New Southlake acute care hospital won't be in Newmarket, mayor acknowledges

Yorkregion.com
April 26, 2022

Although a location for a new Southlake Regional Health Centre serving acute care patients hasn’t been determined, it won’t be in Newmarket, Mayor John Taylor acknowledges.

There isn’t a location large enough in the geographically small town to accommodate a new hospital, he said.

Adding the new facility to the existing hospital with limited space at the corner of Davis Drive and Prospect Street, which would make it one of the most congested hospitals in the province, isn’t feasible, said Taylor, adding Newmarket is avoiding years-long construction of the new hospital.

“First, I would say Newmarket is not losing Southlake. But I would also say, no, there really is not anywhere else in Newmarket that it could go,” he said.

Taylor, who pointed out Southlake serves northern York Region and south Simcoe County, believes the new site will be close enough to Newmarket that residents won’t mind that it’s not within the town’s borders.

“I’ve sat on the planning committee for this for over a year with the Southlake executive team and the consultants and I really came to understand the needs and the complications of trying to expand or grow a hospital on the current site. Honestly, as the mayor of Newmarket but also a member of York Region council, borders shouldn’t matter,” he said.

“What should matter is making sure we’re providing the best health care we can for the residents of Newmarket and northern York Region and south Simcoe for the next 30, 40 years.

“I couldn’t sit there and in good conscience advocate and advocate for something to stay inside our borderline when it doesn’t make sense and there really aren’t options inside our borderline. It wouldn’t be the best solution for the people who need it when they’re in a state of crisis or when they need it most. We do have to put everyone’s health care first.”

The existing Davis Drive campus will continue to be part of Southlake as an ambulatory centre.

In addition to an urgent care centre, it will include outpatient services and same-day procedures, including, but not limited to:

• Cancer services such as chemotherapy and radiation treatment

• Same-day surgery such as cataract surgery

• Mental health day programs and office visits

• Diagnostic imaging such as X-rays and ultrasounds

• Colonoscopies

 

As techniques and technology evolve and more treatments become same-day procedures, the number of ambulatory visits will increase.

Taylor said Newmarket will continue to reap the benefits of having the Davis campus operate, such as the medical offices and services it’s brought to town.

“It’s a very substantial, in my opinion world class, hospital that serves us in every way. My kids were born there, I was born there, my family has been supported there through crisis, medical crisis. It is our community’s most valuable asset. It resonates with everybody when you talk about those personal experiences,” he said.

“It will still be a very busy, active campus that will serve the members of our community day in and day out.”