Rebuilt Niagara Region hospital opens to patients Sunday

The new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital will open its doors on Sunday. (Hamilton Health Sciences)

A newly rebuilt hospital in Grimsby, Ont., will open its doors to patients on Sunday.

Hamilton Health Sciences issued a news release on Tuesday, saying the new hospital, the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, will open its emergency department to the public on Sunday at 7 a.m.

Inpatients will be transferred to the new hospital, located between Niagara Falls and Hamilton, on Sunday, and visitors are being asked to not attend the hospital that day. All other services and programs will be available starting Monday.

The rebuilt West Lincoln Memorial Hospital is located next to the 76-year-old former facility, which was no longer able to meet the region’s demands. The new hospital is 80 per cent larger than the former, the news release stated.

“The new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital marks a new era of health care in West Niagara,” Tracey MacArthur, president and CEO of Hamilton Health Sciences, said in a news release.

“It raises the standard for high quality, sustainable and compassionate care close to home and is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together. On behalf of Hamilton Health Sciences, thank you to all levels of government, our partners, staff, physicians and the people of West Niagara for your trust and investment.”

West Lincoln Memorial Hospital now has 55 inpatient beds, six maternal/newborn suites and eight bassinets, expanded surgical capacity, an expanded emergency department, an indoor ambulance bay, an Indigenous healing space and an inpatient dining room and outdoor terrace, the news release stated.

It said the hospital will be the first in Canada to have all single-inpatient rooms, calling that the “gold standard for infection control, privacy, and comfort.”

Work to decommission the old hospital, install parking and complete landscaping will start early next year, the news release stated. The facility’s construction first started in 2022.

Last week, Hamilton Health Sciences leaders met with politicians, including Premier Doug Ford, to celebrate the upcoming opening.

“With a 24/7 ER, expanded capacity and state-of-the-art equipment, the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital is a game-changer for the people of West Niagara, giving families peace of mind knowing that world-class health care is available close to home,” Ford said in a news release issued by the province last week.

“Our government will continue making historic investments in health care across the province to ensure families can access the services they need, when and where they need them.”