The construction site was a happening place last Friday; not only was the project management team in the midst of its move out of the trailers; we had the opportunity to show off our new hospital to the Honourable Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Deb Matthews!
I am so pleased to see the progress being made on this new hospital site. The beautiful new, state-of-the-art facilities here will improve access to quality care for this community and provide vital health services for the people of St. Catharines and the surrounding area.
- The Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
The Health Minister made a series of stops as she visited Niagara on June 15. She was accompanied by NHS Supervisor Dr. Kevin Smith, the Honourable Minister Jim Bradley and members of the Local Health Integration Network for a special tour of our new St. Catharines site, along with members of the Senior Executive Team.
She excitedly sported our Million Square Feet of Care bracelet while touring the radiation treatment and chemotherapy areas in the Walker Family Cancer Centre, the Heart Investigation Unit, the operating suites, as well as the new combined emergency and urgent care centre.
Health Minister pays tribute to Niagara team
The Health Minister rounded out her day in Niagara with a surprise visit to the NHS Leadership retreat in order to pay tribute to the hard-working, dedicated professionals who work at the NHS.
She also provided the following message to share with all staff in this update:
I was thrilled to drop in on the Niagara Health System leadership team during their retreat last week.
Together, they are working to build on the recent gains of NHS so that the people of Niagara Region get high-quality, patient-centred care.
I want to thank the leadership at NHS for all their hard work, and let them know they have my full support as they continue to improve care for families in the Niagara region.
First move to the new hospital complete!
The NHS Project Management Team is settling into its borrowed space at the front of the Walker Family Cancer Centre and is back on the NHS ICT network. The team can be reached by dialing 905-378-4647 at the following extensions:
| Name | Title | Extension |
|---|---|---|
| Marilyn Bellows | Clinical Project Manager | 46528 |
| Kathy Finkbeiner | Regional Logistics Manager | 63483 |
| Frank Gigliotti | Equipment Procurement Coordinator | 52604 |
| Don Gordon | Senior Project Manager | 46526 |
| Gloria Kain | Chief Planning and Development Officer | 43118 |
| Scott Meikleham | Architect | 46546 |
| Liisa Morley | Communications Specialist | 46542 |
| Jennifer Plumb | Executive Assistant | 46527 |
| Luciano Riganelli | Materials Management | 63483 |
| Rita Strickland | Project Manager, Employee Transition & Development | 32348 |
| Peter Tsekouras | Project Manager | 46543 |
| Maria Vuono | Coordinator, Redevelopment and Clinical Planning | 46522 |
| Jeff Wilson | Regional Manager – ICT Technical Support | 44827 |
| Karen Winter | Administrative Assistant | 46540 |
As mentioned in last week’s update, one of the really exciting components of the team moving into the site and using hospital extensions is that it signifies the backbone of the ICT infrastructure will be ready for when the rest of staff begin using their existing extensions in the new site. Thanks to ICT for all of your help in getting us up and running, especially Jeff Wilson, Dave Taylor and Todd Hodge!
Save the date...Hoarders beware!
July 11, 2012 – First round of “spring cleaning”
As our project team can attest, it is a lot of work preparing to move! We didn’t realize how much time would be spent on going through old files and getting rid of things we no longer needed. It can be a very emotional exercise!
In the same regard, all programs and departments transitioning to the new site must be fully prepared in advance of the move to begin safe clinical procedures starting on day one.
One of the necessary steps in this preparation involves three rounds of “spring cleaning” to dispose of items that will not be needed at the new site.
July 11, 2012 will be the first in a series of clean up days aimed at getting ready for the move. Stay tuned for more details in next week’s update to understand what this will involve.
New Hospital Town Hall – July 12, 2012
We will be holding our next New Hospital Town Hall on Thursday, July 12 at 2 p.m. in the St. Catharines General Cafeteria Meeting Room.
This forum for all staff, physicians and volunteers will feature the latest updates about our new hospital, with a focus on how the new hospital facilities will be maintained, as well as information about the move.
We will also film the update so that we can share the news with staff at all of our sites, as well as the Niagara community.
Construction snapshot!
Should you be scheduled to visit the project office, please refer to the instructions provided and look for the yellow scaffolding at the front of the building, as detailed in the pictures below.
157 days until construction is complete!
With 157 days left in the construction schedule, the building is looking more like a hospital with each day that passes. On budget, on schedule and over 90% complete, the design of this world-class facility took the strengths of local knowledge from our clinicians and global expertise of our architects to create a building that is focused on the patient experience and outcome.
Please join us in achieving the goal of providing one million square feet of care
