New hospital will transform care for people living with complex chronic
disease

TORONTO , Oct. 19 /CNW/ - Ontario is increasing access to care and creating jobs with the groundbreaking of a new 680,000 square foot hospital designed especially for treating individuals with complex chronic diseases.

The new state-of-the-art 472 bed hospital will create a 'campus of care', integrating patient care, research and teaching in complex chronic disease and disability.

When completed, the new 10-storey facility will provide improved patient care, including:

    
    -   More living space for patients;
    -   Double the existing therapy space and patient lounges;
    -   Increased ambulatory space for outpatient/community programming;
    -   Modern therapy areas on each floor;
    -   A larger therapy pool, new public areas and cycling paths; and
    -   Walkways integrated with Riverdale Park.
    

At the peak of construction, approximately 90 sub-contractors and approximately 600 workers will be on site.

The new hospital will replace the current congested and aging facility, and will be located on the existing site at the corner of Broadview Avenue and Gerrard Street East in Toronto . The historic Don Jail will be preserved and restored into a centre for administrative and support services. The hospital will be designed with environmentally responsible and sustainable features and will be certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

"The Bridgepoint Health project demonstrates our government's commitment to invest in Ontario's health care infrastructure to build stronger and healthier communities," said George Smitherman , Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. "This redevelopment will create a modern, state-of-the-art hospital and provide many jobs throughout the Greater Toronto Area."

"Today's ground-breaking is a symbol of our ambition to change the world for the people living with complex chronic disease - the number one health care challenge of the 21st century. With a much-needed facility, we will bring together top research, education and clinical talent in search of new ways of preventing and managing complex chronic disease," said Marian Walsh , President and CEO, Bridgepoint Health.

Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca for more information.

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Backgrounder Page

    
                           New Bridgepoint Hospital
    

Founded in 1860 as the House of Refuge, Bridgepoint Health now provides specialized complex care and rehabilitation to the growing number of Ontarians living with complex chronic disease. Bridgepoint Health employs approximately 1,200 staff and consists of Bridgepoint Hospital, the Bridgepoint Family Health Team, the Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, and the Bridgepoint Health Foundation.

The New Bridgepoint Hospital

The new hospital has been specifically designed for patients affected by multiple, lifelong illnesses, such as advanced diabetes with complications, renal failure, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, stroke and other chronic diseases.

The new Bridgepoint Hospital will be a 10-storey, 680,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility with 472 beds, and will include the Christine Sinclair Ambulatory Care Centre.

The new facility will relieve the congestion of the current, aging building and provide an improved patient experience for generations to come. The new hospital will include:

    
    -   Larger rooms, with modern technologies;
    -   A washroom in each patient room for enhanced infection prevention and
        control;
    -   More natural light and spectacular views of the city;
    -   Increased ambulatory care space for outpatient/community programming;
    -   Double the existing therapy space, including a state-of-the-art
        therapy area on each floor for easy access;
    -   An in-ground therapy pool that is triple the size of the existing
        above-ground pool;
    -   Double the number of patient lounges;
    -   More room for specialized wheelchairs, making it possible for
        patients to regain their independence in their own space;
    -   Bright, open dining rooms and common areas for visiting and
        recreational activities; and
    -   New areas open to the public, including a cafeteria, auditorium,
        retail shops, library, internet café, rooftop garden and labyrinth
        terrace.
    

Preserving the Historic Don Jail

The historic Don Jail, an architectural landmark for the City of Toronto , will be preserved and incorporated into the design of the new campus. A building rich in history will continue to be an integral part of the hospital providing support for in patient services.

The exterior of the jail will be preserved and linked to the new hospital by a modern glass bridge. On the interior, the main focal point of the building, the rotunda, will be restored to its original architectural beauty. The glass floor, which was built over at some point in the jail's history, will be uncovered and the skylight, which was tiled over, will be re-exposed allowing natural light to pour into the rotunda.

The historic Don Jail's main entrance and rotunda will be publicly accessible, and for the first time since its closure in 1977, visitors will once again walk beneath 'Father Time' as they enter the building. The dramatic rotunda will serve as a public gallery space and will be an important focal point for community uses, hospital events, public heath-related announcements and lectures.

On the second level, walkways run the circumference of the rotunda and are held up by wrought-iron gargoyles (dragons and snakes). The walkways, the gargoyles and the wrought-iron railings along the walkways will all be preserved. As well, a group of cells in the basement and the gallows will be retained in their original state for historical purposes.

