HAMILTON — The Ontario government is connecting more newborns and their families in the Hamilton area to better, more convenient specialized neonatal intensive care and birthing support through the redevelopment of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s Special Care Nursery.
“Our government is making historic investments in Ontario’s hospitals to ensure families can access the critical care they need, right in their community,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By investing in the redevelopment of St. Joseph’s Special Care Nursery, we are not just expanding a facility, we are giving families in the Hamilton region comfort and hope during a critical time, knowing their newborn, our tiniest patients, are receiving the highest quality of care, where and when they need it.”
Through this redevelopment, the current Special Care Nursery will be renovated to create a larger and more comfortable space to ensure newborns and their families have better access to specialized neonatal intensive care and family-centered birthing supports, including:
- Enhanced infection prevention and control measures to ensure the health and safety of critically ill newborns
- More private rooms to address privacy concerns and create lower stimulus environments for newborn patients
- Capability to accommodate state-of-the art design standards which provide more space for specialized care
- A designated room to store pumped or donated milk
- Other supports tailored to the early developmental needs of infants including respiratory treatments, lactation and nutrition supports
As a next step, the ministry is working with St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton to complete early planning and design for this project. A construction schedule will be confirmed once future planning is complete and a project contract is tendered and awarded.
The Special Care Nursery at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton provides neonatal intensive care to infants and their families in southwestern Ontario, including Hamilton, Brant, Niagara, Haldimand, Halton, and surrounding regions.
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, Ontario is making it easier and faster for people of all ages to connect to the care they need, where and when they need it.