Redekop gives update on ‘crisis situation’ at Douglas Memorial site

Appearing on Fort Erie Radio’s morning show on Tuesday, Mayor Wayne Redekop told hosts Brent Jones and Brenda Tyrrell that the town is currently in a “crisis situation to make sure that we can continue to have urgent care in Fort Erie.”

Fort Erie’s Douglas Memorial urgent care centre has already faced reduced hours this summer and it is slated for closure in 2028, when services are expected to move to the new South Niagara Hospital.

Redekop told Jones and Tyrrell that reimagining the Bertie Street site could help Niagara Health make better use of its resources, ease emergency department pressures across the region and keep urgent care in town.

At the end of June, the town made a presentation to the Niagara Health Board of Trustees to discuss their proposal for Douglas Memorial. Redekop said transferring about half of the more than 130 non-acute patients in Niagara hospitals to Douglas Memorial could free up acute beds and allow better use of as much as $50 million a year.

Niagara Health’s deficit more than doubled to $26 million last year, “driven by rising costs, increasing demand and broader system challenges,” according to audited financial reports posted on its website.

Acute care is for patients with serious, immediate medical needs who require the most intensive treatment. Redekop said those beds cost about $1,200 a day, while non-acute beds can cost less than $400.

He also said Niagara Health president and CEO Lynn Guerriero confirmed that more than 130 acute care beds in Niagara are occupied by non-acute patients.

“We’ve got a purpose-built facility in Fort Erie with lots of space, and we think we could cover at least half of those beds,” said Redekop.

The mayor argues his plan would reduce wait times in emergency departments across the region by shifting non-acute patients out of acute beds.

“If you’ve got acute care beds available, then the people coming into emergency departments don’t have to wait in the hallways,” said Redekop. “At one point there were 12 ambulances lined up at St. Catharines’ hospital. That’s just unacceptable.”

In August, Redekop and Ward 5 Councillor Tom Lewis met with Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones at the municipal conference in Ottawa. He said she showed strong interest in the proposal and asked detailed questions about the building and diagnostic services.

The town will continue to ensure Douglas Memorial stays in public ownership and is prepared to create a new entity to run the hospital if Niagara Health steps away.

“It should remain a public facility, and if Niagara Health doesn’t want it, we do,” he said.

In response to a question sent in to the morning show by a listener, the mayor rejected criticism that the town’s plan for Douglas Memorial has been kept hidden from residents.

“There’s nothing to hide, and in fact, it’s important for us to make sure we get that out there,” said Redekop.

The next step is identifying logistical needs, staffing, funding, and partnerships for Douglas Memorial. The proposal includes keeping urgent care in Fort Erie, adding clinics and diagnostic services such as CT scans, and using part of the facility for education programs with colleges and medical schools.

Town council is expected to receive a report later this fall on hiring a medical systems consultant to flesh out those details before sending the proposal back to Queen’s Park.

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