To communicate the significance and heritage value of the historic Don Jail building, interpretive displays and educational devices will be prominently located within the building. These may include photographic and textual interpretive displays of actual artifacts retrieved from the building or site. These elements will be prominently displayed at the building's main entrance and throughout the interior of the building.

Green Features

The new Bridgepoint Hospital has been designed to be environmentally responsible and sustainable. The hospital's design and construction practices will be certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, in support of the government's commitment to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

In comparison to standard hospital designs, the new Bridgepoint Hospital will:

    
    -   Consume less energy;
    -   Use 20 per cent less potable water;
    -   Use storm-water runoff from the roof for landscape irrigation;
    -   Support alternative transportation options by providing:
    -   Preferred parking for carpools
    -   Amenities for cyclists (storage, showers, and expanded staff change
        rooms)
    -   Maximize the use of natural light; and,
    -   Divert at least 75 per cent of construction waste away from landfill
        by recycling or salvaging construction materials.

    Important Construction Dates

    Activity                             Start             Finish
    --------                             -----             ------
    Site Mobilization                    August 2009       N/A
    Site Clearing, Rough Grading         August 2009       December 2009
    Site Services                        Phased            N/A
    Bulk Excavation                      December 2009     July 2010
    Concrete Structure                   August 2010       October 2011
    Building Envelope                    June 2011         April 2012
    Interior Finishes                    March 2011        September 2012
    Renovate Don Jail                    May 2010          December 2012
    Demolition (Toronto Jail)            January 2013      February 2013
    Demolition (Existing Hospital)       April 2013        August 2013
    Substantial Completion               N/A               February 2013
    Patients Move Into New Hospital      N/A               April 2013

    Contract with Plenary Health

    Plenary Health (Plenary) has signed a contract with Bridgepoint Health to
design, build, finance and maintain the new Bridgepoint Hospital in Toronto
and will receive annual payments from Bridgepoint (funded by the Government of
Ontario and the hospital's own fundraising efforts) over a 30-year period.
These payments cover:
    -   design
    -   construction
    -   lifecycle repair and renewal (building maintenance for 30 years after
        construction)
    -   project financing
    

The contract with Plenary is for a fixed price of $622 million in today's dollars, to be delivered by a fixed completion date. The contract agreement also makes Plenary responsible for design errors and omissions, project management and sub-contractor co-ordination, increases in construction material prices and labour costs, schedule and project completion delays, and other related constructions risks. In the past, the public sector was responsible for these risks. However, the Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) model now transfers these risks to the private sector - Plenary, in this case.

The hospital's 30-year maintenance agreement with Plenary will ensure its new facility's roofing structure, windows, floors, elevators, heating and cooling systems and other physical components are kept in excellent working condition over the term of the agreement. In the past, the public sector was responsible for the repair and renewal of the building, but under the AFP model, the private sector assumes this responsibility. The public sector has built in a 30-year guarantee for these physical features, which previously had only a one-year guarantee.

The hospital remains responsible for clinical care, soft maintenance services (e.g. housekeeping, waste removal) and non-clinical support services (e.g. patient food services, medical equipment maintenance).

Financing

Financing for the Bridgepoint Hospital project is being provided by RBC Dominion Securities Inc. as bond underwriter, together with a banking group consisting of Calyon New York Branch, Dexia Credit Local and Royal Bank of Canada . Equity is being provided by Plenary and Innisfree.

Annual Payments to Plenary

The annual payments are comparable to a fixed-rate mortgage with maintenance and repair expenses included. For example, if a homeowner signs a mortgage agreement today, the homeowner commits to the cost of the house in today's dollars (this is known as the net present value). However, over the lifetime of the mortgage, the homeowner pays monthly mortgage payments, plus the costs of updating and maintaining the house during that period. This cumulative cost is called the nominal cost. In the case of the Bridgepoint project, while the cost of the contract in today's dollars is equivalent to $622 million , after 30 years, this will total approximately $1.27 billion .

Annual payments to Plenary are performance-based. Payments can be withheld if Plenary does not meet the agreed upon performance standards.

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For further information: Media Contacts: Amy Tang, Minister's Office, Energy and Infrastructure, [phone]; Julie Dowdie, Bridgepoint Health, [phone]; Jessica Hooker, Infrastructure Ontario, [phone]; Mike Marasco, Plenary Health, [phone]