Better health care at Neepawa’s new hospital

With the completion of a new hospital in Neepawa, Canadians living in the region will have easier access to health care.

The province invested at least $127 million into the new facility, whose location will be announced later. The facility will serve patients from a broader geographical area requiring more specialized services, which will reduce the need to travel to larger centres like Brandon or Winnipeg.

The Neepawa Health Centre was announced on Dec. 10 and will improve the physical well-being of citizens and their mental health. The hospital will support the delivery of health care services to people who currently have to travel several hours to access health care.

Health and Seniors Care Minister Audrey Gordon said that the announcement is a part of the provincial government’s clinical and preventive services plan developed by clinical leaders and experts from across the province. The plan looked at population growth, health needs, the distance to specialized health services, and the liability of the province’s health workforce. This new facility will play an important role in the new province-wide clinical network that will deliver care to Manitobans through geographically arranged, integrated care.

“This significant investment reflects our government’s strong commitment to meeting the evolving health needs of residents from across the Westman region,” said Gordon. “The new hospital will provide a newer, more modern space for residents of Neepawa and surrounding communities as well as additional care options closer to home.”

As first announced in Budget 2021, Manitoba will invest $812 million to support 38 projects to build and expand healthcare facilities across all province’s health regions.

The new hospital will replace the existing Neepawa Health Centre, include at least 60 acute care inpatient beds, an expanded emergency department designed to best practice standards, including treatment and assessment rooms, a trauma room, a stretcher bay, and an ambulance bay. It also features enhanced space for several programs, such as surgery, diagnostics and palliative care, and various outpatient services, including dialysis and chemotherapy.

“The Neepawa Health Centre provides essential services for a growing population in Neepawa and the surrounding area. The area is supported by a group of physicians whose skills support the delivery of many important specialized services locally,” said Brian Schoonbaert, CEO at Prairie Mountain Health. “This investment and expanded physical space will allow for our services to grow alongside our population, continuing our region’s focus on providing high-quality, coordinated care in this part of the province.”

This new facility is expected to be at least twice the size of the current one. The construction is anticipated to be completed in 2025. Earlier on that same day, Premier Heather Stefanson announced a $5 million expansion and renovation of services at the Dauphin Regional Health Centre.

“Across the province, strategic investments in modern buildings, equipment and technology will support the delivery of many health services locally, improve access and wait times, and reduce the need for many patients to travel to Winnipeg for care,” said Stefanson. “By investing in the new Neepawa Hospital, our government is building a strong foundation for the future of health care in this region of our province, a future that will offer reliable, consistent and high-quality health services.”

For more information on Manitoba’s Clinical and Preventive Services Plan, visit https://sharedhealthmb.ca/wp-content/uploads/CPSP_Overview_NL.pdf.