For almost a century, Stevenson Memorial Hospital (SMH) has served the health needs of the South Simcoe community.
When the emergency department was first built in 1964, it was only meant to accommodate 7,000 annual visits.
Last year, the hospital saw close to 40,000 visits, making an expansion crucial to provide quality health care services in our area.
“We grow as the community grows,” says Rachael Ogorek, Corporate Communications Specialist at SMH.
And the community is certainly growing. SMH currently provides care for a community of over 73,000 people - and that number is expected to rise to more than 100,000 by 2031.
That is why raising the funds to support the redevelopment of SMH is so critical.
“We’ve been waiting a long time for this expansion,” says Ogorek. “So this project is crucial for us.”
Once completed, the brand new, two-storey, 100,000 sq. ft. wrap-around addition to the hospital will double its size and the expanded parking area will triple capacity.
This will create space for a greatly expanded emergency department and surgical services department, a new quiet room for in-patient care, new clinic rooms in ambulatory care, a newly outfitted diagnostic imaging department, a new ambulance bay and garage and more patient rooms to better serve our community.
The redevelopment program is currently in Stage 3, beginning detailed architectural design work and putting the hospital one step closer to receiving its much-needed expansion.
While the government is providing a large portion of the funding for redevelopment, SMH is relying on community support from the community to fully fund the transformation.
Transforming the space, implementing the new Health Information System and purchasing essential equipment for the hospital will cost approximately $180 million, of which $43 million must be raised by the community and corporate donors.
“We’re anticipating that shovels will be in the ground in 2025 so we’d like to have as much of the money raised at that point as possible,” says Ogorek.
Right now, 67 per cent of SMH’s goal is reached and there are many ways that you can help contribute to raising the full amount.
“We try to encourage the community to do third party events if they are looking to help. This can take the form of having your guests make a donation in lieu of a gift to Stevenson through our Spirit of Giving initiative,” said Kara Harris,Communications Coordinator with the SMH Foundation. “It is an easy way to give back.”
Harris is encouraging everyone to donate on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 29, especially because until Dec. 31, every donation made to SMH up to $1 million will be matched by The Morningview Foundation, making right now the best time to give back and amplify your contribution to SMH.
“It’s a marathon not a sprint,” says Harris. “We’ve got some good momentum and we need to keep pushing forward.”
With over 400 staff and 125 physicians, Stevenson Memorial Hospital offers a wide variety of healthcare services, including 24/7 emergency services, medical and surgical procedures, numerous out-patient clinics and boasts a thriving obstetrics program, which saw almost 600 births in the last year.
For more information on Stevenson Memorial Hospital’s services, click here.
To learn more about the Stevenson Memorial Hospital Foundation and its mission to raise $43 million for redevelopment, click here.
Follow along the redevelopment journey on Facebook and Instagram.
