Huron Expositor, 2016-03-30, Page 1010 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Expansion for the BAFHT clinic
Valerie Gillies
Postmedia Network
The Bluewater and Area
Family Health Team
(BAFHT) held a public
meeting at the Zurich
Community Centre on
March 10 to present the
plans for the expansion of
the BAFHT clinic located
at 43 Main Street, Zurich.
Construction is set to
begin April 4, 2016.
Steve Haberer, Co-
chairman of the Building
Committee welcomed
everyone and expressed
his appreciation at seeing
so many members of the
board, members of the
health team and the pub-
lic in attendance.
Haberer stated that it
was ten years ago that the
community had held a
similar meeting to raise
the $200,000 to build the
existing Bluewater clinic
to service the community
in health care. He added,
"Tonight we want to com-
plete the clinic and have
come back to the commu-
nity asking for $600,000
for expansion."
The Bluewater clinic is
community -sponsored
which means that it is
owned by the community,
not the government, doc-
tors, province or anyone
else. The only funding that
is received to run it is
Ministry of Health and
Long -Term Care (MOH)
funding and what is raised
by the community. The
board of the facility asked
the MOH to evaluate the
current clinic in accord-
ance with the area and
population that it serves.
The MOH agreed that it is
undersized and agreed to
give BAFHT $1.5 million
for expansion.
Haberer indicated that
the Mayor of Bluewater,
council and staff have
been very helpful in many
ways, not only financially,
but with advice and in
facilitating the paperwork
involved. Many architec-
tural and design teams
were interviewed, but
Brad Skinner of Skinner
and Skinner Architects
and Nadia Kuhni of
Design Matrix stood out
above the rest.
Mayor Hessel spoke
next beginning with, "It
takes a community to
build a community." He
pointed out that the clinic
expansion is a regional
project, not just a Zurich
or Bluewater one. Being a
community -sponsored
clinic it has an organic
approach. Completion of
the expansion will put
Zurich on a new page as
the hub of Bluewater for
health care.
Brad Skinner has
designed many buildings
in the area, including the
library which is across the
road from the clinic. Skin-
ner stated, "This is a spe-
cial project as it is across
from a library that I
designed which makes me
proud. It is an exciting
project." Skinner
remarked that most would
have decided to just tear
down the existing clinic
and start from scratch.
However, it was decided in
Bluewater's case to take
the sustainable approach
which maintains the exist-
ing building. This
approach provides both
challenges and opportuni-
ties. Skinner took into
account what could be
worked with without hav-
ing the old and new facili-
ties fighting, therefore
transforming it into "one
nice new building':
As nature and healing
go together, it was decided
to have the new building
react to natural light and
nature. There are windows
everywhere around the
perimeter to give each
room natural light, as well
as several skylights for
other areas. Skinner
worked with a landscape
architect and the interior
designer to achieve flow
right from the beginning
of the planning stage.
It will take a year to
complete the expansion as
it will be accomplished in
two phases. First, the new
addition will
be completed while the
existing clinic continues
to operate. In the second
phase, everything in the
existing clinic will be relo-
cated to the new addition
to enable the repairs and
renovations to be done to
the existing building.
Nadia Kuhni expressed
her excitement at being
invited to join the design
team. Her specialty is
designing health care
facilities. She explained
that the new BAFHT clinic
"is designed to be people -
centred, patient -centred
and community -centred.
Therefore it is a wellness
centre that addresses
emotional and physical
health and also includes a
community room for
classes?'
Kuhni stated that the
design for the clinic "has
taken a leap from usual
health centres as there are
family exam rooms for all
ages and the privacy
aspect has been addressed
in many areas such as
exam rooms, the waiting
room and reception area."
Attention to soundproof-
ing, flow and the use of
designated areas are key
components of the design.
The materials used were
chosen to be pleasant and
not to look institutional
and sterile.
Dr. Josephson, lead phy-
sician of the Family Health
Team, stated that the goal
of the team in providing
primary care is to have
medical care delivered
with the patients and the
community coming first. It
is a team -based approach.
Currently there are three
physicians, with a fourth
to be recruited for later
this year. There is a Nurse
Practitioner, Physician
Assistant, Registered
Nurse, Social Worker, a
casual Registered Nurse
Practitioner and the extra
staff needed to help at the
front desk, which is criti-
cal to the function of the
clinic. Once the expansion
is completed the MOH has
approved funding to add a
dietician, a mental health
worker and a health
promoter.
