New Vaughan Hospital Approval Announcement

The Vaughan Health Campus of Care (VHCC) and Vaughan Health Care Foundation (VHCF) would like to begin by thanking the Honourable Minister Deb Matthews for her attendance in Vaughan to make an announcement today.  We are pleased to see the dream of a hospital in Vaughan take a step closer to becoming a reality… or does it simply continue to be a dream?  We were excited on April 27, 2007, when the then Minister of Health and Long Term Care, George Smitherman, announced the new Vaughan hospital development and interestingly enough it happened just months prior to the last provincial election, on October 10, 2007 (http://www.centrallhin.on.ca/newsroom_display.aspx?id=1100).

“We cannot help but be sceptical with the announcement today ‘a new hospital approved for Vaughan’ without any mention or knowledge of funding committed nor of moving the process along to Stage 2 of the 5 stage process.” said Michael DeGasperis, Chair of the VHCC.  “During the April 2007 announcement, Minister Smitherman went as far as asking the Central LHIN to draft a plan in the next 12 months for the hospital, with construction beginning in the next four years (http://www.thestar.com/news/article/209445–hospital-set-for-vaughan).  Now four years later, is this announcement real or is it just another stop in this long agonizing journey to build a
hospital for the people of Vaughan?

Today’s announcement had no mention of these critical points and the astute people of Vaughan will recognize this. We continue to petition for this on behalf of the people of Vaughan, they deserve nothing less.” said DeGasperis In saying that, we must thank our group of committed volunteers who have been working tirelessly over the past eight years towards bringing better health services to Vaughan, including a hospital.  It is also important to thank the people of Vaughan who have been patiently waiting for better health services.

This announcement appears to be Mr. Sorbara’s recycled pre-election announcement from past years on bringing a new hospital to Vaughan.  The people of Vaughan want to know when they will be able to walk through the front doors of a new Vaughan Hospital so patients and families will be able to receive the care they so desperately need!  This is well overdue!

It is clear that the people of Vaughan need better health services, including a hospital; the Government of Ontario can take the lead by committing major funding along with the City of Vaughan’s contribution of $80 million, the Region of York’s contribution of over $150 million and the Federal Government’s contribution to the VHCC of $10 million; and work together in bringing us towards achieving the vision of creating a thriving and dynamic Campus of Care to support sustainable health services in Vaughan, through a common vision of integration, innovation and excellence for the Citizens of Vaughan.

We look forward to working with the City of Vaughan and other partners along with support from all levels of government to move forward together, as partners, to achieve the realization of a hospital and a Campus of Care on the 87 acre site, at the corner of Major MacKenzie Drive and Jane Street.
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For further information contact:

Jey-son Edwards

905-303-1998 x223