The Hearthstone committee is expected to be wrapping up their business by the end of this year.
The committee charged with the mandate to collect $8 million for a new regional nursing home in Estevan has pretty well reached that target said Don Kindopp, chairman of the New Estevan Regional Nursing Home (ERNH) committee and administrative chairman for the Hearthstone group.
“We can wrap up business for one group, but the nursing home committee still has a lot of work to do yet,” said Kindopp, referring to the fact that a new long-term care home still has to receive a green light from the provincial Ministry of Health, which will be providing 80 per cent of the financing for the 72 to 100 bed nursing home that is expected to cost in the neighbourhood of $32 to $34 million, before furnishings.
“Our target was to raise the $8 million in five years. We got there in three,” Kindopp said, noting the impressive work carried out by committee chairman Vern Buck and a dedicated group of volunteers who went after the donor money in an organized and focused fashion. With nearly $200,000 realized within the past two weeks, the Hearthstone committee stated they were at the $7.9 million mark with a few promising directions they could go to finish the job within the next 30 days.
“The prospects are excellent, that’s all I can say now,” said Kindopp. “The New ERNH committee now takes over to explore the routes that can be taken to build a new regional nursing home in the city. There is the traditional method of going through Sun Country Health Region for a typical construction plan, or pursue a partnership option that could gain approval. Sun Country is on board and we’re number two on their priority list after a new hospital in Weyburn, or we could be number one in the region in terms of long term care facility building.”
Kindopp said the fact that the province is heading into an election year, will not be lost on the New ERNH committee and its lobbying efforts. He said getting the group work underway and getting the priorities set will be imperative for the local, regional and provincial governing bodies.
Projects could be combined to invoke efficiencies in design, preparation work and actual construction, Kindopp added.
“We know the community is definitely behind this project. We now need to be advocates for it. We have to keep the media informed as we go, we have to keep in contact with Sun Country and the ministry to let them know we’re ready,” he said.
Kindopp said the original feasibility study indicated the new nursing home would best fit into the local picture if it were build close to St. Joseph’s Hospital on property already owned by the hospital. That would provide the most efficient and convenient ongoing course of care with the new home becoming even more valuable for extended services in an unobtrusive way.
“It could be built on a separate campus, but linked to the hospital to gain efficiencies in utilities, staff movement and services,” Kindopp said. “A long term care wing, palliative care services on a ground floor , managed under one roof and attached to the acute care services, should be efficient and effective.”
“We’re ready to celebrate the achievement of our fundraising goal of $8 million with the community, Sun Country Health Region and the Ministry of Health.” The chairman said, however, “we expect to keep the pressure on them too while maintaining a friendship. We’ll do this together, but it has to be done,” Kindopp said.
