Bluewater Health

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, {{convert|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. The community's first public hospital, Sarnia General Hospital, opened on October 3, 1896 at a cost of about $25,000 and originally consisted of a three-story building with 26 beds.{{cite web |url=http://www.sarniahistoricalsociety.com/story/general-hospital-cost-25000-to-build-in-1895/ |title=General Hospital Cost $25,000 to Build in 1895 |publisher=Sarnia Gazette |date=1978 |accessdate=17 November 2016}} It was located at Mitton, George, Essex and MacKenzie streets (known as the Mitton Street site) and operated there for over a century.https://www.thesarniajournal.ca/news/two-four-storey-apartment-buildings-coming-to-former-hospital-lands-7973422 {{cite web |url=http://www.sarniahistoricalsociety.com/story/general-hospital-cost-25000-to-build-in-1895/ |title=General Hospital Cost $25,000 to Build in 1895 |work=Sarnia Gazette |date=1978 |accessdate=26 November 2016}}

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.

St. Joseph's Hospital was founded on Norman Street at the southeast corner of London Street and Russell Street, with construction starting in 1944 and being fully opened in 1946. In 1942 The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Diocese of London were invited by the Sarnia City Council to open a hospital. Construction began in 1944 after numerous delays and shortages due to WWII. It was opened fully operational with 150 beds on March 1, 1946.⁣⁣ The entire million-dollar project was funded by the Sisters of St. Joseph, with a $10,000 grant from the City. Many of the staff were mothers of families who could only work occasionally. Students from St. Joseph’s Training School of Nursing in London helped fill the nursing rota, and were hired permanently after graduation. By September 1948, a detoxification centre was opened and many alcoholics were treated at the hospital. ⁣⁣

In 1959, there was a seven-storey, two million dollar addition and an increase of 150 active treatment beds. In 1960, a 45-bed pediatric wing was added. ⁣⁣In 1963 The first St. Joseph’s Auxiliary Ball was held. Besides being a major fundraiser, this was a significant social event in the community for years to come.⁣⁣ In the 1970s, the hospital needed to update its facilities to meet accreditation standards, as well as to comply with the Sisters’ own standards of care. The end of this tumultuous period saw all Obstetrics care moved to St. Joseph’s while all Pediatrics was transferred to Sarnia General Hospital.⁣

In the 1980s, quality assurance became a major focus, and new services such as the chiropody and palliative care were added. The new Chronic Care Facility was financed and completed. ⁣⁣St. Joseph’s Hospital was officially re-opened as St. Joseph’s Health Centre on October 12, 1990. St. Joseph’s Health Centre no longer served exclusively as an in-patient treatment centre for the critically ill. It also provided long-term care beds and outpatient treatment. ⁣⁣In January 1995, the Sisters donated their residence at 430 London Road to St. Joseph Health Centre to be used as a hospice. ⁣⁣The Sisters’ legacy spanned 60 years, as the last Sister, Mary Vandersteen, retired from the hospital in 2005. https://swoda.uwindsor.ca/node/3408

Sarnia General and St. Joseph’s hospitals amalgamated in 2003 to form Bluewater Health, although the newly combined authority still operated out of both Mitton Street and Norman Street properties until 2011.[http://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/our-history] Bluewater Health vacated the Mitton location in 2011, consolidating operations at the more modernized Norman Street site. The derelict buildings on the Mitton Street site stood empty for several years and were seen as a blight upon the community, until the Ontario Superior Court ruled that the municipality and not the province was the legal owner, then demolition occurred from 2017 to 2018 to prepare the land for housing redevelopment.https://www.thesarniajournal.ca/top-story/city-owns-derelict-hospital-court-says-7965379https://www.schouten.ca/case-studies/sarnia-general-hospitalhttps://www.thesarniajournal.ca/news/two-four-storey-apartment-buildings-coming-to-former-hospital-lands-7973422

In 2010, there were extensive renovations to the two existing buildings and construction of a third on the former St. Joseph's Hospital site. With construction and redevelopment completed at a cost of $319 million, the hospital now encompasses about {{convert|600000|sqft}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.theobserver.ca/2010/06/25/see-sarnias-new-hospital-2 |title=See Sarnia's new hospital |publisher=Sarnia Observer |accessdate=17 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118162810/http://www.theobserver.ca/2010/06/25/see-sarnias-new-hospital-2 |archive-date=18 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}

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• Ambulatory care{{efn-lr|Not an exhaustive list; see ref for full list of services}}{{cite web |url=http://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/ourservicesaz |title=Bluewater Health - Our Services |publisher=Bluewater Health |accessdate=17 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118163153/http://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/ourservicesaz |archive-date=18 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}
• 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

