The 18-bed inpatient unit at the Chesley site of the South Bruce Grey Health Centre has reopened, following a temporary closure for construction.
A 2.75 million dollar infrastructure project has been underway since March to replace the facility’s air-handling units, and install a sprinkler system throughout the site. During this 10-week period, 10 additional beds were temporarily opened at SBGHC’s Durham site.
The infrastructure project is expected to be complete later this month, and will be on budget.
In addition, renovations are underway to install new nurses’ stations in the emergency department and inpatient unit, add an accessible washroom to the waiting area, renovate the laboratory, refresh patient rooms with paint and new lighting, and create a safe room in the emergency department for mental health patients.
"This substantial investment in the Chesley hospital will ensure that this facility will be able to operate efficiently for years to come, and ensure that the site will meet the upcoming provincial requirement for hospitals to have a full sprinkler system by 2025," explains John Gilbert, SBGHC Board Chair.
Meanwhile, the temporary reduction in emergency department hours at the Chesley site will continue as SBGHC works to address shortages in nursing staffing.
The emergency department will be only operating from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and will be closed overnight from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. The reduced hours of service will extend until February 1, 2020, when the nursing staffing complement will be evaluated to ensure that it has been stabilized enough to reopen 24/7.
