St. Joseph’s Villa to play leading role in ending hallway health care

The province is investing in more transitional care beds in Hamilton.

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott has announced that up to 60 beds will be created at St. Joseph’s Villa in Dundas, by renovating the eastern tower.

It’s one of five, so-called “reactivation care centres” for patients who are transitioning out of hospital and into the next stage of their recovery.

Ultimately, Elliott predicts that added transitional care beds will “ease pressures on our hospitals, ensure that our patients receive the right care in the right place and help end hallway health care.”

She adds that the project at St. Joseph’s Villa will see the eastern tower “transformed to hold up to 60 beds to support patients from Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH).

St. Joseph’s Villa President John Woods says the 60 beds should be in use within 12 to 18 months, adding that “we’re going as fast as we can” in a “safe and responsible way.”

The four other reactivation care centres will be located in Toronto, Newmarket, Kingston and Sudbury and together they will add more than 200 transitional care beds.

Donna Skelly, Conservative MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook, says she’s proud to be part of a government that recognizes the need for these beds, the value and what they will mean to the health care system in Hamilton and beyond.”

She stresses that patients no longer needing acute care will be able to transfer more quickly, either to home or into long-term care settings.