Out with the old
Work underway to determine how best to redevelop Hillsborough Hospital site
Hillsborough Hospital has run its course, says a top Health P.E.I. official.
“I think the time has come,’’ says Verna Ryan, chief administrative officer of Mental Health and Addictions Services.
“Hillsborough Hospital has been identified in a number of reports as being an old building. We would like to see something that better meets the needs of our patients and clients.’’
Ryan says Health P.E.I. is leaning towards a “campusstyle design’’ to replace the current facility that opened in 1957.
She is hopeful construction could begin in 2018 on the current tranquil, scenic site that houses Hillsborough Hospital.
The province is looking to spend close to $17 million from 2018 to 2022 for construction of a new complex.
The replacement of Hillsborough Hospital, however, is about much more than bricks
and mortar, notes Ryan.
Any new provincial facility or campus is looking to address significant trends, including an increase in the number of forensic patients and the requirement for secure assessment and long-term care units, the need for crisis response and emergency intake, the need for day treatment for adults within a campus-style, stepped living approach and a capacity to address integration back into the community.
Ryan acknowledges patients who should be in Hillsborough Hospital wait in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital until a spot becomes available. Meanwhile, patients remain in Hillsborough Hospital who would be better off living in other accommodations in the community that simply are not available.
The campus-style design would most likely include transitional housing with supervision and support, she notes.
“It’s challenging right now because we don’t have that type of design,’’ she says.
Ryan is confident the province is heading in the right direction as it embarks on a master program of services and a master plan of phased capital development to replace, renew or develop a secondary referral adult and adolescent mental health and addictions facility.
“I think it’s an exceptional opportunity to address issues that Islanders are facing with their mental health issues and addictions,’’ she says.
“We see the need every day and this is the opportunity to really advance P.E.I. in terms of providing best care to clients and families. It’s a golden opportunity really and we are setting our standards very high.’’
Health P.E.I. has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the completion of a master program and master plan for the redevelopment of the current Hillsborough Hospital site. The successful proponent must be a team of experts with demonstrated experience in the planning, development and implementation of large-scale mental health site and facilities planning processes.