Additional acute care in-patient beds and expanded medical capacity, including a new renal dialysis unit, are part of a significant expansion and renovation that will reflect Bethesda Regional Health Centre’s importance as a district hub in Manitoba’s health-care system and provide care that is closer to home for many residents in southern Manitoba.
“The COVID-19 pandemic remains the challenge of our time and our government’s bold vision to provide better health care, with improved access and services closer to home, for all Manitobans remains our top priority,” said Premier Kelvin Goertzen. “Today’s announcement of the expansion and renovation at Bethesda Regional Health Centre will significantly reduce the need for those living in Steinbach and in the surrounding communities to travel elsewhere for care while providing the facility the capacity to continue to grow in the coming years to continue to meet the community’s needs.”
“Our population is aging and our government’s investment at Bethesda Regional Health Centre is an investment in the improvement of patient care for people living in the community and the health region, both now and into the future,” said Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon. “By improving services at Bethesda, we are supporting the delivery of more health-care services that are more convenient for patients living in or near Manitoba’s third largest city to access.”
The nearly $32-million investment will:
- include an addition and renovations to the facility that provides space for 23 additional acute care medicine beds and enables the site to support additional surgical capacity in targeted areas;
- invest in the treatment of patients for a wide variety of needs at the site including palliative and end of life care, chronic and cardiopulmonary disease and women’s health;
- include pharmacy upgrades that support the delivery of chemotherapy services and establish Bethesda as a regional hub for cancer services; and
- allow for the construction of six dialysis stations to establish renal services in the community.
“Bethesda Regional Health Centre provides essential medical services to the growing population in Steinbach and surrounding communities,” said Jane Curtis, CEO, Southern Health–Santé Sud. “This new investment in expanded acute care inpatient capacity and renal services will strengthen the network of resources that makes Bethesda an important hub of medical services for meeting the long-term needs of this growing area with access to high-quality, specialized care that is closer to home.”
The new renal services unit at Bethesda, first announced in last year’s throne speech, follows a feasibility study and review that looked at the number and frequency of patients travelling for dialysis with anticipated operational costing to determine community need. Schematic designs for the new unit are already well underway, with tendering to occur in early 2022 and construction to immediately follow in Spring, the premier noted.
“Establishing kidney dialysis services at Bethesda Regional Health Centre will improve patient outcomes and quality of life,” said Dr. Mauro Verrelli, medical director, Manitoba Renal Program and provincial medical specialty lead, renal health. “For patients living in or near Steinbach who are used to making multiple trips per week to other cities to receive dialysis, providing these services within the community will save them time while keeping them close to the network of family and friends they rely upon for support.”
As first announced in budget 2021, Manitoba is making a historic $812-million capital investment in building, expanding and renovating health-care facilities across the province in support of the Clinical and Preventive Services Plan. The plan, led by clinicians, establishes a geographic network of care that will improve access to care for all Manitobans and identifies improvements in Steinbach as being significant to efforts that support better care sooner and as close to home as possible.
“We are excited to support a meaningful project that will improve patient services in Steinbach and the communities that access care here,” said Garth Reimer, board chair, Bethesda Foundation. “By further strengthening the role of Bethesda Regional Health Centre, this investment will help create a healthier community for generations to come.”
Today’s announcement will enable further discussions with health system leadership, clinical stakeholders and the community to finalize the detailed clinical plan.
