Markham Stouffville Hospital Aims to
Keep up with Growth in the Community

Markham Health and Wellness Campus advances with emphasis on Emergency Department improvements as an immediate priority. Transfer of programs to the Salvation Army Grace no longer part of the Markham plan.

Markham, Ontario (Jan. 26, 2007) – Markham Stouffville Hospital Corporation will soon file the necessary documents with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in support of approval for an early start to redevelopment of the Emergency Department. This is part of the larger Markham Site developments which will include a focus on health and wellness as well as acute and supportive care.

Chair of the Hospital Board of Directors, Mr. John F.T. Scott comments,” The demand for hospital services are directly driven by the growth in the number of people who live and work in our community. The Emergency Department renovation is an important step as we work to keep our hospital on pace with the rapid growth in demand from our communities.”

When it opened, the Hospital was based on anticipated growth in Markham that was expected to take the Town population to 155,000 people. The Town of Markham, at 277,000 residents today, is nearly 80% larger than the peak community size anticipated in the original hospital plan.

“We have been streamlining the emergency department; implementing process improvements, adding doctors and staff, and adding outlets such as the Fast Track Clinic to improve time to service”, explains Dr. David Austin, Chief of Staff at Markham Stouffville Hospital “At peak performance, but within the current structure, our Emergency Department doctors can see nearly 20% more patients than the maximum anticipated in the original design of the facility. A great effort by all involved, but we need to expand the space in order to keep pace with the growth and community demand.”

“Markham Stouffville Hospital must move ahead quickly to meet the acute care demands of our community. We will maintain our momentum on redevelopment and will continue to provide the care that we had identified for transfer to the new Grace Hospital, should it have opened on our campus. Our staff and physicians are pleased that this program will remain part of the Markham Stouffville Hospital and look forward to developing the related services. ”, noted Janet Beed, President and CEO of Markham Stouffville Hospital, “Throughout our discussion, our respect for the care that the current Toronto Grace provides to patients has been reinforced. I anticipate that the Toronto Grace will pursue other options so that they can maintain their delivery of care for which they are renowned.”

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