Josephson indicated that
the staff is excited to be
able to expand and add ser-
vices and programs to the
existing ones. The goal is to
attract more specialists and
programs to give the sur-
rounding communities
"access to quality medical
care today and into the
future."
Ric Grise, Chairman of
the Building Committee
indicated that the commit-
tee had contacted and
interviewed five to six
design firms. He stated "It
is true that the cream con-
tinues to rise to the top."
This is how it was with
Skinner and Kuhni. Skinner
assisted the committee
with advice and with
choosing and interviewing
the contractors. A call for
tenders resulted in K & L
Construction of London
being awarded the con-
tract. K & L has assured the
Building Committee that,
as they are doing their con-
struction work, they will do
their best to minimize
noise, debris and dust.
Bill Archibald, Chairman
of the Finance Committee,
advised that the MOH has
granted $1.48 million with
90 percent to be available
to begin expansion and the
remaining ten percent
upon completion of the
project. Archibald indi-
cated that the committee
"wanted to do it right and
allow for future growth"
which is why they are now
asking the community for
just over $600 thousand.
This will allow adding an
extra 1,300 square feet
above the recommenda-
tions of the MOH. It will
also need to cover furni-
ture, fixtures and equip-
ment which is not funded
by the MOH, therefore will
need to be covered by the
community. This should
give a cushion for the inevi-
table cost overruns, includ-
ing already discovering that
there are sewers under the
parking lot that must be
moved to begin
construction.
In the discussion period
which followed, the main
concerns were for parking
spaces and accessibility.
The municipal bylaws do
not require extra parking
for the clinic as it is in the
downtown core and
requires only one desig-
nated handicapped park-
ing spot. The plans are to
include three handi-
capped spaces plus a drop
off area along the front of
the building. A parking
area at the back will be
used for staff parking. All
other parking will be
street parking along the
side street and across the
main road. Concerns were
raised about the dangers
of patients having to cross
the road with the known
heavy and often speedy
traffic on the main street.
Huron County is looking
into installing a pedes-
trian crosswalk with a
lighted sign above to
address this issue within
the coming year. It will be
the same type as the one
installed in Exeter near
the Royal Bank.
When asked if it had
been considered to create
more parking by building
the clinic upward instead
of on one floor, it was
explained that the parking
was probably the most
discussed issue in the
planning stage. In looking
into building up to a sec-
ond story or building
down into a basement it
was determined that the
space required to install
elevators and stairs would
greatly reduce the amount
of extra usable space per
floor, as well as interrupt-
ing the flow of staff and
patients. The clinic is
much more efficient and
accessible being on one
level.
The committee was then
asked if the green space
beside the new clinic
could be turned into park-
ing. It was advised that the
municipality does not own
that property as the prop-
erty line is 25 feet from the
road on that side. It is
hoped that the property
can be purchased in the
future, but more likely
would be considered to
allow for expansion of the
building as needed, rather
than parking.
A pharmacy will not be
included in the clinic due
to the space and money
that would be required to
create one. The MOH
turned down funding to
create a pharmacy.
Archibald concluded
the meeting by assuring
those in attendance, "The
Board does not take the
request for funding
lightly." There are still
some families in the area
without a doctor. The
expansion will allow ser-
vicing approximately
1,000 more patients. The
clinic will act as a health
care hub, working
together with the popula-
tion of Grand Bend and
other neighbouring com-
munities as well as the
area hospitals. When
asked if there is an actual
catchment area to be
served, it was explained
that the clinic would be
available to all who did
not have a doctor or who
needed care. No one
would be turned away due
to where they live. This
was specified as the appli-
cation for the grant to
MOH that the clinic with
be a regional facility.
The donation levels
were explained to those
present and the invitation
was extended for people
to begin donating that
night. They were also
invited to ask questions of
anyone involved during a
casual social time after the
formal meeting.
To make a donation or
for more information
about the BAFHT expan-
sion project, visit the web-
site at www.bluewaterare-
afht.ca or email Ann
Brabender, Administrator,
BAFHT at annbafht@hay.
net or call 519-236-4413.
BAFHT is now a Canadian
recognized charity. A tax
receipt will be issued for
individual and corporate
donations.
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