Minister of Health decides to keep the hospital within the MUHC
LACHINE, QC, March 7, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) welcomes today's announcement from the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr. Réjean Hébert, to keep Lachine Hospital under the management of the MUHC. He made the decision in response to the report by Dr. Richard Lemieux, who was appointed by the Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de Montréal to study the status of the Lachine Hospital.
The MUHC appreciates the Minister's favourable and timely response to its request to keep the Lachine Hospital within the MUHC. As Dr. Lemieux wrote in his report, the integration of the Lachine Hospital into the MUHC in 2008 "restored clinical activities, stabilized the workforce and led to the upgrade of certain equipment," as well as "stabilized the hospital and created an atmosphere of trust," an environment appreciated by everyone involved.
The MUHC also wishes to offer its sincere appreciation to members of the community, who did not hesitate to come together to save the Lachine Hospital. The hospitals that comprise the MUHC were originally built by the community and over the years, the MUHC has maintained close ties to those groups. This tradition continues today thanks to the support of the hospital's board of directors, advisory committees, and volunteers, as well as the auxiliaries and the foundations. It should be noted that the MUHC works in conjunction with the CSSS de Dorval-Lachine-LaSalle to fulfill its mandate of providing health care to the community. The MUHC greatly appreciates this collaborative effort with the CSSS de Dorval-Lachine-LaSalle and the leadership it has shown.
Finally, the MUHC would also like to express its gratitude to Dr. Lemieux, who has demonstrated great care in considering all opinions over the course of his mandate. His report, in which he outlines a detailed analysis of the proposal and recommends that "the Lachine Hospital remain within the MUHC," also provides a comprehensive inventory of the MUHC's improvements to the hospital. He notes that the MUHC has fulfilled its obligations to the Convention de prise en charge and that it "took all necessary measures to continue the work leading up to the final plans and specifications" of the government's $63-million capital plan.
"I join the community in honouring the Health Minister's decision and thank Dr. Lemieux for his recommendations, which eloquently confirmed the satisfaction of all MUHC stakeholders with the current governance model," said Normand Rinfret, director general and CEO of the MUHC. "We must now continue the integration process and the enhancement of care. I hope that the community will continue to collaborate with the MUHC to ensure the future success of the Lachine Hospital for the benefit of all residents."
Jocelyne Faille, executive director of the Lachine Hospital, said: "Thank you to all of the hospital's employees and doctors who supported us during this period of uncertainty. As Dr. Lemieux clearly stated in his report, it is thanks to the MUHC that we are no longer in "survival mode, but in a period of consolidation and development." I welcome the recommendation to create stronger ties between the MUHC and the CSSS de Dorval-Lachine-LaSalle. A stronger collaboration will help us to effectively meet the needs of the population we serve."
Dr. Lemieux also stresses the need to maintain the Lachine Hospital's centres of excellence in bariatric surgery and ophthalmology. As well, given that the hospital is slated to be a centre of excellence in geriatrics, he recommends that the "Geriatric project developed several years ago by the family physicians at Lachine Hospital be updated. This project calls for the use of 20 of the 79 beds planned." The MUHC is very pleased with this recommendation.
The report also states that, according to the law, "there can be only one CPDP (Council of Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists) per establishment." The MUHC recognizes this recommendation and will review its medical structure with the appropriate stakeholders.
We are pleased with Dr. Lemieux's confirmation that the MUHC has respected the Lachine Hospital's community mandate and has maintained its French character. The MUHC will continue to safeguard the Lachine Hospital's identity with the utmost diligence.
The MUHC would like to remind everyone that 2013 marks the Lachine Hospital's centennial year. The Minister of Health's announcement is excellent news that the MUHC will be able to celebrate today and throughout this special year. For more information on the centennial activities, please visit the website cusm.ca/lachine100.
About the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) One of the world's foremost academic health centres, the MUHC offers exceptional and integrated patient-centric care, research, teaching and technology assessment. Affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, it is highly committed to the continuum of care in its community. The partner hospitals of the MUHC—the Lachine Hospital, the Montreal Chest Institute, the Montreal General Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital and the Montreal Children's Hospital— value multidisciplinary service throughout the lifespan, innovative technologies and practices, strategic partnerships and leadership in knowledge transfer. The MUHC is currently carrying out a $2.355-billion Redevelopment Project on three sites—the Glen, and the Montreal General and Lachine hospitals—designed to provide healthcare professionals with an effective environment in which to ensure patients and their families benefit from The Best Care for Life. The sites are also anchored in best sustainable-development practices, including LEED® and BOMA BESt guidelines www.muhc.ca muhc.ca/construction
SOURCE: MCGILL UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTRE
Julie Paquet, McGill University Health Centre
Communications Manager, New MUHC
514 934-1934 ext. 71684
[email protected]
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