Officials have work to do to ease concerns of those in the city core over plans to build a new hospital near the Windsor airport.
"We need to do lots of work with the community and they need to be involved as well," says Dave Cooke, co-chair of the steering committee handling the planning for the new hospital.
He feels the concerns, largely centred around access to care, can be addressed through more public consultation.
"As Janice [Kaffer, president and CEO of Hotel-Dieu Grace Heatlhcare] has said, Hotel-Dieu is going to do a whole consultation with people in the community, in particular people in the downtown," says Cooke.
A Wednesday night townhall meeting setup by the Downtown Windsor BIA saw leaders behind the effort to build a new regional hospital face criticism from residents over the location of the new hospital. Cooke is confident residents in the city core won't be left behind.
"With what Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare is doing at the Ouellette Campus and with the urgent care facility and with the primary care with the family health team, I think downtown is going to be better served," says Cooke.
The site selection committee has chosen land at County Rd. 42 and the Ninth Concession for the proposal to the Ministry of Health for a new regional hospital which also includes building an urgent care centre in the urban centre offering emergency-type services.
Cooke hopes to see the new hospital get approval from the ministry early next year.
A townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015 focuses on plans to build a new regional hospital for Windsor-Essex. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Co-Chair of the Programs and Services Steering Committee Dave Cooke at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Erie-St. Clair LHIN CEO Gary Switzer at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Members of the Programs and Services Steering Committee David Musyj (left) Dave Cooke (centre) and Janice Kaffer (right) at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Residents ask questions regarding plans for a new regional hospital at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Residents ask questions regarding plans for a new regional hospital at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare President and CEO Janice Kaffer at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Residents ask questions regarding plans for a new regional hospital at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Residents ask questions regarding plans for a new regional hospital at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Residents ask questions regarding plans for a new regional hospital at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Residents ask questions regarding plans for a new regional hospital at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Residents ask questions regarding plans for a new regional hospital at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
Residents ask questions regarding plans for a new regional hospital at a townhall meeting at Windsor's Waterfront Hotel put on by the Downtown Windsor BIA on November 11, 2015. (Photo by Ricardo Veneza)
