Ontario Building a Stronger, More Resilient Ottawa Hospital

Ontario Building a Stronger, More Resilient Ottawa Hospital

$29.1 million investment will expand services and increase access to care in Ottawa and the Champlain Region

March 25, 2022

Office of the Premier


OTTAWA — As part of its plan to build a stronger, more resilient health care system that is better prepared to respond to crisis, the Ontario government is investing another $29.1 million to expand The Ottawa Hospital’s future state-of-the-art Civic Campus, which will serve as the lead acute care centre for Ottawa, the Champlain Region and Nunavut. This is one of the largest planning grants in Ontario’s history and will make the hospital one of the largest and most advanced academic research hospitals in Canada, improving access to care for patients and families in the Ottawa region and beyond.

“After decades of inaction and underinvestment by previous governments, we are listening to the people of Ottawa and delivering the hospital that they deserve,” said Premier Doug Ford. “This investment will ensure The Ottawa Hospital is able to deliver the type of world class care that this growing region requires and will help build a more resilient health care system.”

In 2019, the government invested $9 million to support early planning for the new, multi-billion-dollar Civic Campus. Working closely with the province, The Ottawa Hospital has expanded the scope of this redevelopment which is planned to include more than 100 additional beds, bringing the total number of new beds to over 300. These beds will help to expand services, including acute care and the development of a specialty rehabilitation centre and referral centre, to ensure patients receive the care they need when they need it and closer to home.

Planning is also underway to include a cutting-edge trauma centre, a larger emergency department, an updated and expanded surgical suite, outpatient clinics and integrated research and education spaces to support the hospital’s teaching and research mandates.

“Supporting The Ottawa Hospital’s new and expanded Civic Campus is a vital part of our government’s plan to build a resilient health care system and end hallway health care in the Ottawa region,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This investment – one of the largest planning and design grants in Ontario’s history – will help patients and families access the care they need for generations to come.”

Ontario is working with The Ottawa Hospital on the next stage of the planning process, which includes identifying programming and operational requirements, and assessing how the project can further help address the health care needs of patients and families in the region. Based on early planning, the new multi-billion-dollar hospital is estimated to start construction in 2024, with timelines to be further refined as planning progresses.

“Investing in our health care system through new infrastructure like this state-of-the-art hospital in Ottawa will provide residents with a modern and safe environment to get the care they need and deserve,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “This new hospital expansion will support the growing communities and prepare our health care system for future pandemics and health crises. With a budget of $148 billion to support Ontario’s growth and infrastructure over the next decade, this is just one of the many projects our government is undertaking to build Ontario. It is great to be a part of a government that is spearheading investments in our hospitals and I am proud to be giving back to the city that I grew up in.”


Quick Facts

  • The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s top learning and research hospitals, serving over 1.2 million people across Eastern Ontario across its three campuses. To support high-quality care in the Ottawa Region, the government is increasing The Ottawa Hospital’s operating funding for the third straight year. Starting in 2021-22, the hospital will receive $16.9 million in additional operating funding, representing an increase of 2.2 per cent to the operating funding the hospital received in 2020-21.
  • As part of this government’s $760 million commitment in the 2021 Budget to support the continuation of the 3,100 hospital beds previously opened during the pandemic, The Ottawa Hospital received funding for up to 114 additional beds. This includes up to 55 transitional care beds, 52 acute care beds and seven critical care beds.
  • As part of Ontario’s comprehensive surgical recovery plan, the government is investing up to $324 million in 2021-22 to enable Ontario’s hospitals and community health sector to perform more surgeries, MRI and CT scans and procedures. This includes over $1.2 million for The Ottawa Hospital to support an additional 2,350 MRI and 2,700 CT operating hours.
  • To support growing demands on the health care system, Ontario’s investments over the next 10 years will lead to $30 billion in health infrastructure across the province. These investments will increase capacity in hospitals, build new health care facilities and renew existing hospitals and community health centres.

Quotes

“As a family physician for nearly three decades, building hospital capacity to serve Ottawa was a strong driver of my entry to politics. Under the leadership of Premier Ford, I am proud that we are delivering on that priority, because the people of Ottawa need and deserve it.”

– Dr. Merrilee Fullerton
MPP for Kanata-Carleton

“I have championed this project from the beginning. Having worked with Jack Kitts and now Cameron Love and their respective teams, it is gratifying to see the hard work of dedicated healthcare and community leaders come to fruition. Ottawa is a world class city and I am proud that we will build a one of a kind state-of-the-art hospital that will treat patients from across our nation’s capital.”

– Lisa MacLeod
MPP for Nepean

“This is great news for the City of Ottawa and Carleton. This expansion will help decrease hallway health and wait times for patients. The new campus will be able to meet the needs of patients and families, while supporting high quality health care.”

– Goldie Ghamari
MPP for Carleton

“This investment in the new Ottawa Civic Campus will transform healthcare in Ottawa. In the future, residents in Ottawa will know that when they need medical support they will have access to a world-class hospital here in our city.”

– Jeremy Roberts
MPP for Ottawa West—Nepean

“Our community is one of the fastest growing in Ontario and in Canada. As a hospital, we must be able to meet the needs of our patients today and in the years to come, so that we are ready to provide world-class care whenever they need us. We are building the future of health care for Ottawa and Eastern Ontario with the generous support of the Government of Ontario.”

– Cameron Love
President and CEO, The Ottawa Hospital


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