December 8, 2013
By Pepper Parr
BURLINGTON, ON. It has been a good year for the Joseph Brant Hospital. Not as good a year for old Jo Brant himself – the Pooh-Bahs at the hospital decided to drop the word Memorial from the official name and came up with a spiffy new corporate logo as well. Times change.
The hospital did a topping off ceremony for the Halton McMaster Family Health Centre (there’s a name screaming for something shorter) and announced how well the fund raising program has been doing. Incredibly well is the best way to describe the $16.5 million that has been raised. The target is $60 million the hospital foundation has been tasked to find.
In the world of fund raising “seven digits” is what you go looking for – it’s sort of like the single malt of the fund raising world – and these are not easily come by. Romancing seven digits calls for a skill set few can bring to the table. Anissa Hilborn, president of Burlington’s Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation has done a remarkable job. The rate of donations is “unheard of”, which is a testament to both the Foundation and the generosity of the community.
Today there is $16.5 million in campaign commitments – achieved in less than two years’ time.
The Molinaro family brought $1 million to the table, the Hogarth clan followed with an additional million. The Sante/Peller family added $500,000. Before any of this happened the Boards and Senior leadership at the hospital put their names down for $23.5 million.
Burlington’s four Rotary Clubs put themselves down for $1 million. Before anyone got out a cheque book however the hospital auxiliary committed to $3.5 million
Ambassador Giving Societies and Circles were launched in January of this year. The Crystal Ball Gala will be held on September 14 of 2014. It is all rolling out rather well.
The public phase of the campaign will be launched when $45 million of the $60 million goal has been reached. All of this is no small achievement and is a significant credit to the Campaign Cabinet made up of 20 community and business leaders.
The Family Medical Centre will be in the structure under construction on the left – with the parking garage on the right. There will be a passageway from the parking garage right into the hospital. No word yet on the parking prices.
With the fund raising well in hand – hospital CEO Eric J. Vandewall talked about the progress and the construction schedule. First piece of good news was that the provincial government put a little more money on the table.
Next: the hospital has settled on three consortiums who are going to bid on the construction of the building which will be an additional story higher than originally planned: seven floors instead of the six in the original thinking – however the building is going to look a lot bigger than just seven floors of space for people to get better in.
They have a timeline in place – now to keep everyone fully informed.
There will be an additional two floors above the actual hospital which will house all the electrical and mechanical equipment making the building look like a nine story structure which will be a couple of hundred yards from the edge of the lake and will dominate the western side of the city.
In the very near future Burlington’s sky line is going to experience a radical change with the Bridgewater condominium/hotel in the middle of town soaring to a height of 22 storeys and the hospital reaching up nine storeys.
The hospital site will take on a campus like setting with the buildings oriented to the lake.
The project is being headed up by Infrastructure Ontario – they work hand in glove with the hospital scoping out just what is needed, where value engineering can be used to get the best for the dollars being spent. It is at this level that Vandewall shines. The work he did in Mississauga prepared him for the Joseph Brant challenge.
What was originally going to be the renovation of an aging hospital that was well past its best before date, and carrying a nasty reputation as well, has morphed into basically a rebuild with a brand new facility set off to the western side.
Vandewall does remarkable work – he is unfortunately not as well served on the communications side. The hospital is filled with great good news stories that don’t get told. Their media relations are terrible.
Entrance to the hospital will be from either the parking garage which will be on the west side of the hospital connected by a passageway or from the street level entrance that will front onto Lakeshore Road.
The new tower will have 172 new beds; there will be a new Emergency department; a new intensive care unit, a renovated Special Care Nursery.
While the focus is on the hospital, contractors have been working away at the Halton McMaster Family Health Care Centre that will attract ten new family practice doctors. Attached to the Health Care Centre will be a three level parking garage with capacity to have an additional two floors of parking added.
The hospital site will take on the look and feel of a campus – it will be a much different site than the collection of services out there now. All the construction work gets done while the care givers and the surgeons continue to go about their daily work.
Background on hospital development:
Parking garage – how it got paid for.
Getting the Family Medical Centre
On the face of it this is good news. However, I hope the service in the new section is much better than in tne old one and that the new addition will prompt a complete makeover of the old part. When one is a patient in the old wing there are no showers. Why did they take them out?
This is disgraceful, furthermore one does not see ones doctor and the nurses? whatever their education which seems lacking are in charge of your meds. Absolutely ridiculous.
The head nurse was completely informed, intelligent, and gave one what was needed the rest, give me a break. Much improvement needed here. Asking for any sort of otc med needed is out of the question such as nupercainal for hemmorhoids which are extremely aggravated by the large hands full of pills they foist upon you and when question it are told by the voice in the wall it is the patients responsibility to take or not take their medication. How, if one does not know what it is. After this I asked the person handing it to me to identify each and every one each and every time they brought them to me. Additionally oxygen causes dryness and aggravation in the nose and they refused a nasal spray as well. They asked did I have any? They tell us do not bring any meds or money etc. How would I have any? Rather third world I thought admittedly I am not covered by private insurance could that be why? The list goes on but you get the idea. It was most unpleasant to be there. Without television I should have gone completely round the bend. I will cross my fingers that things improve. Bring back the showers that were in each room and the lockers for personal belongings that we had in the 70’s when I was in there 3 times once to have my child.
Although I am not fond of hospitals or drs dentists even hairdressers they are sometimes necessary and it was a completely tolerable situation back then and one felt kindness and compassion….Not now.