Erie Shores Healthcare has submitted a master plan to the Ministry of Health, calling for a 400,000 sq. ft. expansion.
The hospital's board of directors reviewed four proposals before submitting the plan. They included making use of existing facilities, a new build on a new site, and building on the existing site. It opted to expand the existing hospital.
CEO Kristen Kennedy told WindsorNewsToday.ca that the plan would address the hospital's long-term needs as demand for service grows in the decades to come.
"We have enhanced our catchment area from 65,000 to 155,000, and our ER visits are rebounding to pre-pandemic numbers," she said. "We know the Windsor-Essex population is set to increase by nearly 27 per cent, mostly seniors, in the near future."
She said the submission is the first step in a lengthy process before construction starts.
"When you look at the history of planning across the province, I would say this is a forecasted 15 to 25-year plan," said Kennedy. "There's nothing imminent."
If the Ministry approves the request, it could offer funding to explore what the expansion will eventually look like.
In the meantime, the hospital is exploring options to address the increase in healthcare demands in the short term.
"Some that we'll make public in November," Kennedy said.
Meanwhile, the board of directors, which held its first public meeting in recent memory, also accepted a $1-million donation from an anonymous donor.
The money came from a family with a loved one who received care in the hospital. It's to improve the patient experience.
Kennedy said the hospital is regularly at 130 to 150 per cent capacity, and the funding could support the expansion of one wing and add more beds.
Erie Shores Healthcare invites the public to a series of open houses to discuss its 2050 plan and understand the community's needs in the coming weeks.
The first open house will be at Leamington Town Hall on October 21 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
On October 22, the open house moves to Essex Arena in Essex. It'll also start at 4 p.m.
On October 23, there's an open house in Tecumseh. That will be at the St. Clair Beach Community Centre from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Kingsville's open house is on November 6 at the Kingsville Arena from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the meeting in Lakeshore is on November 7 at the Atlas Tube Recreation Centre from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.