Newsroom

Investing in the Future of Local Healthcare with Newly Acquired Property

2023-11-25

Originally published in the Cornwall Standard-Freeholder on Saturday, November 25, 2023.

The pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated capacity pressures facing hospitals throughout the province. These challenges have included busier emergency departments, higher patient occupancy levels, and difficulties discharging Alternate Level of Care patients. It has not been uncommon for Cornwall Community Hospital (CCH) to be operating well above capacity over these past few years.

Despite these pressures, I am proud to say that CCH has been able to react and respond with incredible resilience to the needs of our community. We want to continue to meet these needs and we recognize that we need to take proactive measures to ensure the delivery of sustainable healthcare services in our community for many years to come.

Guided by our 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, which identifies Establishing Physical Capacity as part of our post-pandemic recovery efforts, I am excited to share that the hospital has recently acquired the property located at 825 McConnell Avenue (the site of the former Gladstone Public School) for future use.

This strategic property investment provides CCH with a piece of land located directly across the street from the hospital in the heart of the city. As we set out to undertake our long-term master planning, this property will ensure future options and capacity for expansion and innovation.

It cannot be understated just how beneficial it is for our patients and community to have an integrated and consolidated hospital campus for providing a comprehensive and efficient patient-centered healthcare experience. Today the hospital’s acute care services, heliport, parking, and outpatient programs, including community mental health and addiction services, are all consolidated on one campus. While we do not know at this point what will eventually be developed on the property, the acquisition is ensuring that we can maintain the benefit of offering a consolidated campus on McConnell Avenue while we grow into the future.

The property is one of the last remaining unused pieces of land on this section of McConnell Avenue. We were fortunate to have the opportunity today to acquire the property for future needs.

In the coming days, you will see crews safely demolishing the former Gladstone Public School which currently sits on the property. Experts have determined that the building, which has seen years of neglect and experienced a fire a few years ago, exhibits severe signs of fire damage, water damage, mould, asbestos, and vandalism. The building is also no longer equipped for water, sewage, or natural gas connections. In other words, the building is no longer safe, habitable, or serviceable. While the removal of the longstanding school building may be bittersweet for some, it will provide the hospital with a fresh opportunity and paves the way for the future of healthcare in our region.