Hospital merger getting ready to convince Ministry of Health

The merger between Grand River and St. Mary’s General hospitals has taken another important step.

Both hospital boards say they have both independently approved the legal and corporate due diligence process and have agreed to develop and submit a proposal for integration for the Ministry of Health.

The St. Joseph’s Health System Board of Directors also passed the motion and says they are supportive of the next step in the merger.

“Completing the due diligence phase marks a significant milestone in advancing our long partnership, signalling our entry into the next phase of our journey towards a new future as a single Hospital organization,” Tim Rollins, St. Mary’s Board Chair, said in a statement.

The next few weeks will see both St. Mary’s General and Grand River hospitals focusing on the business case to the Ministry of Health for the merger. This includes looking for community input on the new hospital’s brand identity with a survey, which is open until August 31.

The hospitals say over the next 10 years both sites will still be operational and will not impact patient care.

The location for the new hospital has been narrowed down to two sites and is expected to be announced in the fall.