NHH inviting community input on Master Plan – Register now for first public forum on Thursday, November 27
Northumberland Hills Hospital announced today the launch of the first of three public forums seeking community input into the hospital’s future as part of the NHH Master Plan – Growing Care for the Future. These public sessions will take place on Zoom as part of an overall community engagement plan.
“This really is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to provide input into the hospital’s future,” says Susan Walsh, President and CEO. “Between now and March we will be taking this conversation into all corners of our community. From 1:1 conversations with our Master Planning Steering Committee members, to group discussions at community partner tables, online forums and surveys, there will be many ways to get involved. Thank you for your interest in NHH’s Master Planning efforts. As with all things NHH, we will be stronger by planning and working together.”
NHH is engaging in a master planning process, in part to meet the population surge and the resulting need for healthcare services in Northumberland County and surrounding area. Population projections for Northumberland County indicate growth of at least 22 per cent over the next twenty years alone, a figure that will no doubt increase if projects like the proposed nuclear generation facility at Wesleyville move forward.
At the same time as NHH’s community is growing, it is also aging, resulting in more and increasingly complex acute care needs. More than 75 per cent of hospital inpatient days are attributed to patients 65 and over. With Northumberland County’s 65+ cohort predicted to grow to 34.5 per cent by 2036, local needs are rising rapidly and expected to rise more as time goes on.
While a number of key growth projects are already underway at NHH to meet this growth, including the construction of a fourth operating room, replacement of critical diagnostic imaging equipment and an upgrade to critical supporting services like Pharmacy and Medical Device Reprocessing, the hospital is on a journey to create a new Master Plan. Guided by input from staff, physicians, patients, caregivers, volunteers and community partners, an overarching roadmap for future growth and the necessary government approval is under way and we are ready to invite your input.
What is a master plan and why does NHH need one?
Mandated by Ontario’s Ministry of Health, hospital master planning looks at the current state and functionality of services and facilities in comparison with anticipated needs.
While a strategic plan guides near-term priorities, a master plan looks much farther in the future to provide a long-term redevelopment roadmap for future growth over the next 20 to 30 years, and beyond.
NHH’s Master Plan will:
- build on the current strengths of NHH;
- consider the new opportunities and needs identified during visioning exercises and community consultation;
- address current and anticipated government direction regarding hospital service sustainability;
- position NHH for the necessary Ministry approval and support to advance future growth;
- define NHH’s role as a strong medium-sized hospital within the system;
- identify how NHH can be an environmental steward by creating a sustainably accountable organization;
- leverage innovation and technology to better enable care for generations to come; and
- inform NHH’s next strategic plan.
Who will be involved in the Master Planning process?
Ideally, everyone with an interest in NHH.
For the first portion of this work (May through October 2025), attention has focused on internal interest holders. Our Master Planning Steering Committee, co-chaired by NHH’s President and CEO and Board Chair, and comprising NHH staff, physicians, patients, caregivers, and volunteers, have been gathering insights, conducting internal evaluations, participating in focus group sessions, and exploring possibilities. This work has been supported by experts in planning, architecture, and health system data.
The next phase of consultation will look beyond NHH, inviting community partners and members of the public—through a mix of 1:1 conversations, special master planning meetings, generative discussions, public forums, and an online and in-hospital survey—to ask questions, validate the early themes we are seeing and share input into the vision for the future of NHH.
How long will the Master Planning process take?
Launched in May 2025, NHH Master Planning - Growing Care for the Future, is expected to take approximately 12 months to complete. It will conclude in May 2026 with a formal submission to the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health regarding the proposed long-term program and facility requirements of NHH.
Why is community input important?
The communities we serve are partners in this long-term planning process.
By co-designing our next Master Plan with our community, we will produce a plan we can all be proud of. Our aim is a Master Plan thoughtfully designed to meet the needs of future generations and carry forward the time, effort and investment that those before us put into the hospital we enjoy today.
When will the needs identified take shape?
Constructing new healthcare spaces is a complex process with multiple stages of planning and approvals that can many years to complete. The plans and ideas we will generate in this stage of our Master Planning process are conceptual – they will evolve as we collaborate with partners and government and updates will be shared as this work moves forward.
For more information, including registration links to the first three public forum sessions, please visit:
NHH Master Planning - Growing Care for the Future