-----Original Message-----
From: Anne Byerley <
Sent: Friday, November 6, 2020 10:05 AM
To: clerks <clerks@citywindsor.ca>
Subject: Present in person Nov 9 at council - support for Hospital System

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My name is Rae-Anne Byerley. I wish to attend and speak in support of the proposed notice of motion regarding the Hospital - listed for the Nov 9 Council meeting.

I am a former nurse who had the privilege of working in a “State of the Art” hospital. I can speak first hand as a front line worker. My parents also required hospital care in both regular and critical care settings within our existing obsolete hospitals here in Windsor. So I am drawing from my experience on both fronts.

Our current aged and crammed hospitals cannot provide us with optimal care and health services. FULL STOP! There is no room for further improvements or growth. Decades of endless renovations and repairs can no longer improve or even maintain our current hospital infrastructure requirements.

This pandemic should be a wake up call to the absolute limits and ineffective - and - potentially unsafe infection control measures that our hospital can maximally or optimally provide.

Patient room and hallway sizes alone are so small and cluttered. Not only does this contribute to fire and safety hazards - but the lack of physical space prevents adequate and efficient placement of vital infection control stations such as sinks for hand washing and PPE supply storage and waste receptacles.

This should be easily accessible to all healthcare providers before entering patient rooms. Plus not enough private rooms to isolate infected or immune compromised patients.

This is not exclusive to pandemics. Hospital acquired and transmission of infection is a common problem in hospitals everywhere. Structural layouts and limited physical space contribute greatly to this problem.

Not to mention valuable resources and time required to prepare patients to be transported to various hospital departments via stretcher or wheelchair (ie: surgery, diagnostic testing).

This usually requires moving equipment, furniture, and - the other patient sharing the same room - in order to get the stretcher in and out of the room.

This frequent and time consuming process often requires more than one person - which can significantly limit valuable quality care and time overall.

There are endless reasons why lack of space in the hospital environment can contribute to diminished or poor outcomes of care - and satisfaction levels by both patient and their families - and health care providers.

A new “state of the art” acute care hospital is desperately needed - if we want optimal health care in this city and region. We deserve no less.

An acute care hospital that provides ALL on site - and up-to-date medical, surgical, emergency, critical care, diagnostic testing and interventional care, pharmacy services, etc - and a helicopter pad is essential. Also - numerous patient private rooms, ample space throughout - along with designated