Infrastructure Ontario and Groves Memorial Community Hospital (GMCH) officials have chosen EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare to design, build and finance the new Groves hospital.
The company was selected “after extensive evaluations following a fair, open and transparent request for proposals (RFP) process that began in June 2016,” officials stated in a May 1 press release.
Three teams submitted bids: the GMCH Partnership, EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare and PCL Constructors Canada.
Groves spokesperson Alison Armstrong told the Advertiser officials have to finalize the contract before construction can begin on the new hospital in Aboyne, which is expected to be completed by late 2019.
“We are expecting shovels in the ground this summer,” Armstrong said. “(But) we cannot provide an exact date yet.”
GMCH board chairman Howard Dobson called the announcement “a significant and exciting step forward” and said he looks forward to breaking ground in “a few months.”
Groves building committee chairman Gord Feniak added, “We were fortunate to have three high-quality bids …
“We are also grateful to the Groves hospital staff, physicians and volunteers who were involved in this thoughtful, detailed and lengthy review process.
“With their hard work we feel confident in the choice of proponent to build the new Groves hospital.”
Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott said, “We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to the staff and volunteers at Groves for the excellent, compassionate care they provide our community.”
Infrastructure Ontario and Groves officials will now work to finalize contract details with EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare, at which time the contract and local share amounts can be announced and a financing rate set.
The new hospital will be built in Aboyne, between Elora and Fergus, and replace the existing GMCH in Fergus.
Features of the new hospital will include:
– more space for emergency, ambulatory, diagnostic and inpatient services;
– 37 of the 45 beds will be in private, single-patient rooms with a dedicated washroom and shower and large windows (the remaining eight beds will be in two-bed rooms each with a private washroom);
– all inpatient rooms will have views of the surrounding rural landscape, including the Grand River and extensive trail network;
– modernized infection control measures, including additional isolation facilities, to enhance the hospital’s ability to respond to a pandemic or disease outbreak;
– a helipad to allow for faster access to patient transfers by air ambulance;
– large windows that allow natural light to penetrate deep into the building;
– simplified “way-finding,” making it easy for visitors and patients to navigate the hospital; and
– services most frequently used by outpatients will positioned closest to the main entrance to ensure easy access.
“The people of Centre Wellington will soon have the modern rural hospital they deserve,” stated Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Dr. Eric Hoskins.
“The new Groves Memorial Community Hospital will ensure that the people in this growing community will have access to high-quality health care close to home for generations to come.”
Infrastructure minister Bob Chiarelli added, “We are committed to meeting the health care needs of people across the province while creating jobs and building up the economy. This state-of-the-art hospital will increase access to care and improve health care outcomes for people in the region.”
Ehren Cory, president and CEO of Infrastructure Ontario, said, “This milestone marks the beginning of what we expect to be a great partnership. We look forward to working with EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare to reach a final contract and begin construction on this project later this year.”
Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care are working with Groves officials to build the new hospital, which will remain publicly owned, controlled and accountable, officials state.
The project is being delivered using Infrastructure Ontario’s alternative financing and procurement (AFP) model, which provincial officials say is “an innovative way” to finance and procure large, complex public infrastructure projects.
The EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare team includes: developer EllisDon Capital Inc.; architect Tillmann Ruth Robinson; engineering teams The Mitchell Partnership, WalterFedy Partnership, Hastings and Aziz; construction EllisDon Design Build Inc.; and financial advisor EllisDon Capital Inc.
