Written by: Peter Cross
(Personal Appeal)
Dear Task Force Members:
Thank you for all your time and work on this MAHC Task Force Committee. Our primary goal is for all of us to work together as a team to fix the flawed provincial funding formula that has hurt rural small / mid-size hospitals and I truly believe all of our advocacy is helping. Hopefully we will receive positive news shortly. We also need to act quickly to make a final decision to save, maintain and improve two emergency / acute care hospitals sites in both Bracebridge and Huntsville and to end three years of uncertainty to restore confidence in our community and to help restore much needed donation levels to our two valuable hospital foundations.
Please find the following valuable emergency travel times study just completed. I have worked with various people and groups for many hours in recent months to complete an objective and valuable data based comparative time study to help give us provincial perspective as we make this critical decision. Since early February 2018, I have requested Harold Featherston and his Communication Officer for important neutral travel time information that they have and could quickly and easily provide me that would have helped me complete this study. On September 27th, 2017, Harold met with my mother Dr. Katherine Cross and I at the Bracebridge hospital site. At that meeting Harold repeatedly promised us that he would provide us any further information or answer more related questions we wanted re the hospitals study and issue. Unfortunately, it is appearing that our MAHC Planning and Ambulatory Officer is now not wishing to honour this request. Clearly, we are entitled to objective, transparent essential information for our public servants. Despite this unnecessary temporary roadblock, I have done my best to work with others to provide you important findings for the important March 1st 2018, Task Force Input Meeting. Please note that I am enthusiastic to volunteer my services to do more research to help your group and others in the future to be a positive part of the solution to help improve hospitals and healthcare in our area in the long-term future. Again, I appreciate all of your time, work and efforts.
As you know, the overwhelming majority of Muskoka area residents have repeatedly rejected the proposal for a one site mega hospital. Losing small Burks Falls emergency hospital in recent years was unfortunate and increased demand on our facilities. After the Burks Fall Hospitals closing and after the amalgamation of MAHC which has helped to save funds, a promise was made to the community that the two Bracebridge and Huntsville emergency / acute hospitals would stay for the long term. The shocking 2015 recommendation by MAHC contradicted this promise. There was much opposition and a survey study done and a letter of opposition received by our Doctors overwhelmingly opposing this – these two important data / information items are now apparently being suppressed. MAHC’s own 2017 survey results show an overwhelming 83 % Muskoka Area residents reject and do not support a one site model. Powerful economic arguments have been made. Our Muskoka area residents do not support a $ 400 million mega build and resulting tax increases. MAHC has portrayed our two wonderful hospitals as in poor condition when they are more in mid-range condition in provincial comparisons and in need of $ 39 million of facility repairs which is what our residents clearly support. Other hospitals such as Alliston and in Toronto which are older and in not as good repair are being maintained, improved and built on due to good local decision making and advocacy. From dialoguing with various businesses and Chambers there are also additional significant economic arguments as local businesses will be hurt. Lastly, there are important social and community related arguments as many volunteers would not travel to a one site model. Many retiring seniors and new families will be very reluctant to consider moving to a town with no emergency/acute care hospital.
Unfortunately, there appears to be a biased and non-transparent one hospital sub group on the MAHC board and MAHC administration that clearly does not represent the overwhelming wishes of the residents they serve. Several members (although I am thankful for re their time, work and interest) on the Task Force were apparently possibly hand-picked and have already voted for or made public statements in support of a one site model may be in conflict of interest and clearly should not be voting on this matter. A possible one hospital supporter should probably not be the chair of this committee although again I am thankful and respectful for all this person’s extra work and time. Please be openly aware, that a number of us are very disappointed with continual comments by at least one MAHC representative for Muskoka residents not to worry about the unwanted one site model as many of us will be too old or dead by the time it is completed – that type of comment (whether joking or not) is not fair to all our residents and to our younger generations. We have over 150 000 Muskoka and Area residents who depend on our two wonderful strategically located emergency / acute hospitals in both Huntsville and Bracebridge every year. The two hospitals were purposely, proactively and strategically located decades ago for critically important health and safety reasons.
