South Niagara Hospital on track for 2028 completion amid local concerns
August 17, 2024 at 4:42 AM
Construction of the new South Niagara Hospital continues, heading toward a targeted completion date of summer 2028.
In mid-July, the one-year anniversary of ground being broken at the site at the corner of Montrose and Biggar roads was celebrated.
Excavation for the foundation and basement level is complete, including the insertion of more than 1,250 steel piles into the bedrock to support the building foundation, said Niagara Health in a news release last month, which also stated that elevator shafts and stairwells are taking shape.
The majority of site services, such as waterlines, as well as stormwater and sanitary sewers.
Currently crews are working on the first three floors of the building, and over the next two years, the community will be able to watch the building grow floor by floor until it reaches its 12-storey peak, said the health system.
With the opening of the new hospital, the plug will be pulled at urgent care centres (UCC) in Fort Erie and Port Colborne.
Niagara Health held recent public engagement sessions in those communities, where residents voiced concerns about losing their local sites.
In a statement provided to Fort Erie Radio, Niagara Health said it appreciates people’s concerns about maintaining healthcare services in their communities.
“Niagara Health, a hospital, must evolve to overcome the challenges of today’s healthcare system, including competing for doctors, nurses and other health professionals, and keeping up with advances in technology and how healthcare is delivered,” the statement read.
Following the opening of the new South Niagara Hospital in 2028, hospital programs and services from the Fort Erie and Port Colborne sites will be transitioned to the South Niagara and Welland hospitals. The sites will no longer be operated by Niagara Health once that happens.
The health system will turn over the sites to the municipalities, and the future of the sites is their responsibility.
“We are actively working with them to help ensure they can maintain community-run healthcare services such as comprehensive primary care at those sites,” said Niagara Health, adding that the Fort Erie and Port Colborne UCCs “are better suited to be operated by family physician groups.”
When the new South Niagara Hospital opens in 2028, it will have 469 beds, adding 156 new beds to the hospital system.
In the 2024/25 fiscal year, Niagara Health is funded for 870 permanent beds across all five sites. They also operate “flex beds,” bringing the current total bed count to 921.
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About The Author
Kris Dubé
Kris is a veteran journalist who has worked in Niagara for close to 20 years. He is also a lifelong resident of Fort Erie, a place he plans to call home and raise his family for many more years.
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