Province gives Sudbury’s hospital approval to plan expansion

The hospital people often say was built too small may be getting bigger.

Thursday in Sudbury, David McNeil, president and CEO of Health Sciences North, was guest speaker at a Sudbury Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

McNeil said the hospital has been approved to beginning planning to expand on the current site.

“We are in the very early stages of planning with the ministry of health but the good news in the ministry of health has said to HSN you have permission to plan for an expansion of the hospital,” he said.

“They have given us the funding to plan that expansion of the hospital. Of course we are in the very early stages.”

McNeil also talked abut challenges and innovations at the regional hospital, as well as changes that are needed in the future.

HSN is a regional hospital with more than 700,000 annual patient visits. The CEO talked to the business community about hallway healthcare at HSN, where more than 100 patients are in unconventional bed spaces per day.

Geoff Hatton, chair of the Sudbury chamber, said it’s important for the business community to hear from the hospital.

“We found out today about the expansions that are planned,” Hatton said.

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“When businesses are trying to attract skilled labour for our community, health care is often a conservation piece that comes up.”

Officials with the chamber said the hospital is Greater Sudbury’s largest employer and contributes nearly $1 billion to the local economy annually.