GRAVENHURST DOCTORS DANIEL, GOODWIN SAY MAHC’S ‘ONE HOSPITAL’ MORE LOGICAL FOR BRACEBRIDGE
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
GRAVENHURST — The issue of “one hospital” was put to bed almost a decade ago.
Or so Muskokans thought in 2015.
Now it seems to be back on the table thanks to MAHC’s new future hospitals model.
Two retired doctors here think it’s maybe not a bad idea.
Dr. Richard (Danny) Daniel took to social media today to issue a letter to CEO and president Cheryl Harrison in opposition to the plan.
Dr. Jim Goodwin, the last physician from when SMMH was but a small brick building, agrees.
Both favour South Muskoka as the centre of the medical community and not Huntsville as appears to be being pitched by Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare.
Daniel says MAHC is caught between a “rock and hard place,” in his medical missive.
His memo to Harrison claims Huntsville with a population of 23,000 compared to south Muskoka at 30,000.
He writes: “As a resident of Gravenhurst I could be accused of having a vested interest in the choice of a new hospital location. I assure you this is not a case of YIMBYism (YES in my back yard) as I firmly believe your plan for a mini hospital in Bracebridge (or anywhere else for that matter) with only a 14 plus 4 ICU beds is simply not tenable in any location. It’s set up to fail.”
He said doctors “agree that like it or not, a single site hospital for the majority of health care in Muskoka is inevitable. A central location should be agreed to. To me, a resident of Gravenhurst, Bracebridge would seem to be the only logical location both from a geographical and population perspective.”
Both MDs say the model should be reverse favouring SMMH.
But Daniel said Huntsville should be allocated far more than the 18 beds proposed for Bracebridge.
Goodwin, 93, said “It doesn’t matter what 100 people say, the government is going to do what they want anyways.
“You’re going to get a whole bunch of people standing up and giving their opinion, which in the long run isn’t going matter a damn 10 years from now.”
He agrees with Daniel about one hospital.
“Lots of people think that. Including me.
“Centralize it.”
“What it looks like the government is planning is Huntsville’s going to be the basic hospital for everything, including obstetrics, which most people in Gravenhurst will probably end up in Orillia for obstetrics. Not got to Huntsville.
“I think that’s what’s going to happen.”
Goodwin, who said he’s “not doing well these day,” knows of what he speaks after a half century as a local GP.
And last fall he spent a couple days in ER before being admitted a day in a ward.
After decades tending mornings to his patients at SMMH, doing ER night and weekend shifts — in addition to his day practice — he admits things are changing for the formal naval man in his medical field.
That change, he said is a switch the past 10 years to a “new category of doctors called hospitalists, who all they do is work in hospitals.
“Not in the ER, but in the hospital itself. And the local doctors don’t need to go in. They just send their patients up and the hospitalist takes over.”
But is that a good idea?
“Well I think it is a good idea. I think so.”
Does he think holding off will risk not staying on the preferred list of hospitals Infastructure Ontario has?
“It’s possible, no question about that. In business of budgeting if you don’t spend it somebody else will.”
Goodwin said he wasn’t asked to sign the letter of opposition by the 41 other doctors.
“I don’t need to sign it. What the hell. They’ve got enough people on that list. One more name isn’t going to make any difference.”
Daniel concluded his letter with a touchy issue claiming doctors weren’t fully consulted on changes since last October when the summer 2023 price tag ballooned from about $1 billion to $1.5- or $1.6 billion due to rising construction forecasts said MAHC in its public engagements last week.
“After much deliberation I feel I have no alternative but to mention that I have become aware of persistent rumours that at least some of the physicians involved your working groups are NOT in favour of this plan. Rather than valuing their opinion, I have been led to believe they were accused of harassment, made to appear before H.R. and are now under a gag order. It would be deeply disturbing if it’s true. I have no way of knowing for sure but I believe that in the interest of transparency, it’s vitally important that you refute or confirm the veracity of this rumour.”
Tuesday night’s meeting is at the Bracebridge Sportsplex at 7 p.m. Seating is limited. So get there early. A final in-person meeting is being held at the Port Carling Community Centre at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
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