Thank you, Georgina, for helping shape the future of care

Nearly 50 community members joined Southlake Health on June 29 for a Community Open House in Georgina. Throughout the evening, participants shared thoughtful questions, ideas, and perspectives to help inform the future of health care in the community and across northern York Region and southern Simcoe County.

Held at The Link in Sutton West, the event was an opportunity for residents to learn more about Southlake Health's vision to transform into a Distributed Health Network (DHN) over the next decade, which will include an Advanced Care Centre in Georgina. Community members explored informational displays, attended a presentation on the DHN, connected with Southlake’s team, and took part in meaningful conversations about the future of care.

Community engagement is an important part of Southlake's planning process, and the questions and feedback shared throughout the evening will help inform future engagement as planning continues.

What we heard

Throughout the evening, several key themes emerged from conversations with community members. Residents expressed a strong desire for greater access to leading edge care closer to home and asked thoughtful questions about what the future could look like for Georgina.

Key topics raised included:

• Where residents hope the Georgina Advanced Care Centre will be located and its hours of operation.

• Services that residents would like to see offered at the Advanced Care Centre, including diagnostic imaging, CT scans, youth mental health services, and other outpatient care.

• How Georgina's Population Health Assessment report is helping inform future planning.

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

Many attendees also spoke about Georgina's longstanding healthcare needs and shared their enthusiasm for expanding access to leading edge care closer to home through the DHN.

What's next

The evening reinforced the importance of continuing to engage residents as planning progresses. The feedback shared in Georgina will help inform future community engagement sessions and updates to Southlake’s digital hub on the DHN, including an easy-to-find link to the Population Health Assessment report and new frequently asked questions to address common questions.

As planning for the DHN continues, Southlake Health will advance work on the redevelopment of its Davis Drive campus, the planning of a second acute care hospital in East Gwillimbury, and Advanced Care Centres in Georgina and Bradford West Gwillimbury. Community feedback will continue to play an important role in shaping this work, and Southlake remains committed to engaging residents, listening to community feedback, and keeping our communities informed every step of the way.

Thank you to everyone who attended, shared their perspectives, and contributed to an engaging and thoughtful evening. We also extend our thanks to the Town of Georgina for hosting the event at The Link.

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