Project funded by the Collingwood G&M Hospital Foundation
and the County of Simcoe

The renovation portion of the Collingwood General & Marine Hospital (CGMH) Phase I
Clinical Redevelopment project is underway.

The project began last year when all administrative services were moved out of the Hospital into a modular building to make way for improvements to patient care areas.

ln late January, contractors began to demolish the vacated administrative offices (on the
lower level) to begin to build a new Endoscopy Suite. Relocation of endoscopy procedures (for example colonoscopies) from the operating room area will improve patient flow and allow all three operating rooms to be used as needed.

The part of the project that will be most visible to patients and the public will be the renovation to improve privacy in the Emergency Triage area and to centralize patient registration. As this work gets underway, contractors are building temporary kiosks to house Triage, Emergency Registration and the Cashier in the Emergency Waiting Room area and in the Hospital's Main Lobby. These temporary structures will mean that the Emergency Waiting Room will be more congested than usual. Access between the Emergency Waiting Room and the Main Lobby will be cut off for the duration of the renovation to this area, expected to be at the end of May.

Patient care inside of the Emergency Department will not be affected. "Our Emergency team cares for about 32,000 patients annually in a very small department," says Linda Davis, CGMH President & CEO. "With renovations underway the waiting area will be more congested than usual so we are asking patients to bring only one visitor/advocate with them if they require emergency care and to be understanding as staff work under less than ideal conditions. Our patients are our first priority and we will care for them in the order of need."

The Operating Rooms, Sterile Processing Department and Dialysis Unit will also undergo
renovations by the end of the year.

The total project cost of $4.7 million is being funded by the Collingwood G&M Hospital Foundation and the County of Simcoe.