RUNNYMEDE HEALTHCARE CENTRE CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING

Hospital completed ahead of schedule and on budget

TORONTO, Dec. 8 /CNW/ - The Honourable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, joined hospital officials, community members and health care partners today to celebrate the official grand opening of Runnymede Healthcare Centre's new hospital.

Runnymede Healthcare Centre has a long history of expertise in the care of individuals with specialized complex continuing care needs. The opening of the new state-of-the-art hospital has enabled Runnymede Healthcare Centre to more than double their capacity from 95 to 200 beds while expanding much needed programs and services.  The hospital is now more equipped than ever to respond effectively and efficiently to increasing system wide pressures by reducing wait times to better meet the healthcare needs of Ontarians. 

Comprehensive, inter-professional and enhanced services offered in the 180,000 square foot facility address the holistic needs of the patients.  Together with supporting areas the professional team includes:  

• medicine
• nursing
• physiotherapy
• occupational therapy
• speech-language pathology
• clinical nutrition
• social work
• activation therapy
• dentistry
• chiropody.

This collaborative approach has positioned Runnymede Healthcare Centre to continue leading the way in specialized complex continuing care.

Construction of the new Runnymede Healthcare Centre began in November 2007 and was completed in spring 2010, ahead of schedule and on budget.  Bondfield Construction Company Ltd. built the facility.   The new hospital was built on the existing Runnymede Healthcare Centre site, replacing the older facility which first opened in 1908 as Strathcona Public School.

Infrastructure Ontario worked with Runnymede Healthcare Centre to build the replacement hospital, which will remain publicly owned, publicly controlled and publicly accountable.  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 www.runnymedehc.ca for more information.

Quotes:

Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
"I'm delighted to see this project complete and confident that this community will benefit from the many expanded services and facilities at the Runnymede Healthcare Centre's new hospital. The McGuinty government is committed to supporting new health care projects throughout the province to ensure that high quality care is provided as close to home as possible."

Connie Dejak, President & Chief Executive Officer, Runnymede Healthcare Centre
"Construction of our new hospital erased 20 years of uncertainty for Runnymede Healthcare Centre and positioned us to respond accordingly to increasing system wide pressures.  On October 14, 2009 we completed a safe and effective transition for our patients to the new building, two months ahead of schedule.   It's now a time of celebration for our patients and the community to recognize and give thanks for the hard work, perseverance and commitment of the many dedicated individuals, who supported and propelled the transformative vision for our hospital."Contacts:

Disponible en français

For further information:

Julie Hiroz
Runnymede Healthcare Centre
416-762-7316, Ext. 2681

Jennifer Sclisizzi
Infrastructure Ontario
416-325-7409