Thank you, Bradford West Gwillimbury, for helping shape the future of care

On August 26, Southlake Health welcomed more than 60 community members for a Community Open House in Bradford West Gwillimbury, sharing questions, priorities, and perspectives about the future of health care in their community.

Held at the Bradford Community Hub, the event gave residents an opportunity to learn more about Southlake Health’s vision to transform into a Distributed Health Network (DHN) over the next decade. This includes plans to open an Advanced Care Centre in Bradford West Gwillimbury to help bring care even closer to home. Community members explored informational displays, heard a presentation about the DHN, connected directly with Southlake’s team, and shared what matters most to them as planning moves forward.

Southlake is currently working to develop a Population Health Assessment for Bradford West Gwillimbury to better understand the community’s current and future health needs. The feedback and questions shared by residents will complement this work and help inform future planning and engagement.

What we heard

Throughout the evening, residents shared a strong interest in how an Advanced Care Centre could enhance access to health care and asked questions about the services, people, and infrastructure needed to support the community as it continues to grow.

Key topics raised included:

• What services could be offered at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Advanced Care Centre.

• How Southlake will attract and retain the healthcare professionals needed to meet the needs of growing communities across the region.

• How the Population Health Assessment for will help identify local healthcare needs and inform future planning.

• Timelines for the Advanced Care Centre and the next steps in the planning process.

The conversations reinforced the opportunity presented by the DHN to bring more leading edge care closer to where people live.

What’s next

Feedback from the Open House will help inform future community engagement and updates to Southlake’s digital hub on the DHN, including frequently asked questions that address common themes raised by residents.

Southlake will continue to engage with the Bradford West Gwillimbury community as planning progresses. Community input is an important part of Southlake’s work to build a DHN, and Southlake is committed to sharing updates during this exciting transformation.

Thank you to everyone who attended, asked questions, and shared their perspectives. We also extend our thanks to the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury for hosting the event at the Bradford Community Hub.

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