Tillsonburg, Ingersoll hospitals exploring an even closer partnership
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For more than a decade. Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital (TDMH) and Alexandra Hospital Ingersoll (AHI) have been working toward a form of integration, beginning with the appointment of a joint CEO in 2009.
The boards followed by establishing a Joint Venture Agreement in 2013 and the Joint Board of Directors in 2014.
In 2021, nearly all leadership positions are integrated as are many departments including finance, information technology and human resources.
Given the challenges and change in the health care system during the pandemic, including the movement to Ontario Health Teams, the TDMHI and AHI Joint Board of Directors voted unanimously to enter into Phase I of an integration process that focuses on exploring a voluntary integration of the two organizations.
“As a natural extension of the close partnership that already exists between these two organizations, we will build on the legacy of exceptional care provided at both AHI and TDMH, using the unique resources in each community to provide a wider range of accessible services to our residents, while maintaining two hospital sites and their local identity,” said CEO Sandy Jansen in a media release.
In addition to maintaining each hospital site, each hospital and community will continue to have its own local hospital foundation and will actively continue local community fundraising priorities.
The overall goal is to provide improved quality care in each hospital, now and into the future, partnering to keep healthcare close to home.
The work is being led by a Joint Integration Steering Committee. There will be opportunity for community members, hospital staff, volunteers and physicians to be involved through all phases of the process.
“Through this work, a detailed analysis of the benefits and risks of the proposed voluntary integration will be conducted,” said Don Campbell, chair of the AHI board of directors. “Staff, physician and community engagement will be undertaken to ensure all perspectives are understood and inform this important decision.”
“We will continue to regularly communicate updates on this exciting integration opportunity with our teams and partners in the coming months. As we see healthcare moving to a provincial model of increased cooperation, this is a chance to consider how working more closely together could benefit the people of southwest Oxford County,” said Ruby Withington, board chair for the TDMH.
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