Orléans Health Hub

The Orléans Health Hub is a unique and innovative model that will bring a wide range of specialized and community healthcare services under one roof. Once the project is completed, residents of the greater Orléans area, from newborns to seniors, will have access to integrated programs close to home, focused on their needs and offered in both official languages.

The development of the Orléans Health Hub project is the result of a collaborative effort among the following service providers: 

The concept of the Health Hub will enable these partners to work together in order to offer complementary care.

For the client, this will improve coordination of services, provide easier access to care and minimize travelling. The Health Hub will target residents of Ottawa East, including:

  • people who need timely follow-ups by a specialist (e.g., dermatologist, orthopaedist, pediatrician, wound management specialist);
  • seniors, through the provision of community services such as day programs and home support as well as assessment and treatment services by teams of healthcare professionals;
  • people suffering from a mental health problem, from children to seniors, through the provision of services such as counselling, assessments and treatment offered by healthcare professionals;
  • people requiring rehabilitation services, for example, following surgery or a cardiopulmonary or neurological event;
  • people requiring diagnostic imaging tests such as an X-ray or MRI.
  • The provincial government sees the Health Hub project as a prototype for the future of Ontario’s health system.

In July 2016, Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-term Care made an investment of over $5 million in order to complete the Health Hub’s health services planning as well as the development of architectural plans in collaboration with Hôpital Montfort’s partners. 

Montfort’s team and its partners are working on the project’s progress while respecting the ministry’s planning processes. 

Companies prequalified for Orléans Health Hub project - Source: HDR

Source: HDR

Frequently asked questions

► What are the companies prequalified for the construction of the project?

Five companies have been prequalified to build and finance the Orléans Health Hub project. Companies were prequalified based on their construction capability, experience, qualified personnel and financial capacity to deliver a project of this size and scope. They are:

  • Amico Affiliates
  • Buttcon Limited
  • EllisDon Corporation Inc.
  • PCL Constructors Canada Inc.
  • Pomerleau Inc.

A request for proposals is expected to be issued to these prequalified companies in summer 2018.

► When will construction begin?

In collaboration with HDR Architecture Associates, the architectural firm chosen in early 2017, we now have sketches of the plans for the Hub. The general contractor should be on board by the end of 2018. We can expect a few more years until the official opening.

► What services will be available at the Health Hub?

A range of community services including counselling, day programs, home support and specialized services such as mental health, dermatology, orthopaedics, pediatrics, psychiatry, geriatrics, diagnostic imaging and rehabilitation, among others, will be available at the Health Hub.

► Will Orléans residents have access to an Emergency Room in their community?

Residents can be referred to other service providers in the area such as emergency care available in Orléans, family physicians, or Hôpital Montfort depending on the patient’s needs. At the moment and at this stage in the development of the project, emergency healthcare services are not being planned for the Health Hub.

► When willI be able to put my name down for a family physician at the Health Hub?

All family physicians in the region will be able to refer their patients to the Health Hub so that they can take advantage of community and specialized services. However, at the moment and at this stage in the development of the project, services offered by a family health team are not being planned for the Health Hub. Clients who do not have a family doctor should refer to the Health Care Connect program.

► The Health Hub project was announced several years ago. Why did it take so long to become a reality?

Since receiving the government’s support in 2011, the Orléans Health Hub project has greatly progressed, along with our vision. Our focus is now on planning a new model of care that will integrate community and specialized healthcare (some of which are traditionally offered in hospitals) in order to meet the population’s growing healthcare needs in the greater Orléans area. The project is progressing in collaboration with the government and several partners while respecting the ministry’s processes.

► I’d like to work at the Health Hub. When will hiring start?

At the moment, the plan for the Orléans Health Hub team is to include staff members who are already employed by one of the eight partners affiliated with the project.

► How can I learn more about the Health Hub?

This page will be updated regularly in order to keep you informed of the project’s latest developments. You may also add your name to a distribution list to receive update on the Orleans Health Hub. To subscribe to this list, email us at montfort@montfort.on.ca.

 

Model of care - Guiding principles

Themes Description
Under one roof
  • Appointments with various specialists will be coordinated as much as possible.
  • Patient information will be shared among all partners to reduce repetition.
  • Patients consulting several specialists at the Health Hub will have access to a coordinated care plan.
  • Specialists will work together to identify the patient’s primary need in the present moment.
Experience
  • Bilingual services will be actively offered at the Health Hub
  • Patient experience will be as positive as possible; we plan to offer a warm and welcoming environment with multiple waiting areas for patients, although the intent is to have the shortest wait-time possible.
Choice
  • In most cases, patients will be able to choose where they want to receive their services.
  • In most cases, patients will have access to a schedule that is the most convenient for them.
Hospital and community
  • The Health Hub will be an integration of hospital and community services.
Timeliness
  • Information will be sent back to primary care physicians quickly and efficiently  
Technology
  • The Health Hub will use technologies to offer the most modern services possible.
  • The Health Hub building will allow for a multi-purpose use of its rooms.
Teaching
  • Training will be offered to Health Hub employees to help reduce siloed work and to focus on the patient as an entity. 
  • The Health Hub will also be a place for teaching and research.

