Ontario Construction News staff writer
Construction has officially commenced on a new Reactivation Care Centre in Hamilton, a collaborative project between St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) and Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS). The new facility aims to provide restorative and specialty care to individuals who no longer need acute hospital care, thereby optimizing patient care and freeing up hospital resources.
Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones announced the project, highlighting the provincial government’s commitment to enhancing health care accessibility. “Our government is making historic investments in Ontario’s health care system to expand access to care and make it faster and easier for people to connect to the care they need, closer to home,” Jones said. “The new Reactivation Care Centre will ensure more patients and their families in the Hamilton area are connected to the care and support they need, for years to come.”
The province is providing $16 million for the 28,000 square-foot facility that will include 57 transitional care beds across three units for various needs including complex care, dementia care services, and behavioral support. Additionally, it will offer four rooms equipped for on-site hemodialysis treatment.
“This Reactivation Care Centre offers a unique opportunity to provide a continuity of care to patients who need more time to recover, while freeing up much-needed space in our hospital to provide acute care to more patients, faster,” said Mike Heenan, President of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton:
Reactivation care is an innovative approach to transitioning patients from hospital to community-based care, ensuring more efficient use of hospital beds and reducing wait times. This initiative is part of Ontario’s broader health care strategy outlined in “Your Health: A Plan For Connected and Convenient Care,” which includes over 50 hospital development projects across the province and aims to add 3,000 new hospital beds over the next decade.
Ontario is spending nearly $50 billion in health infrastructure over the next 10 years, which will add 3,000 new hospital beds, supplementing the 3,500 beds added since 2020.
In the Hamilton region, additional hospital projects include the St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton psychiatric emergency service redevelopment, Hamilton General Hospital’s emergency department expansion, and the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital redevelopment.
“Our community needs more options for people who require supportive care. This remarkable investment and partnership will add beds to our community where patients can regain their strength to safely return home or back to their community,” said John Woods, Interim President of St. Joseph’s Villa Dundas.