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:Babies born: 969{{efn-lr|Statistics for the 2013-2014 year}}

: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

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/documents/248/Terms%20of%20Reference%20-%20Community%20Advisory%20Panel%20-%20October%202015%20with%20Appendix.pdf |title=Bluewater Health Community Advisory Panel - Terms of Reference |publisher=Bluewater Health |accessdate=17 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110113924/http://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/documents/248/Terms%20of%20Reference%20-%20Community%20Advisory%20Panel%20-%20October%202015%20with%20Appendix.pdf |archive-date=10 November 2017 |url-status=dead }}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/ARHighlights |title=Annual Report Highlights |publisher=Bluewater Health |accessdate=17 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103174934/http://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/ARHighlights |archive-date=3 November 2017 |url-status=dead }}

Accreditation Canada awarded Bluewater Health the distinction of "Accreditation with Exemplary Standing" for 2015–2019, with a score of 99.3%.{{cite web |url=http://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/accreditation |title=Accreditation |publisher=Bluewater Health |accessdate=17 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118163049/http://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/accreditation |archive-date=18 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/uploads/Performance/Accreditation_Report%20Final%20July%207%202015.pdf |title=Accreditation Report - Bluewater Health |publisher=Accreditation Canada |date=7 July 2015 |accessdate=17 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118163151/http://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/uploads/Performance/Accreditation_Report%20Final%20July%207%202015.pdf |archive-date=18 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{rp|6}} In 2012, it became the first acute care hospital in Ontario to achieve LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).{{cite web |url=http://www.longwoods.com/newsdetail/2387 |title=Bluewater Health Awarded Prestigious LEED Green Building Certification |publisher=Longwoods Publishing Corporation |accessdate=17 November 2016}} In 2016, Bluewater Health achieved a 97% patient satisfaction rate.{{cite web |url=http://blackburnnews.com/sarnia/sarnia-news/2016/06/28/improved-patient-satisfaction-bluewater-health/ |title=Improved Patient Satisfaction At Bluewater Health |publisher=Blackburn News |date=28 June 2016 |accessdate=17 November 2016}}

Other awards:

• Bridging Excellence Award (2015){{cite web |url=http://www.theobserver.ca/2015/05/29/bridging-excellence-awards-ceremony-held |title=Bridging Excellence Awards ceremony held |publisher=Sarnia Observer |date=29 May 2015 |accessdate=17 November 2016}}
• Ontario's Best Practice Spotlight Organization (2015){{cite web |url=http://rnao.ca/bpg/bpso |title=Best Practice Spotlight Organizations |publisher=Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario |accessdate=17 November 2016}}
• Bill Wilson Patient Safety Award (2014){{cite web |url=http://cshpontario.ca/web/la/en/pa/c35ca8af577d47f7a2c4b744b620c83d/template.asp |title=2014 Award Recipients |publisher=Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists |accessdate=17 November 2016}}
• Quality Healthcare Workplace Award (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014){{cite web |url=http://www.oha.com/CurrentIssues/keyinitiatives/QualityHealthCareWorkplaceAwards/Pages/PastQualityHealthcareWorkplaceAwards.aspx |title=Past Quality Healthcare Workplace Awards |publisher=Ontario Hospital Association |accessdate=17 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118162907/http://www.oha.com/CurrentIssues/keyinitiatives/QualityHealthCareWorkplaceAwards/Pages/PastQualityHealthcareWorkplaceAwards.aspx |archive-date=18 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}
• Ontario Accessibility Award (2012){{cite web |url=https://www.excellence.ca/en/knowledge-centre/news/excellence-canada-ontario-accessibility |title=Excellence Canada - Ontario Accessibility Award 2012 Recipients |publisher=Excellence Canada |date=8 March 2013 |accessdate=17 November 2016}}
• Outstanding Business Achievement (2011){{cite web |url=http://www.sarnialambtonchamber.com/Events/Signature-Events/Outstanding-Business-Achievement-Awards/Outstanding-Business-Achievement-Awards-2011-Call-for-Nominations.html |title=Outstanding Business Achievement Awards |publisher=Sarnia Lambton Chamber of Commerce |accessdate=17 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118100932/http://www.sarnialambtonchamber.com/Events/Signature-Events/Outstanding-Business-Achievement-Awards/Outstanding-Business-Achievement-Awards-2011-Call-for-Nominations.html |archive-date=18 November 2016 |url-status=dead }}

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• [http://www.bluewaterhealth.ca/ Bluewater Health]
• [http://www.bluewaterhealthfoundation.ca/ Bluewater Health Foundation]

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Category:Hospitals in Ontario

Category:Public–private partnership projects in Canada

Category:Buildings and structures in Sarnia