Have your say on expanding health care in Oshawa
Help choose the site of the new hospital
The City of Oshawa is calling on community members to help choose the site of Lakeridge Health’s new hospital.
The city says a site in north Oshawa is the ideal location for a new hospital in Durham Region.
They say Oshawa is geographically centred to meet population growth in all of Durham, and that Oshawa is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Durham and will require future expanded health care services.
Oshawa is also a teaching city – home to Durham College, Ontario Tech University, Trent University Durham GTA, and a medical teaching site for Queen’s University. The city says a new hospital in Oshawa will “create opportunities to further expand upon training and teaching future health care professionals in our city.”
Further, the city says Oshawa is a well-established leader in health care delivery and innovation. A future new hospital “will build upon our demonstrated experience in the health care sector,” states the city.
Oshawa also has excellent transportation options, according to the city, from public transportation to highways 401 and 407, as well as an airport which supports Ornge medical emergency helicopter and aircraft operations.
Lakeridge Health says the proposed development of a new hospital in Durham Region is a major component of the hospital’s Master Plan.
Based on demand, evidence, and growth projections, Lakeridge Health is planning for inpatient bed growth of almost 1,000 beds to meet projected demand over the next 25 years, according to Lakeridge Health.
Anchoring the plan are recommended key capital investments and upgrades, including the expansion and redevelopment of Bowmanville Hospital and the new hospital.
Lakeridge Health’s Board of Trustees has determined that an important step forward is launching the process for identifying a site for a proposed new hospital.
This process is currently being facilitated by an independent expert panel and is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.
“This will benefit all of Durham Region and define the future of a coordinated system of health care for generations to come,” says Sharon Cochran, Chair of the Board of Trustees for Lakeridge Health.
“It will be important that the path forward focuses on unified support of a new hospital facility in Durham Region, the learnings of other hospitals, and the siting requirements required to support our Master Plan,” she adds.
The members of the expert panel were announced in June 2021.
Lakeridge Health says the panel is made up of a diverse group of professionals who bring many years of leadership experiences and expertise in health care and real estate development to the site selection process.
“This proposed new hospital, along with other key capital investments identified in Lakeridge Health’s Master Plan will help ensure that as Durham continues to grow over the coming decades, residents’ health care needs are met,” states Lakeridge.
“We’re very grateful to the panel members for lending their expertise and time to support Lakeridge Health in this site selection effort,” says Davis.
“Putting together a strong Independent Expert Panel is an important step to moving the process forward on our journey to have a new hospital in Durham that will serve all our communities.”
Lakeridge Health is also looking for community input on the site selection criteria used to asses potential sites for the proposed future hospital, noting the community survey will provide feedback on what is important to Durham residents when considering a site for a new hospital.
The survey can be completed online. The deadline for completing the survey is August 6, 2021.
Lakeridge Health will also be hosting a community town hall on July 28, 2021 at 6 p.m. on Facebook Live.
For more information, visit www.lakeridgehealth.on.ca.