By Chad Ingram
Published July 10, 2018
A merger of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Lindsay’s Ross
Memorial Hospital, integrating the two into one hospital network with
two sites, would not disrupt the services that Haliburton Highlands
Health Services receives from those hospitals, HHHS CEO Carolyn Plummer
says.
The boards of PRHC and RMH have submitted a joint directional plan to
the board of directors for the Central East Ontario LHIN (Local Health
Integration Network), according to a press release from RMH, indicating
their mutual intention to integrate the two hospitals into one, while
maintaining separate sites.
“A final decision has not been made, and the proposed integration is
subject to ongoing due diligence, stakeholder engagement and approvals
by the boards of both RMH and PRHC; by the board of directors of the
Central East LHIN; and by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care,”
the release reads. “The two hospitals have been working together for
many years to jointly deliver excellent care for the region’s patients.
Partnerships and collaborations between the two organizations already
exist in such areas as diagnostic imaging, lab medicine, dialysis
services, mental health, obstetrics and pediatrics, ophthalmology and
orthopaedics.”
HHHS also has agreements with each of the hospitals for a variety of
services, but Plummer told the paper that if the integration proceeds,
the delivery of those services would not be interrupted.
“We do have a strategic alliance agreement with the Ross Memorial for
several services and resources, such as IT and diagnostic imaging, for
example,” Plummer wrote in an email to the paper. “We also have an
agreement with the Peterborough Regional Health Centre for some of our
laboratory services. At HHHS we have a strong, collaborative working
relationship with both hospitals, which allows us to improve access to
services for Haliburton County that we would not be able to do on our
own. Regardless of the outcome of their discussions, the agreements we
have with them will be upheld – meaning there will no interruption in
any of the services we share or receive from either hospital. Although
there may be some process changes that take place, the services will
remain intact.”
There will be a series of public meetings dealing with the proposed
integration, and an online survey is to be launched in July.
