New centre will bring 3 hospitals under 1 roof to offer bilingual services
The Ontario government announced Tuesday that it will invest up to $75 million in a new facility in Orléans that will bring health care services from across Ottawa under one roof.
The Orléans Health Hub is a one-storey building that will bring together bilingual services from three hospitals and four community service providers to better support co-ordinated care and reduce wait times, the government said.
“[It’s] the first of its kind in the province of Ontario. It has been suggested to me this can be a prototype for other parts of Ontario, and I would certainly agree,” said Health Minister Christine Elliot, who announced the funding at the planned building site on Mer-Bleue Road.
“We know this service is needed in this part of Ottawa,” Elliot said. “It’s a key part of our broader plan to build a connected and sustainable public health-care system centred around the needs of patients.”
The new building will be about 96,000 square feet and will be located at the northeast corner of Mer-Bleue Road and Brian Coburn Boulevard.
Opening 2021
The hub, which is scheduled to open in the summer of 2021, will offer a variety of services including specialist dermatology, pediatrics and orthopedics clinics, as well as mental health services, senior care programs and diagnostic imaging services.
The project, led by Ottawa’s Montfort Hospital, is part of the government’s plan to invest $27 billion over the next 10 years in hospital infrastructure projects across Ontario.
Dr. Bernard Leduc, president of the Montfort Hospital, said the initial concept was much larger than what’s currently planned, and that he hopes expansion will be possible in the future.
“We are celebrating the beginnings of phase 1 of the hub,” Leduc said. “But we have saved some space around here for phase 2 and 3.”
The hub will provide space for a variety of hospitals and health organizations including Montfort, CHEO and Bruyère Continuing Care.
Elliot said the total cost of the project will be up to $83 million. The hospital will continue to raise up to another $12 million.
