NEWS RELEASE
COUNTY OF SIMCOE
*************************
Today, the County of Simcoe presented a cheque for $1 million towards Stevenson Memorial Hospital’s (SMH) redevelopment project.
This is the first instalment of a $10-million commitment to the hospital’s redevelopment through the Simcoe County Hospital Alliance, the largest funding commitment to the hospital’s redevelopment project to date.
The redevelopment project includes a new 152,000-square-foot facility, which will wrap around the current hospital building. A complete redesign of the hospital’s clinical areas, it will feature a new emergency department triple the size of the current space, new laboratory, surgical suite, birthing unit, medical/surgical inpatient unit, five-bed Level 2 ICU and pharmacy. The hospital will grow to a 47-bed facility, all with single-occupancy patient rooms to meet infection prevention and control best practices.
SMH’s facility will be modernized for the first time in over 60 years, complete with a vibrant, new atrium entrance space, enhanced use of natural light and design elements that are inspired by local history, landscape, infrastructure and cultures.
The hospital has significantly outgrown its current space as it was built to manage 7,000 emergency department visits a year and now sees close to 40,000 annually. With a growing population in New Tecumseth and surrounding communities that is expected to reach 100,000 by 2031, SMH’s planned expansion will provide the space that meets the needs of local communities in south Simcoe County today and future growth projected.
“This support from the County of Simcoe through the Simcoe County Hospital Alliance is instrumental in the success of the redevelopment project,” says Jody Levac, president and CEO, SMH. “The county has continued to provide leadership in the support of our hospital, from critical equipment needs to our new hospital expansion. Their support has helped enhance health-care services to residents across the county and will continue to do so as our vision of a new hospital in New Tecumseth comes to fruition.”
Early works projects have begun on the hospital property to prepare for construction of the new expansion, which is slated to start in 2025. The demolition and removal of the Mary McGill Community Mental Health Building is the first significant early works project. The mental health program moved into the hospital in July 2023.
“The County of Simcoe has a long history of building up our health and social services to support our residents,” said Warden Basil Clarke. “Between 1994 and 2031, the county has committed to investing $107 million to support area hospitals, including $10 million towards the important redevelopment of Stevenson Memorial Hospital. The county is not mandated to provide funding to hospitals, but county council recognizes the important role hospitals play in our mission to create vibrant, healthy and sustainable communities here in Simcoe County.”
The Simcoe County Hospital Funding Alliance was established in 2002 to anticipate and respond to our community needs and to ensure this health-care funding was distributed equitably across all of our local hospitals. In June 2017, county council approved continued hospital funding for a total $45-million commitment, with $3 million distributed annually to the Simcoe County Hospital Alliance over a 15-year period from 2017 to 2031.
Of the county’s 15-year, $45-million commitment, Stevenson Memorial will receive $10 million supporting its redevelopment project.
The Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation (SMHF) launched the ‘Because of you, we can’ campaign in 2019 in support of the redevelopment project, as well as funds needed to support critical equipment and technology upgrades. The SMH and SMHF are thankful for the support of several businesses, organizations, local government, individuals and families to date. To support the redevelopment project by making a donation, please visit www.transformingstevenson.ca.
*************************
