Bluewater Health

Bluewater Health is a hospital in Sarnia, Ontario. It was opened October 3, 1896 as Sarnia General Hospital and was the community's first public hospital. In 2010, with extensive renovations to the two existing buildings and construction of a third, it was renamed Bluewater Health. With construction and redevelopment completed at a cost of $319 million, the hospital now encompasses about 600000 sqft. It employs almost 1,800 staff and physicians, along with over 700 volunteers, and is Sarnia—Lambton's largest public sector employer. It is funded primarily by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, with additional fundraising by Bluewater Health Foundation and Charlotte Eleanor Englehart Hospital foundation. It has 326 beds, 8 operating rooms, an emergency department, and a full spectrum of programs to serve the approximately 125,000 people in the Sarnia-Lambton area.

History
There were several doctors in the Sarnia community in 1880, but because there was no hospital in the area, serious medical help had to be sought in London, 100 km to the east. On July 7, 1890, a public meeting was held to canvas for subscriptions for a hospital. By 1895, $13,000 had been raised. A three-story hospital with 26 beds was opened on October 3, 1896, at a cost of about $25,000.

The hospital was operated by a trust until 1920 when it was given to the city and became a municipally-operated hospital. Stress on the hospital became severe with an admission of about 800 patients a year. In 1929, about 80 beds were added, which met the needs of the community until 1952. In January 1953, the hospital doors were closed while construction of a new five-story building took place. The new hospital opened in March 1954 at a cost of about $2.7 million, and had enough beds for 266 adults and 50 newborns.

By November 1963, expansion of the facility led to a capacity of 315 beds at a cost of about $1.5 million.

Programs and services

 * Ambulatory care
 * Bone density
 * Cancer care
 * Cardiology
 * Communication disorders
 * CT scan
 * Diagnostic imaging
 * Dialysis
 * Emergency services
 * Intensive care
 * Mammography
 * Mental health & addiction
 * MRI
 * Occupational therapy
 * Palliative care
 * Physiotherapy
 * Surgery
 * X-ray

Statistics

 * Babies born: 969
 * Number of beds: 326
 * Dialysis treatments: 8,453
 * Emergency room visits: 83,690
 * Hospitalizations: 12,025
 * Laboratory procedures: 2,719,894
 * MRIs: 7,943
 * Surgeries: 10,680

Community engagement
Bluewater Health has two advisory panels composed of residents of the surrounding community, including students from local secondary and post-secondary schools. The panels meet four times yearly to gather and share input into hospital planning and decision-making. The CEO attends the meetings along with a representative of the board of directors.

The hospital welcomes presentations from diverse cultural perspectives. It has met with representatives from the local Muslim association regarding Islamic customs, dietary concerns, etc.; and with a local Aboriginal patient representative with regards to cultural implications for healthcare.

Awards and recognition
Accreditation Canada awarded Bluewater Health the distinction of "Accreditation with Exemplary Standing" for 2015–2019, with a score of 99.3%. In 2012, it became the first acute care hospital in Ontario to achieve LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). In 2016, Bluewater Health achieved a 97% patient satisfaction rate.

Other awards:


 * Bridging Excellence Award (2015)
 * Ontario's Best Practice Spotlight Organization (2015)
 * Bill Wilson Patient Safety Award (2014)
 * Quality Healthcare Workplace Award (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
 * Ontario Accessibility Award (2012)
 * Outstanding Business Achievement (2011)