A decision on the future of the Muskoka hospitals has been made by the Board of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare, bringing an end to five years of debate.
The board voted in favour of the recommendation by the task force to keep both hospitals in Bracebridge and Huntsville.
Mayors Scott Aitchison and Graydon Smith applauded the decision made on Friday, agreeing it gives the people of Muskoka what they want.
“The core acute services, emergency services, and inpatient services at each site will be maintained,” says Smith, “and I think that is what the community was most concerned about.”
Aitchison says the work of the task force isn’t done yet. The Huntsville mayor says “we still have some work to present a plan to make this a reality.”
In 2015 the board proposed moving ahead with a one location site model. They suggested doing away with one or both of the existing hospitals.
On Friday the board agreed this new recommendation to keep both hospitals ultimately works best for the region.
“This is not an easy issue,” says MAHC chair Phil Matthews. “This affects all the methods of operating hospitals. It affects how a community reacts to it, and we took the time necessary to get it right.”
The health care board now needs approval from the Local Health Integration Network before working out the funding with the Ministry of Health.
