The Honourable John Gerretsen, Minister of the Attorney General and MPP for Kingston and The Islands, joined hospital staff, donors, community members and health- care partners today to celebrate the opening of Kingston General Hospital's newly expanded Intensive Care Unit.
Now in its third year of construction, the KGH's redevelopment project has provided a significant boost to the local economy. At the peak of construction there were approximately 200 workers on site daily with 85 per cent of the workforce locally sourced.
The newly expanded Intensive Care Unit boasts more beds, providing patients with improved access to the most urgent care in a family oriented environment that will soon include a family lounge area and quiet consultation rooms.
Patients will begin receiving treatment in portions of the expanded Intensive Care Unit this month.
Expansion of the Intensive Care unit is part of the hospital's multi-year, multi-million dollar redevelopment project. Construction on the redevelopment project began in July 2008. The first four projects - a new pediatric unit, a new medicine/inpatient oncology unit, a new dialysis unit and a new mental health unit - are now complete and operational. The first phases of the cancer centre expansions are also complete. The overall project is progressing on time and on budget to be completed in spring 2012.
Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care are working with Kingston General Hospital to redevelop the facility, which will remain publicly owned and publicly controlled.
Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to delivering some of the province's larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are built on time and on budget; as well, it is dedicated to providing the public sector and not-for-profit organizations with long-term financing to renew their infrastructure.
Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca or visit www.kgh.on.ca for more information.
Contacts:
Lyndsie York
Infrastructure Ontario
416-326-9368
Karen Smith
Kingston General Hospital
613-549-6666, Ext. 6345
Disponible en français
Quotes:
Honourable Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure
“Congratulations on another major milestone met today. This redevelopment project is part of the largest reinvestment in health care facilities in Ontario in more than a generation.”
Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
“This is a great milestone for the people of Kingston. The expansion of the Intensive Care Unit not only means people in this community will have increased access to high-quality care closer to home, but also this redeveloped site will create health-care related jobs.”
John Gerretsen, MPP for Kingston and The Islands
“This is a significant project that will serve the healthcare needs of Kingston and the surrounding area's population and also generate jobs. Through expansion and redevelopment, Kingston General Hospital will continue to provide access to high quality health care for many years to come.
Leslee Thompson, President and CEO, Kingston General Hospital
“This bright and spacious new facility at KGH will allow us to provide the best of care in a patient-centred environment that is designed for enhanced privacy and comfort. This is a significant step in improving the services we provide to patients in Southeastern Ontario who rely on us for complex-acute and specialty care.”