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St. Joseph’s Health Centre of Sudbury

 

St. Joseph’s Health Centre of Sudbury (SJHC) won a Community Builders Award in 2016,

 

St. Joseph’s Health Centre of Sudbury (SJHC) is the parent corporation of three health care facilities: St. Joseph’s Villa and St. Joseph’s Continuing Care Centre in Sudbury and Villa St. Gabriel Villa in Chelmsford and oversees 320 beds and 500 employees.

The Sudbury General Hospital was established in 1950 by the Sisters of St. Joseph as an acute care hospital. When the hospital was closed through the restructuring that created a one-hospital site in Sudbury, it presented an opportunity for St. Joseph’s Health Centre and its board of directors to renew the Centre’s mission, vision, and focus and to identify and respond to unmet health service needs in the area.

“One outcome of the restructuring and renewal process,” explains SJHC president and CEO, Jo-Anne Palkovits, “was  we were mandated by the provincial government to provide non-acute continuing care, rehabilitative care, and palliative care. Another was that we added long-term care to our services.”

“Our property on South Bay Rd.,” explains Palkovits, “is a 28.4-acre parcel of land leased from Laurentian University.  I am pleased to say our plan to build a ‘Village of Care’ is well on its way.”

St. Joseph’s Villa opened in 2003. Located on a beautiful piece of the wooded property, the Villa features 128 single-occupancy rooms for long-term care residents in four neighbourhoods, one of which caters to dementia and Alzheimer’s residents.

St. Joseph’s Continuing Care Centre (64 beds) opened in 2009, becoming northeastern Ontario’s only stand-alone continuing- care hospital. Its focus is to provide specialized care and services to adults requiring slow-paced rehabilitative and/or supportive care to maximize their functional potential. The goal is to work with these patients to transition them back to independent living in the community, whether that be home, a retirement residence, or an assisted-living environment.

Since 2009, more than 1,800 patients have transitioned through the Centre’s assess and restore and geriatric rehabilitation units.

“These are patients who may otherwise have been deemed Alternate Level of Care (ALC) and admitted to hospital or other care facilities, points out Palkovits, This is a remarkable achievement by any standard.”

Palkovits notes Maison Vale Hospice is a welcome addition to the Village of Care.

“The Hospice sits on land sub-leased from us and brings a critical element to the site.  We are pleased to support and partner with the Hospice to ensure the needs of our community are met.”

Villa St. Gabriel Villa in Chelmsford opened in 2011 on property donated by the Belanger family. It also features 128 single- occupancy rooms for long-term care residents in four neighbourhoods. Villa St. Gabriel Villa is designated bilingual under the French Language Services Act.

SJHC is supported by St. Joseph’s Foundation, a volunteer organization that has raised more than $2 million for items not covered by the province…items such as handi-buses and healing gardens. A major fundraising initiative hosted by the Foundation is its annual gala, which in 2016 is being held on Oct. 22.

Palkovits has been president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health Centre since 2003.

“It is a privilege to help lead and support such an outstanding organization and to be a partner with others in the community to meet the needs of residents,” she emphasizes.

“Our assess and restore and rehabilitative care programs and our reputation as long-term care providers are second to none. I compliment and thank our board and staff for their commitment to our organization and to those we serve.”

“Sudbury is so very fortunate to have St. Joseph’s Health Centre as part of its health care continuum,” says Linda Wilson, chair of the board of directors of St. Joseph’s Health Centre.

“So many in our community are in need of special attention, whether it be because of aging, injury or circumstance. While St. Joseph’s is no longer owned and operated by the Sisters, their philosophy of care remains the foundation of the Health Centre’s operation. This, combined with the pro-active and caring nature of the staff, bodes well for the community and for the  future of health care in the community.”

 

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