Announcement about the new hospital

NEWS RELEASE

SAULT AREA HOSPITAL

************************ SAH decides private sector role at new hospital

April 18, 2006 - As part of the efforts to advance the new Sault Area Hospital (SAH) project, its board of directors determined the services that will be best delivered by the successful team bidding on the project.

In making this decision, SAH's directors aimed, first and foremost, to deliver the best possible patient care, second, to minimize the impact on its staff and, third, to maximize the benefits of using external expertise.

The board also confirmed that the new SAH will be 100 percent publicly owned and controlled.

The services to be included in forthcoming tender documents for the project will provide more accountability for building life cycle costs and also include those that are already provided by external vendors at SAH.

No clinical services are included.

The services to be included are:

• building and building systems maintenance and management (plant pperations)

• building renovations and project management

• utilities management (consumption)

• grounds maintenance

• parking

• security

• plant maintenance

• retail, services including food court/cafeteria

• revenue space management and optimization

• dispatch services (new)

Also included is the management function only for the following services:

• housekeeping (core and units)

• waste management

This decision will likely mean a change of employer for approximately 20 SAH employees (representing approximately one percent of SAH's more than 1,700 employees).

There are strong protections in place for employees that may be transferred.

These protections exist in legislation and, for unionized employees, contractually in their collective agreements.

To affirm its commitment, SAH will work to ensure the contract with successful bidder clearly adheres to these obligations.

Today, SAH contracts for the management or full provision of service delivery in the following areas:

• security services

• cafeteria services (SAH acts as the landlord only)

• patient TV and phones

• plant operations and maintenance

• housekeeping and waste management

• central transport services (CTS)/portering

• biomedical engineering

• equipment maintenance

• parking management and maintenance

• food services

• laboratory services

The new Sault Area Hospital (SAH) will have 289 beds and will give residents access to a full range of hospital services, including acute care, pediatrics, surgical care, mental health programs and a new cancer radiation therapy facility.

The hospital will consolidate local health care services by joining together the former Plummer Memorial and Sault Ste. Marie General hospitals.

The new facility will be located at the current site of the F.J. Davey Home.

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