The Erie-St. Clair Local Health Integration Network is looking for a consultant as part of building a community capacity plan for healthcare in the region.
LHIN CEO Gary Switzer says the firm needs to specialize in planning for healthcare in large communities.
"The hospital is just one part of it. When you're in a hospital, you're there for around four to six days. You get the rest of your healthcare in the community," says Switzer. "We want to make sure it is there, it's timely and it's quality."
Switzer says the plan is needed as part of the preparations for a new mega-hospital for Windsor-Essex. The RFP is expected to be issued this month.
"That's [the consultant] helping us evaluate the current services that are out there and how those services will need to grow to accommodate our aging population, but also how it will need to grow if there's a single new acute site somewhere in the community," says Switzer.
A public information session giving an update on the process regarding the single-site acute care centre is being held at the Atlas Tube Centre in Lakeshore for 7pm.
