ICU Project Moving Forward at SMH
[New Tecumseth, ON – June 25, 2020] – Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH) is resuming the implementation of an ICU. Construction will begin on July 13, 2020 for the Level 2 ICU, a 16-week project which is due to be complete in November.
The Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) provided $1 million in funding for the project in the spring of 2019. A significant amount of planning took place over the course of 2019, and the project was delayed due to some infrastructure challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Level 2 ICU Committee (official name of the new unit to be announced later this year) is ready to move forward to ensure the project is completed by the end of the year.
“We have an opportunity to build critical care space to meet the ever growing complexity of patient needs at our hospital,” says Jody Levac, President and CEO, SMH. “Our dated infrastructure requires a redevelopment, and as we wait for an approval from the Ministry of Health, we are doing everything we can to update our space and ensure the community can have critical care, closer to home,” he adds.
The hospital is forging ahead amongst the COVID-19 pandemic, a decision that was carefully made but one that was very important. To ensure that the funding is still available, as well as contractors who have been waiting to proceed, it was determined that the time is now to move forward.
“With the onset of COVID-19, we have certainly been seeing patients with critical and advanced care needs, so I’m excited that we are moving forward with the Level 2 ICU project,” says Carrie Jeffreys, VP Clinical Services & Chief Nursing Executive, SMH. “We have added Respiratory Therapists to our staffing complement as well, who have been instrumental during the pandemic and will continue to fill a critical role at SMH once our Level 2 ICU is complete,” she adds.
