MAHC's Journey To Date

2012-2015

The Pre-Capital Submission is the entry point into the Ministry of Health’s capital planning process, which subsequently moves through distinct stages. To begin the planning work toward a future vision, MAHC established a number of planning teams comprised of MAHC staff and other community-based care stakeholders to provide direction on programming requirements throughout 2013. In addition, stakeholder engagement with hundreds of staff and community members on three touch points during the project in 2014 and 2015 was critical to consulting with the public and obtaining community feedback.

In the fall of 2015, MAHC submitted a Board of Directors endorsed Pre-Capital Submission to the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN and the Ministry of Health.  The Pre-Capital Submission considered three different models and ultimately proposed one hospital, centrally located as the capital redevelopment approach.  Additional correspondence with the Ministry and clarification related to the submission occurred throughout 2016.

2017-2019

In 2017, the Ministry of Health provided a planning grant and approval for MAHC to begin the Stage 1.2 planning.  In approving MAHC to this next stage and with significant community feedback regarding a one-hospital direction, the Ministry required MAHC’s planning to further explore and analyze the different models presented in MAHC’s Pre-Capital Submission and specifically a thorough consideration of the use of one or both of the current facilities.  MAHC created a 25-member Capital Plan Development Task Force with broad membership including internal and external stakeholders and municipal representation to oversee Stage 1.2 planning and make recommendations to the Board of Directors.

The Stage 1.2 planning process involved extensive internal consultation with clinicians and hospital leaders and external involvement by community care providers such as primary care, public health, paramedic services, mental health, home & community care, etc.  Through workshops and focus groups, the planning work identified the programs and services MAHC would provide and those that could potentially be shifted to the community and considered three different service delivery models.  Study of potential infrastructure redevelopment approaches (renovation/expansion or replacement) was also a consultative process with numerous stakeholders.  Over the course of the planning stage, community feedback was critical and MAHC held close to 50 information sessions, reaching thousands of internal and external stakeholders.

In November 2019, following months of engagement and careful study, MAHC submitted its Stage 1 Proposal to the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN and the Ministry of Health.  The Stage 1 Proposal recommends to the Ministry of Health a capital redevelopment approach that maintains two acute sites and replaces both hospitals with new buildings – in Huntsville on the current land, and in Bracebridge on new land. View the executive summaries of the Stage 1 Proposal.

2022-2023

In April 2022, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced provincial government support to modernize and expand MAHC’s two hospital sites, demonstrating the provincial government's commitment to two new acute care hospitals in Bracebridge and Huntsville for future generations.  The government also announced grant money for MAHC to complete the next stage of planning work (not for new construction).  Read the news release and watch the announcement made on April 24, 2022.

The next stage of planning, called Stage 1.3 started in the fall of 2022, and the goal is to submit a document known as the Functional Program to the Ministry of Health by September 30, 2023.  Learn more about this stage of the planning process.

This is an exciting time to continue our momentum toward two new hospitals that give our future generations in Muskoka, East Parry Sound and our surrounding areas the best hospital care.