Former Barrie mayor takes steps to address Muskoka’s hospital redevelopment concerns

Former Barrie mayor and District of Muskoka Chair Jeff Lehman is taking steps to ease tensions on a contentious issue surrounding plans to shake up hospital care in Muskoka.

Lehman helped establish the ALC Housing Working Group, hoping to make a difference in the divide over Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare's redevelopment proposal.

The group consists of hospital officials, the Muskoka and Area Ontario Health Team, and the District. ALC stands for alternate level of care and classifies certain patients at the hospital who should be elsewhere, such as in long-term care facilities or at home, but who can't for various reasons.

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Lehman said the issue primarily comes down to available space and a lack of long-term care facilities in Muskoka.

In a letter published on the District's website, Lehman states, "With MAHC planning two new hospitals and the District planning new housing, now is our chance to do something about it. The goal of the ALC Working Group will be to come alongside the MAHC hospital planning project with our own joint effort to find, build, and create community solutions to the current ALC capacity concerns across our region in the coming years."

The District reports that roughly 30 per cent of all patients at both hospital sites fall under the ALC category, stressing health care operations throughout the hospital.

Lehman believes focusing on alternative solutions could help ease capacity restraints.

"I think there's been concern that there's enough space for the kind of demand that we're going to see in the hospital. And I think part of the solution may well lie outside of the hospital. This may mean, can we create more of those spaces in Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and in Port Carling, in areas of Muskoka where we know that demand is going to increase," he said.

The ALC Housing Working Group held its first meeting last week and is already exploring solutions beyond Muskoka to address the issue.

Despite the collaboration with hospital officials, the District has not yet officially endorsed MAHC's redevelopment plans. A vote on the matter is expected later this year.