BARRIE -- The Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre is ‘bursting at the seams,’ according to RVH president and CEO Janice Skot.
“There hasn't been one day over the last two years where we haven't been over capacity,” Skot said.
And with Barrie`s population projected to more than double by 2040, experts at RVH will be working on a plan to expand the hospital.
The plan has already been sent to the province for approval, and it's a monumental one.
The two and a half to three billion dollar expansion would involve doubling the size of this hospital on Georgian Drive, called the north campus and creating a completely new hospital in the south end of Barrie called the south campus.
“RVH cannot keep pace today, let alone address the needs of our region in the future,” Skot added.
Skot recently presented the expansion plans to Barrie city council, Innisfil and Bradford West Gwillimbury.
A nine-storey tower would be added to the current location, holding new beds and more surgical space.
While the north campus is being expanded, crews will be working to develop a southern hospital.
The new build has been narrowed down to five zones, including four in Innisfil and one in Barrie.
The expansion would be done in phases.
Currently, there are 381 beds at RVH, With the government approval that number would jump up to 472 by 2062, and almost 950 beds by 2040 between both hospitals.