Hundreds of more procedures will be able to be completed at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) thanks to a multi-million dollar funding boost from the province.
Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton announced on Friday that Ontario is investing over $10 million for the expansion of the LHSC’s Ambulatory Surgical Centre, an off-site surgical facility located on Baseline Road.
“This expansion at LHSC is part of our mission to ensure everyone in Middlesex and southwestern Ontario has access to quality healthcare when they need it,” said McNaughton.
Once completed, the expansion will allow the hospital to perform an additional 500 orthopedic surgeries, such as hip and knee replacements, each year.
The Ambulatory Surgical Centre, a 10,000-square-foot space across from Victoria Hospital, opened in March 2020 with two operating rooms for routine orthopedic surgeries. It allowed the hospital network to reduce operating costs by 56 per cent by standardizing care, reducing the number of instruments on surgical trays, and reducing the turnover time between patients from 23 minutes to 9 minutes.
McNaughton also announced the LHSC is getting an additional $830,000 from the surgical innovation fund to purchase equipment for arthroplasty surgeries and the creation of a regular operating room at Victoria Hospital.
“Our region is one of the fastest-growing areas in the province,” said LHSC President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Jackie Schleifer Taylor. “These funds allow us to effectively grow alongside our community, ensuring access and provision of excellent health care for those who need us. We appreciate the government’s collaboration to help us improve the orthopedic surgical experience for patients in our community.”
St. Joseph’s Health Care London will receive $251,103 from the fund, while the Middlesex Hospital Alliance will get $233,600.
St. Joseph’s plans to use the extra cash to transfer more patients from the main operating room into clinics. The Middlesex Hospital Alliance will put the money toward upgrades to its HVAC system and to purchasing additional ultrasound machines, stretchers, and portable bedside monitors for Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital.
