project alongside our communities.”
Registration for the June 18 Town Hall is now OPEN. Tickets are FREE and are available online here. Seating is limited, however, the Town Hall will be live broadcast as well.
The community survey is now LIVE and can be completed online!
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Media Contact
Victoria Ott
Integrated Director, Strategic Engagement
Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital
victoria.ott@grhosp.on.ca
519-588-4687
About Grand River Hospital
Grand River Hospital is building a world-class health system for all in the communities we serve. One of Ontario’s largest community teaching hospitals, we’re delivering exceptional, patient-focused quality care by a team of dedicated healthcare workers and volunteers. Located in one of the province’s most diverse and rapidly growing regions, we provide services and support to more than 840,000 residents of Waterloo Region and Guelph Wellington at our two campuses (KW and Freeport) and satellite locations. Driven by innovation, we’re proud of our partnerships and collaborations with health system partners, our region’s academic and innovation communities, and diverse community partners.
grandriverhospital.ca | Instagram @GRHospitalKW | YouTube: griverhosp | Facebook and Linkedin: Grand River Hospital
About St. Mary’s General Hospital
Located in the heart of Kitchener, St. Mary’s is home to the Regional Cardiac Centre, Regional Chest Program and Regional Eye Program. As leaders in our field recognized globally for world-class, innovative healthcare, our vision of “Inspiring Excellence. Healthier Together” is not just about our approach to patient-centred care, it’s also about our commitment to our staff.
Celebrating a century of care this year, St. Mary’s provides compassionate care to our community serving over 1.4 residents locally and beyond each year. We are the second-largest acute care hospital in the St. Joseph’s Health System with a team of over 2,000 staff, physicians and volunteers dedicated to ensuring patients receive the highest-quality care possible. Learn more about Our Mission, Values & History.
smgh.ca| YouTube: smgh | Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin: StMarysGeneralHospital