Internal memo reveals ‘Tomorrow’s LHSC’, including dedicated mental health and addictions ER
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London Health Sciences Center (LHSC) has unveiled a masterplan that aims to redesign the way the region’s largest hospital network cares.
An email was sent to staff Wednesday outlining several future changes for LHSC. It comes at a time when the hospital network is dealing with record occupancy rates due to RSV, influenza, and COVID-19, which forced the cancellation of non-emergency surgeries at Children’s Hospital on Monday.
There are three guiding principles for name operations in the project. The first is to group together complementary types of care, then to strengthen partnerships with other hospitals and care providers, and then to integrate research and teaching into each program.
“It’s about grouping programs that only make sense together,” LHSC president and CEO Jackie Shleifer Taylor said in an email.
“It’s about advancing access, inclusion, health equity and innovation. It’s about organizing expertise in care, teaching and research to advance the patient and staff experience.”
Services will be grouped into three settings, including adult acute specialized care in a large, state-of-the-art emergency department, a dedicated mental health and addictions emergency department, and a pediatric and maternity care center.
CBC News has contacted the LHSC for comment.
According to the memo, there will also be an emphasis on finding new ways to collaborate with the community, regional partners and the larger health care system.
“Not only will we ensure the best training for tomorrow’s healthcare providers, but we will better integrate research across the organization, accelerate the translation of research from bench to bedside and will increase patient access to clinical trials.”
In early 2023, the LHSC Master Planning Team will move forward with providing design options for a potential future facility, and soliciting feedback from staff.
