Environmentally friendly facility to boost local economy during construction 

LONDON, ON - St. Joseph's Health Care, London (St. Joseph's) and Infrastructure Ontario announced today that Integrated Team Solutions (ITS) has signed a contract to design, build, finance and maintain two new mental health care facilities in London and St. Thomas. 

Today's announcement signals that all contractual steps are complete, the financing set and construction can begin.

Construction will start in April 2011 and is expected to be completed December 2014. The project, which will include the construction of the two facilities totaling 689,700 square feet of new space, will provide stimulus to the local and regional economies by creating construction jobs and supporting spin-off activity.

The new St. Joseph's Regional Mental Health Care London facility will be constructed adjacent to Parkwood Hospital in London. Its programs will accommodate inpatient and outpatient services for:  

  • adolescent psychiatry   
  • assessment 
  • dual diagnosis 
  • geriatric psychiatry 
  • mood and anxiety disorders 
  • psychosis 

The new St. Joseph's Regional Mental Health Care St. Thomas facility will be a forensic mental health-care facility built on the existing lands in St. Thomas. It will provide specialized inpatient and outpatient services, including assessment, treatment, outreach and support services to individuals with a mental illness who have come into significant contact with the criminal justice system.  

The two new facilities will better support staff and a recovery model of care for patients by creating healing environments, providing a neighbourhood and community setting which will allow for individual growth and skill acquirement and enable patients to return to community living more successfully.

The value of the contract with ITS in today's dollars is approximately $830.5 million. When adjustments for anticipated inflation are made for the 30 year contract term, the contract value is $1.1 billion.

Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care are working with St. Joseph's to build the hospitals, which will remain publicly owned, publicly controlled and publicly accountable.  Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to managing 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 and www.sjhc.london.on.ca restructuring for more information. 

Quotes  

Hon. Bob Chiarelli, Minister of Infrastructure 

“Today's announcement illustrates the government's commitment to building modern health-care facilities that provide Ontarians with the services they need and deserve.”

Hon. Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and MPP for London North Centre 
 “This is an important step in realizing a long-time vision to improve mental health facilities for some of our province's most vulnerable people. Our government is committed to improving our health care system to increase access to services for the people of London, St. Thomas and for all Ontarians.”

Hon. Chris Bentley, Attorney General, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and MPP for London West 
“Investing in our health care infrastructure is a great way to stimulate our economy, create jobs and build stronger and healthier communities.” 

Khalil Ramal, MPP for London - Fanshawe 
“The new facilities are going to make such a difference to the people who work and receive care here. I am very pleased to see this project take another important step.”

Gillian Kernaghan, President and CEO of St. Joseph's Health Care London 
“The state-of-the-art mental health care facilities in London and St. Thomas will help enhance the expert care we already provide patients. Hundreds of people have contributed to the plans to build these new facilities which will help provide dignity, comfort, and compassion as well as life affirming progress and skill acquirement as patients' journey toward recovery. It has been generations since new mental health facilities have been constructed. The new buildings will not only make a world of difference to the care and recovery of people, but will foster teaching and research while we break down stigma attached to mental illness. This is a new era of mental health care in our community.”

Contacts: 

Amanda Jackman 
St. Joseph's Health Care London      
519 646-6100 ext. 47155      

Lyndsie York
Infrastructure Ontario 
416-326-9368

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