Emergency Travel Time Study / Comparison
2018 Comparative Emergency Travel Time Data Study
Background Information – Chatham Kent District is a rural area in SW Ontario and is part of the Erie St. Clair LHIN that has 102 000 full-time residents and 2 000 cottagers and many summer tourists. It has a large / double hospital in Chatham it’s largest town, and recently made the bold decision to save a smaller emergency / acute care hospital in Wallaceburg which it is also improving. Two towns in Chatham Kent can also access two other hospitals from other LHINs just minutes beyond their East and West district borders. Our rural Muskoka Area including south Almaguin includes approximately 65 000 full time residents, 85 000 cottagers, and as high as 10, 000 visitors to our Algonquin Park and many lakes per day in the good weather months. Our Muskoka future population data shows significant growth (18%+ over the next 25 years as per Ontario Government forecast) as well as a significant increase in the senior / medically needy segment of our population to over 35% of the population by 2041.
Chatham Kent District – Towns and Populations
Chatham 43 500
Wallaceburg 10 000
Tilbury 5 000
Blenheim 4 500
Ridgetown 3 500
Wheatley 2 900
Dresden 2 800
Thamesville 1 000
Bothwell 1 000
Emergency Travel Data Comparison – Chatham Kent District due to Decision to Save 2 Emergency / Acute Sites versus A Projected Muskoka Area One Site Model
| Towns | Minutes | Kilometres | Closest Site | Alternate | MAHC – One Site Model
Hwy 11 & 141 (Discrepancies Found) |
| Chatham | 15 minutes | Chatham | |||
| Wallaceburg | 12 | Wallaceburg | |||
| Tilbury | 26 | 18 kilometres | Chatham | ||
| Bleiheim | 19 | 13 | Chatham | ||
| Ridgetown | 28 ( 30 alt. ) | 34 ( 36 alt.) | Chatham | ( Newbury ) | |
| Wheatley | 15 ( 39 alt. ) | 13 ( 46 alt.) | Leamington | ( Chatham ) | |
| Dresden | 16 | 11 | Wallaceburg | ||
| Thamesville | 22 | 16 | |||
| Bothwell | 11 | 7 | Newbury | ||
| Rondeau Prov. Park | 35 | 42 | Chatham | ||
| Walpole Island
46 Reserve |
42 | 23 | Wallaceburg | ||
| Average | 21.7 minutes | ||||
| Muskoka | |||||
| Gravenhurst | 31 minutes | ||||
| Bracebridge | 21 | ||||
| Lake of Bays | 37 | ||||
| Huntsville | 18 | ||||
| Muskoka Lakes | 31 | ||||
| Georgian Bay | 38 ( 50 ) | ||||
| Wahta | 41 ( 55 ) | ||||
| Moose Point | 57 ( 73 ) | ||||
| Average | 34.3 ( 38.2) |
Study Notes
Note 1 A fellow researcher has discovered significant discrepancies in the existing MAHC PSG Muskoka area emergency travel data stats that should be noted (see brackets)
Note 2 MAHC did not account for any severely longer winter driving realities even though numerous Muskoka area residents have expressed concerned about this
Note 3 Contrary to a MAHC staff comment in Fall 2017 our new small health hubs – nurse practitioner, part time, appointment only and minor health issue centres are NOT 24-hour emergency facilities. The two emergency / acute care hospitals for 24 / 7 emergency care are only located in Huntsville and Bracebridge.
Note 4 See attached map of Chatham Kent District and highlighted emergency / acute care hospitals
RESULTS / FINDINGS – the Chatham Kent District by recently saving their 2 site emergency care hospital model has provided much faster and safer emergency travel times (43 % better, faster and safer) which respects the rights of all their residents’ rights to accessibility under the Canada Health Act. A one site model in Muskoka that replaces 2 Huntsville and Bracebridge emergency acute / care hospitals (previously 3 emergency hospitals including Burks Falls ) emergency acute sites is not safe or REASONABLE or safe and increases serious potential liability issues. This is more critical due to the fact MAHC stats to date do not include any accommodation for longer winter / poor weather driving realities. Any one site model for the Muskoka and surrounding area to serve a 215 km corridor between North Bay and Orillia would be ‘unreasonable access to emergency and medical care’, and threaten safety and care to our Muskoka and surrounding area residents. The two other Districts who made the brave decision to save their multi-site emergency / cute hospitals such as Wallaceburg and Welland which made the correct, data based, safe and honourable community-based decision to respect their residents overwhelming wishes and to put people and safety first for the long-term future for all their communities and residents. Chatham-Kent Hospital Travel Times