Group wants facility built to take pressure off hospital

passlake says:

Would it not be feasible to retrofit the LPH to be used in this manner? It is a health-care facility and it's under-used right now.

10/22/2012 5:01:04 PM

hadenough says:

Of course it would be feasible and likely it may actually make sense but.
It's been brought up many times and the head of St. Josephs care group wants to build a Taj Ma Hospital like the Regional, it would be her legacy project. I've heard lots of reasons, cost of retrofit and dealing with old infrastructure like lead pipes and asbestos, stigmatizing the residents with the historic use of the building (search out project paperclip, thunder bay lph) etc.
Great idea but I don't think that it will ever fly.

10/22/2012 6:08:57 PM

advocate says:

Probably not. It is usually less expensive to build a new facility. However, those grounds could be used if the old LPH was torn down.

10/22/2012 6:35:26 PM

Curious says:

I would like to hear what is planned for the LPH. it is definitely a perfect site for helping our elderly in need. They have already remodeled the offices so they obviously have intentions for this place. After all, our elected officials blew the money set aside for such a problem - now they should at least retrofit the already set up LPH. People should go through there and wee how perfect this would be. I have been through there and don't see what the problem is. The office is absolutely beautiful - that is a start.

10/23/2012 9:00:19 AM

The Badger Mountain Hermit says:

Hey, Cec...where were you when the City absconded the borrowed $40 mil and blew it at the waterfront?

10/22/2012 6:06:30 PM

arjay says:

there is more than enough room to build 150 beds(rooms), at the present Hospital site.politics are driving this problem. where are our Liberal reps.? the people involved , deserve a place in our society! They built it! it reminds me of the poor (on the whole) residents of the district Jail, pushed from the streets, to a life of crime in the confines , of a Government accepted cesspool!
We need to look after ALL who need assistance, be they wanting a medical bed , or other types of help from an UNCARING society!

10/22/2012 7:05:30 PM

jimmyboy says:

I wish Mr. Cranton all the luck in the world...cause I believe he is really going to need it...our TBDRHSC was vastly under built...and to top that off...was drastically over budget...The final project cost of the new TBRHSC was $283.9 million. Construction
Costs were approximately 58 per cent more than the budget approved in April of 2002 when the hospital's programs and project scope were agreed to by the Ministry.

I have been trying to fight the good fight on all of the short comings of our hospital...all with out any success in really getting the ear of Deb Matthews, Dalton McGuinty and both of our local M.P.P.'s.

Minister of Health and Long-Term Care George Smitherman later released a report by Special Advisor Tom Closson on the
Construction of the new Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) a outlined the lessons from this redevelopment project and steps the government is taking to improve hospital construction."This report is a sober read about the consequences of poorly planned and controlled capital redevelopment projects," Smitherman said. "We owe it to Patients and local citizens to make sure that this kind of situation doesn't happen again. Our government takes this report to heart and has already made improvements to the capital redevelopment process to ensure Hospital projects are conducted in the best interest of patients and local Communities."

Unfortunatley Mr. Smitherman and the report of Tom Closson is too little too late in my opinion, this should be noted by all concerned of taxpayer dollars totally being mis-spent, plain and simple.

10/22/2012 7:40:15 PM

Just_Sayin says:

I have heard the new long term care facility being built is going to have less beds than the already exsisting city homes. The TBRHSC is already jammed with elderly waiting for a long term care bed. We need to create a facility with MORE beds NOT less or equal. Our aging population and growing population should be able to agree this is an issue that needs to be addressed.

10/22/2012 9:01:53 PM

cityisgreat says:

LPH is old and way too inefficient..no doubt it needs to be closed...i do agree with the option of a transitional facility somewhere, i would shape it more in respect of "convalescent care"...let people get three meals a day, medication and rest..then they can be transitioned back to home. Makes a lot of sense and other countries have done this. Perhaps the Friends should be connecting with the LHIN..at last city council the LHIN seemed to have a good idea of the health system..maybe they can help?....anyway good luck..nice to see grass roots community action

10/22/2012 9:51:53 PM

Marko says:

Why are we bringing this up to the city? The city is the one that WANTS to get out of the long term care sector. The closing of Thunder Bay Interim Care is being over-emphasized by people that aren't involved in the issue and are unaware. The new long term care home being built by St. Joseph's Care Group is going to house over 500 residents, and this is not including the supportive housing building that would be adjacent.

If you wanted more information on it, go here:

The solution to housing 30 long term care residents is not to build an entire new facility. It's not worth millions of dollars, because as the province sees it, these people are still receiving the care they need. The hospital was built too small, but that doesn't mean that we should build another health care facility. The government is instead focusing on ensuring these people can receive the care they need at home.

10/23/2012 11:02:07 AM

whodo says:

After hearing the cost for new construction verses retrofitting Sir John A. at last evenings council meeting, I'm thinking the 'BONES" of the LPH maybe worth taking a closer look at. Maybe retrofitting is the answer.

Mind you, not too many construction companies will agree, they prefer to built new and charge outrageous building costs.

10/23/2012 11:02:22 AM

nvjgu says:

The over crowding problem is always going to be there the hospital is full most of the time, homes for the aged are full and if anthing else is built it will be filled up same day it opens and if two places are built it also will be filled up opon opening. This is not a pritty picture. You can only stay in you home for so long.

10/23/2012 9:47:26 PM

InTheKnow says:

Rather than focus on ALC days, although there is many, the larger issue is the continual reliance on acute care when resources could better be spent on outpatient care.

Urgent care centers in the U.S. are like Emergency Room-lite, dealing with lesser emergencies faster and with better utilization of resources in an outpatient setting.

Also, a distict convolencent care facility for clients that are not truly acute but have no one to care for them at home or cannot manage for other reasons would benefit Thunder Bay immensely.

We really need to start looking at utilization of second and third party services, and putting more resources into prevention and outpatient resources before the hospital is bursting at the seems.

10/24/2012 9:20:01 AM