Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and Groves Memorial Community Hospital announced Feb. 29 the three teams pre-qualified to design, build and finance a new hospital to replace the existing Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Fergus.
Based on an open, competitive request for qualifications process that began in September 2015, three teams were pre-qualified and will be invited to respond to a request for proposals in mid-2016.
Howard Dobson the Groves Memorial Community Hospital board chair said, “We are excited to be one step closer to realizing a new Groves hospital, a facility that will improve the health and wellness of our community for years to come. The Groves Hospital staff, physicians, volunteers, community members and consultants have been hard at work carefully creating plans and illustrative designs for the new facility.”
Dobson explained, “Each bidder will receive our detailed plan to help guide them in responding to the request for proposal. It may seem like a long process to some, however the detailed planning is necessary to ensure we are building a sustainable and viable hospital for the future.”
Each of the teams includes a developer, design/builder and a finance group.
They are: GMCH Partnership; EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare; and PCL Constructors Canada.
Expected to be completed in 2019, the new Groves Memorial Community Hospital will be located in Aboyne, between Elora and Fergus. Highlights of the project include:
– an expanded facility with more space for emergency, ambulatory, diagnostic and inpatient services to accommodate a growing community;
– private inpatient rooms (up to 80 per cent) with a dedicated shower, large windows and views to the Grand River Trail;
– modernized infection control measures, including additional isolation facilities, to enhance the hospital’s ability to respond to a pandemic or disease outbreak;
– up-to-date technology and clinical resources for physicians and staff;
– energy-efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly building features; and
– an onsite helipad to allow for faster access to patient transfers by air ambulance.
IO and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care are working with Groves Memorial Community Hospital to build the new hospital, which will remain publicly owned, controlled and accountable.
“Our community has been working towards the vision of a new Groves Memorial Community Hospital for over a decade, and it’s very exciting to see it coming together,” Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott said.
Arnott gave credit to local officials for achieving this latest milestone.
He thanked Groves staff, County of Wellington and Township of Centre Wellington councils and staff, donors, and the many volunteers who have come together to make the new hospital project a reality.
“Working together, we were able to establish the need for our new hospital and build a compelling case that the government couldn’t ignore,” he said.
Arnott expressed appreciation to retiring hospital president and CAO Jerome Quenneville for his work at Groves.
“Jerome’s leadership and dedication to our hospital over the years have helped move our project forward,” Arnott said.
During his 25.5 years at Queen’s Park, Arnott remained a strong advocate for Groves hospital.
Arnott continues to closely monitor the hospital project as it moves forward in the Ministry of Health’s multi-stage approval process.
Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care stated, “Our government is committed to ensuring that Ontarians have access to the right care, in the right place and at the right time, and the work being done at Groves Memorial Community Hospital is part of that plan. This project will create jobs and result in improved programs and services for patients so they can continue to count on them in their time of need.”
Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure added, “Investing in modern healthcare remains a top priority for this government. The announcement marks a significant step in what will be an exciting project for the residents of Fergus and also for the regional economy. This major healthcare investment will stimulate the local economy, create jobs and build a stronger and healthier Ontario.”
Bert Clark, president and CEO of infrastructure Ontario noted, “This is a critical point in the procurement process and we are delighted that the project has reached this stage. Soon IO’s proven AFP delivery model will result in the selection of a winning project team that will build a new hospital to replace the existing Groves Memorial Community Hospital.”
The Groves Community Memorial hospital project is one of 24 health-care projects currently being managed by IO.
