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St. Francis Memorial Hospital

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St. Francis Memorial Hospital ED Redevelopment moves to Tendering Stage

St. Francis Memorial Hospital (SFMH) is extremely pleased to share that it has received approval of its Emergency Department (ED) Redevelopment Project Stage 2.3 submission, from the Ministry of Health.  The approval means the construction drawings have been approved and the project will be moving to the tendering process.

A Request for Prequalification Proposals will accompany the Tendering of the project.  This means a prequalification of the General Contractors as well as Mechanical and Electrical Subcontractors.

“We’re very excited to move forward in the process towards construction. The new Emergency Department is a pivotal part of the hospital’s delivery of high-quality care for our rural community,” stated Kevin Quade, Chair, SFMH Board of Directors.

The SFMH Emergency Department is a critical resource for the community.  It currently sees more than 11,000 patients per year.  The ambulatory care space, which will also be renovated, will ensure the hospital continues to provide the highest standard of outpatient care to our patients.

The Emergency Redevelopment project will increase the hospital footprint by over 6,000 square feet.  The new space and its design use the latest healthcare standards for infection control, privacy/confidentiality, and occupational health, among others.  

“Our clinical staff have been excited to follow the progress of this project during every step.  We look forward to seeing the Emergency Department that we helped design become a bricks and mortar reality.  We look forward to bringing the same patient centred care that the community has grown to respect to the new build.  Patients, families, as well as the front-line doctors and nurses are excited to move past the planning phase and making the dream a reality,” stated Dr. Jason Malinowski, SFMH Chief of Staff.

Julia Boudreau, SFMH CEO thanked the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health East Region for their support for the project, as well as the staff, physicians and Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) members who have been involved in the planning so far.  The planning of this project has truly been a team effort.

“The redevelopment project, which is expected to take over two years, will ensure safe and efficient emergency care for residents of Barry’s Bay and surrounding area for years to come,” stated Boudreau. “We look forward to continuing to work with all of our partners and stakeholders as this crucial project unfolds”.

St. Francis Memorial Welcomes New Vice President of Nursing & Chief Nursing Executive

SFMH is pleased to welcome  Sherri Cope to the position of Vice President, Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Executive beginning April 8th, 2024.

Sherri comes to SFMH with several years of clinical management experience at the Queensway Carleton Hospital and the Royal in Ottawa. Prior to that, she has had a history of professional experience in progressively responsible positions; working as a Nursing Professional Practice Lead, Case Manager, and Registered Nurse at the Royal, the Ottawa Hospital and CHEO.

Sherri has extensive experience leading and working on projects including a $15 million major construction project, the Ottawa paramedical pilot project, and a medication clinic expansion project. She graduated with her BScN from the University of Ottawa, and her Master of Science Degree from McGill University. She is currently working on her LEAN six sigma black belt.

Sherri and her husband are avid hikers and are looking forward to exploring Algonquin Park and our local area once they relocate from Carp. Sherri is very familiar with the area as her aunt and uncle owned Camp Bevaline for many years and she spent lots of time there as child, and even worked there in the summer as a teenager.

Sherri describes herself as passionate about quality improvement, facilitating excellence in patient care, and building and maintaining strong collaborative teams and relationships.  She believes that happy, engaged staff naturally lead to positive patient outcomes, and she is very excited to meet everyone and learn how she can support our staff, patients, and families at SFMH.


 


St. Francis Memorial Hospital (SFMH) is a 20-bed community hospital located in the village of Barry’s Bay. It serves a catchment of approximately 10,000 population dispersed over a large geographic area.


The 1,800 sq. kilometers area includes: Renfrew County, a portion of South Algonquin Township in the District of Nipissing and Algonquin Park, Hwy 60 main corridor.  SFMH's mission is "To provide high quality, patient centred healthcare in collaboration with our partners." and is commited to performance. 


hospital front

VISION:  “A Hospital Solution – A Community Solution”: A community healthcare hub that integrates all services that will not only address the unique community needs but also increase the essential critical mass and improve efficiencies in order to respond to current economic realities.

SFMH is built on foundation of Integration success: SFMH is continuously seeking strategic partnerships and solutions that will improve the organization’s efficiency and patient care across the system. In 2012, SFMH received the Small, Rural and Northern Award of Excellence recognizing its innovative leadership in establishing partnerships to expand and improve health services in the Madawaska Valley.

The governance practices and leadership exemplified by SFMH Board were instrumental in achieving integration success and effective partnerships. Key achievements are outlined below.

PARTNERSHIPS

Renfrew Victoria Hospital (RVH)
SFMH Board established a voluntary partnership with RVH more than a decade ago. Trust, respect and effective governance as well as collaboration between the boards and the CEO are the basis for the tremendous and ongoing success of this partnership.

Outcomes & Impact on patients: Improved access for some 3,700 patients and 1200 Ontario Breast Screening Program clients to receive services locally through clinics integrated with SFMH who would otherwise need to travel to Renfrew (1 hr)  and Ottawa (2.5 hrs)

Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association (EORLA) – SFMH is part of a partnership of 16 hospitals that creates the LHIN-wide integrated and standardized laboratory services. Over 12 million tests are performed annually.

Outcome/Impact: Patients benefit from enhanced quality care through improved standardization delivered seamlessly across the entire region. EORLA enables Laboratory Medicine to operate as a core business, so that decisions and resource allocations can be made in the interest of providing best-in-class Pathology and Laboratory Medicine operations.  Savings achieved from operational improvements will be re-invested in laboratory staff and leading- edge technologies.

The Ottawa Hospital
SFMH and RVH have entered into a partnership with the current 56 radiologists in the Department of Diagnostic Imaging at The Ottawa Hospital (Ottawa Hospital and Region Imaging Associates (OHRIA)). Outcome/Impact: Patients are benefiting from enhanced quality care and response time.

Private Physiotherapy Clinic – Due to the lack and need of physiotherapy services locally, the SFMH created a partnership with a Physiotherapy company and renovated space in its Health Center for a new clinic. Outcome/Impact: Improved access to services, reduced travel for our clients and increased revenue stream for SFMH.