Events
Please consider participating in our events.
Video to be prepared
I’m going to be recording stories of people’s experience with the Durham Hospital. If you have something you’d like to share, we will be doing a first round of video interviews next Monday, June 24. Please get in touch. (Phone/text is best: 647 330 2989) Geoffrey Shea
OHC Public Hearings
Attend SBGHC Annual meeting
The SBGHC Annual Meeting of the Corporation will be held on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at 5:30 P.M. The meeting will be held at the Best Western Plus – Walkerton Hotel & Conference Centre in Ballroom B with the option to attend virtually through Zoom.
Members of the public are welcome to attend. Please note, an RSVP is required in advance.
Please submit your RSVP by 4:00 P.M. on Monday, June 24, to Taylor Holdsworth at [email protected] if you wish to attend or require a virtual link.
Urgent – by June 11/24 Ontario Health Coalition – Public Consulation Submissions
The OHC is looking for submissions to use in their hearings concerning the crisis in Ontario hospitals and the unprecedented closings and cutbacks that we are all experiencing. Their goal is to produce a report that can be used politically to spur some action on the part of our government.
We are all invited to join in this effort. There are two ways to do this: Write your own submission or contribute to a group submission.
These are the topics the OHC is suggesting we use – If you want to contribute to our committee’s submissions, please jot down your thoughts and email to Harriet. ([email protected]) by next Tues, June 11. We will try to use them in the final Durham submission.
Access To Care (Lost/threatened treatments & services, Effects on community – Recommendations) _________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Staffing (Shortages, Recruitment, Private Agencies – Recommendations) __________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
The Role of the Local Hospital (Importance to residents, Economic & Social Impacts-Recommendations) __________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Local Hospital Governance (Effects of amalgamation, benefits to us, how to appoint/elect Board members, Democratic governance or not – Recommendations)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Provincial Leadership and Standards (Help from provincial gov’t, adequate supervision/standards from province over local Boards- Recommendations)) ____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Idea of “Basket of Services” required in every hospital – Would that help? _________________________________
What should it include? _________________________________________________________________________
OR – You are also invited to write your own story about the Durham Hospital, what it means to you and why it is so vital that it continues to operate. These must be submitted by June 18, 2024 to [email protected]
Please take the time to do one of these as part of Durham’s ongoing struggle to be heard and understood.
For more information, please contact Harriet at the above email or call 519-369-6496.
Contact MPPs
Attend March and Vigil Lighting May 21/24
Call in to morning show, May 20/24
Attend Queens Park, Wed., May 15/24
SBGHC Webinar, Tuesday, May 14/24. 11:00am
If you do not have access to a computer or the internet you can call into the meeting by calling 1-647-374-4685.
View May 7/24 community meeting
Letterwriting
Please consider writing letters and signing petitions.
Assist with Letters to the Editor
Harriet Mitchell, [email protected] is organizing a schedule to keep keep this issue in the news via Letters to the Editor, if you are able please contact her and she’ll confirm a date she would like your letter submitted by.
Write letters to members of SBGHC board
Please make time to get in touch with some of the South Bruce Grey Health Center upper management team. These are the people who were directly involved in the decisions that led to all of the cuts to the Durham Hospital. Please share widely and encourage everyone you know to contact them as soon as possible.
SBGHC
21 McGivern Street, P.O. Box 1300, Walkerton, ON, N0G 2V0
Nancy Shaw (President and CEO)
(519) 370-2400 ext 2450
Michelle Scime-Summers (VP of Patient Care/ Chief Nursing Executive)
(519) 370-2400 ext 2415
Drew Bratihwaite (VP Corporate Service/ Chief Financial Officer)
(519) 370-2400 ext 2423
Jim Bagshaw (Chair of Board of Directors)
*Contact to be made directly to the President and CEO’s office)
(519) 370-2450
21 McGivern Street, P.O. Box 1300, Walkerton, ON, N0G 2V0
Write letters to our Provincial and Federal government
Please take the time to email or call the following members of the Provincial Government to let them know that we are deeply opposed to the cuts that have been made to the Durham Hospital. It is very important that they hear from as many people as possible. Please share this widely and encourage everyone you know to get in contact as soon as possible.
MPP
Rick Byers
345 8th Street East, Owen Sound, ON N4K 1L3
519-371-2421
MP
Alex Ruff
1101 2nd Avenue East #208, Owen Sound, ON N4K 2J1
519-371-1059
Premier of Ontario
Doug Ford
Premier of Ontario, Legislative Building, Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON M7A 1A2
Minister of Health
Sylvia Jones
The Honourable Sylvia Jones, 777 Bay Street, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON M7A 2J3
Sample letter
If you are unsure of what to say in an email please copy and paste the sample email below. You will need to insert certain bits of information. If you need help with how to copy and paste this email please private message me and I will do what I can to help.
[Date]
Subject: Urgent Concern: Permanent Closure of Inpatient Beds and Nighttime Closure of ER at SBGHC Durham Hospital Site
Dear [Recipient],
I am writing to express my deep concern and frustration regarding the recent decision by the SBGHC board and executive team to permanently close the inpatient beds and to close the ER from 5 PM to 7 AM at the Durham Hospital site. As a member of this community, I am gravely worried about the impact this closure will have on the healthcare access and safety of our residents.
With the increasing number of families moving to town, the presence of a long-term care centre, and significant tourism attractions that bring incremental people to our town, especially in the summertime, it is imperative that we have access to essential healthcare services around the clock. The permanent closure of inpatient beds and the nighttime closure of the ER severely limit our ability to provide timely and critical care to those in need. It is unacceptable that such a decision was made without considering the needs and concerns of the people who rely on these services.
Our community deserves better, and we demand immediate action to address this issue and ensure that our healthcare needs are met without compromise. I urge you to reconsider this decision and explore alternative solutions that will allow us to maintain access to vital healthcare services. Failure to do so will only further jeopardize the health and safety of our community and erode trust in SBGHC’s ability to serve our needs.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, Province, Postal Code]
[Your Email Address]
[Your Phone Number]
Sign a petition