 

Questions from the Public Townhall held on November 16, 2017

On Thursday, November 16, 120 people attended a town hall session in Orléans. They met with representatives of the eight partners involved in this project, discovered the first architectural renderings and learnt about the different services that will be offered at the Hub. Lise Vaillancourt, project director, and Marie-France Lalonde, MPP for Ottawa-Orléans, were also on hand to answer many questions from the public. The meeting was held at the Heritage Complex, which graciously offered its large meeting room for the community event.

Here are the questions that were asked. 

► When will construction begin?

The Ontario government has secured 60 million to be spent wisely on this project. It is extremely important to work out all the details as we build this new prototype of integrated, patient-centred health care for Ontario. We will complete the next stage within the next few months and will send the project to request for proposal (RFP) by the fall of next year. We should probably see shovels in the ground within two years.

► Does the Ministry of Health have the final say?

We work in partnership with Ministry of Health. We submit each phase to them, they then make suggestions and approve our submissions.

► Will there be a parking garage? Why not consider building a larger indoor parking facility now to avoid construction later?

Parking will be on one level, outdoors, with a canopy area for drop-offs. The Hub is only a one-story environment and the parking facilities should match this environment and the needs.

► Should we incorporate the street names on the large poster of the Hub design to facilitate way-finding?

Yes, we will keep that in consideration for future posters.

► Could we ask the Ministry to widen the roads?

The inside roads are the municipal government’s responsibility. There has been much growth on the infrastructure and housing developments in the outer Orléans area.

► What will the Hub be named? Could it possibly be named after Dr. Major, a very important figure for Orléans?

As of now, it is called the Orléans Health Hub. We are not at the naming stage yet. We are still in the infrastructure design and development stage.

► Has consideration been put into staffing this building?

Qualified professionals from our partner organizations will be working at the Hub. Services will be offered in both official languages.

► Why didn’t you choose community programs to govern the Hub?

We did. The Hub is comprised of eight public partners offering joint care: three hospitals and five community organizations. Amongst these partners, the Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre, for example, offers various programs and services available to the community. Moving forward, we will look at expanding depending on the needs of the community. Public partnerships are exactly what makes this project unique and innovative in Ontario.

We are proud to say that these partners are working together to create an innovative outpatient model for the future of health care.

► Has consideration been put into staffing this building?

Qualified professionals from our partner organizations will be working at the Hub. Services will be offered in both official languages.

► As it took Montfort quite a bit of time and money to acquire the CT Scanner, is getting state-of-the-art equipment going to use too many resources?

In general, for the construction, public funding is at 93 % and the remaining 7 % of funds will be raised by Montfort. For medical equipment, it will be acquired by Montfort.

► What can we expect in the upcoming stages of this project? Do you have timelines for the next phases?

  • Submission 3.1 was the design blocks
  • Submission 3.2 was the sketched plans (i.e. walls, doors, procedure rooms, etc.)
  • Submission 4.1 will be the final plans to be given to the contractor by summer of 2018
  • Submission 4.2 will be once the documents have been signed by the contractor
  • Stage 5 will be the construction of the Hub.

So far, the Ministry of Health has been very quick at responding to our submissions. However, there is a process we must follow, and that takes time.

Currently, there is no timeline for future phases. However, the lot is large enough to accommodate future phases, if required.

► What requirements must be met for Orléans to qualify for a new hospital?

The lot will be zoned by the city as institutional and belongs to Montfort. The population in Orléans is growing and Montfort, which is only 13 kilometres away, has recently expanded. The vision for the future is that consultations, treatments and follow-ups will be done at the Hub and patients requiring acute care will go to the hospital.

► Will there be a birthing unit at the Hub?

A range of community services including counselling, day programs, home support and specialized services such as mental health, dermatology, orthopaedics, pediatrics, psychiatry, geriatrics, diagnostic imaging and rehabilitation, among others, will be available at the Health Hub. At this phase of the project, there will not be a birthing unit at the Hub. There are excellent, new birthing units at Montfort and on Walkley Road, as well as other birthing units across the city.

Spring 2017 Survey Results

From March 17 to April 6, 2017, the Orléans Health Hub coordination team organized an online survey to obtain the opinion of future Hub users on a variety of topics such as appointment scheduling and follow-up reminders, parking, or videoconference consultations.

In total, 476 residents of Orléans responded to the survey, 29% in French and 71% in English.

The results of this survey are of great importance and are now guiding the Health Hub coordination team. For example:

 
People said that they would like… The Health Hub Team is listening!
… free parking.  We continue to plan for free and convenient parking, and for sufficient number of spaces.
... a convenient drop-off area.  The entrance of the Health Hub should meet all these demands by being covered, with places to sit, help available for non-mobile patients if necessary, and short-term parking.
... give their personal information only once, at the time of registration. We work to ensure that visitor data is shared in a protected manner among all participating partners; Visitors should be able to complete their file in person or online.
... more options in making appointments.  We plan for some programs to be open in the evenings and on weekends; Visitors should be able to make their appointments and receive reminders by phone, text message, email or online.
... able to meet several specialists in one visit. The Health Hub will house several care services and our objective is that the visitor can meet several specialists during the same visit.
... the least possible wait times.  We plan that access to our services will be fast. The visitor should know his / her waiting time.
... a pleasant environment. In addition to the reception and waiting areas in each program, the Health Hub will include an outdoor garden, a café and a pleasant reception area. Wireless Internet access (wi-fi) should be free of charge throughout the building.