NEWS RELEASE
ST. MARY'S GENERAL HOSPITAL
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In a historic milestone for healthcare in Waterloo Region, St. Mary’s General Hospital and Grand River Hospital are excited to announce their new hospital being planned on a future site that is part of the David Johnston Research + Technology Park (R+T Park) at the University of Waterloo.
The Hospitals and the University are partnering to plan development of land located west of Bearinger Road and Hagey Boulevard in Waterloo for the new, joint acute care hospital. The new state-of-the-art hospital, if approved by the Government for implementation, will bring more hospital beds and acute care capacity to the region, introduce new services, and bring more care closer to home for patients.
The future site was identified as the preferred location for the new hospital following a ten-month property review process, led by an independent Site Selection Panel.
Through this new partnership, the Hospitals and the University will continue to build on years of collaboration to bring education, innovation, and healthcare delivery closer together than ever before. Most recently, their work together through the Care Next Coalition brings local innovations, including those developed at the University, directly to patients at the Hospitals.
“We are thrilled that the University of Waterloo will be the future home to Waterloo Region’s new hospital,” says Mark Fam, President of St. Mary’s General Hospital. “Not only does the location make great sense in terms of patient accessibility, it also allows our organizations to deepen our relationship even further for the benefit of the communities we serve.”
“Together with the province, the Hospitals and the University of Waterloo have the opportunity to truly create a better health system for the Region and become an innovation campus of care,” says Ron Gagnon, President and CEO of Grand River Hospital. “This is a major milestone on our journey in planning for a new hospital and we couldn’t have a better partner than the University of Waterloo.”
The Hospitals are now working with the University of Waterloo to determine how the land will be developed to house the future hospital. The planning process for the new hospital will take approximately five years, followed by five years of construction. The new hospital is expected to open by 2034.
"Today’s announcement means more than a new state-of-the-art hospital in our region, it is a deepening of an already strong collaboration between our University and health institutions across the Region," said Vivek Goel, President of the University of Waterloo.
"It's yet another example of empowering students, faculty, and the community to contribute to a healthier Region through community-focused, cutting-edge research and experiential learning opportunities."
“Our government is making record investments in our hospital infrastructure, expanding hospital capacity with shovels in the ground for over 50 new hospital projects across the province,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “The new hospital site in Waterloo will support the region’s fast-growing community, ensure people can access world-class, convenient care for years to come.”
“The new site for the Waterloo Region hospital at the University of Waterloo will foster innovation, enhance research and better connect the growing region to convenient care closer to home,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Right across the province, our government is investing more than $50 billion to support more than 50 major hospital projects. When it comes to your health, we’re building a healthcare system that people across Ontario can count on.”
In April, the Hospitals’ Boards announced their goal of joining together through a voluntary merger, creating a single organization to oversee current Hospital sites, services and ongoing capital redevelopment projects.
Selecting a site for the new acute care hospital is an important milestone for the project and a necessary next step towards the integration of the two Hospital organizations. The new hospital will be one of three campuses operated by the new joint Hospital organization, including the existing Kitchener-Waterloo and Freeport Campuses, currently part of Grand River. Plans call for these two sites to be renewed and repurposed as part of the development proposal.
The future of the St. Mary’s site will be determined by the St. Joseph’s Health System through consultation with patients, community members, municipal planning bodies, and health care partners, including the KW4 Ontario Health Team. The Hospital location will remain operational until the new hospital opens.
For more information and to stay up to date on the Hospitals’ redevelopment projects, visit futureofcaretogether.ca.
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