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•T he IFP• H alton H ills, Thursday, O ctober 10, 2013 3 Our 14th Annual To book an Appointment, please call: 905-877-7958 or www.hassellautomotive.com As our thank-you to all of our great customers, regulars and new, please accept from us: 45 MOUNTAINV IEW RD. N . , GEORGETOWN AUTOMOTIVE SALES & SERVICE Change engine oil & �lter, lubricate (excluding synthetic) Rotate & balance tires as necessary Check all �uid levels Check brakes, steering, suspension, exhaust & fuel system Check vehicle for tune-up Scan computer for codes • • • • • • 12-pack of Pop • $5. Tim Horton's Jug of Windshield Washer Fluid Our 14th Annual A donor wall was unveiled in the soon- to-open new Emergency Department last Wednesday at Georgetown Hospital to recog- nize the financial support of those who have contributed to the redevelopment project. In just over two years, approximately $6 million of the $6.75-million goal has been raised within the Halton Hills community for the 14,000-square-foot expansion of hos- pital facilities, which will include both new construction and renovation to the Emer- gency and Diagnostic Imaging departments, as well as the addition of a Computed To- mography (CT) scanner. With $750,000 remaining to be raised un- til the end of the year, partners in the fund- raising campaign met last Wednesday to thank donors and provide an update on the progress of the redevelopment and to take a tour of the refurbished Emergency Depart- ment, which began treating its first patients yesterday (Wednesday). "This project could not have happened, I think, in any other community in Ontario," said John Oliver, CEO of Halton Healthcare Services. "There was no Ministry of Health fund- ing involved in this. It was done through the Georgetown Hospital Fund, the Foundation fund and through the Town of Halton Hills. That is an absolutely remarkable achieve- ment." More than 30,000 patients per year are treated at the Georgetown Hospital's Emer- gency Department and that number is ex- pected to increase by 12 per cent over the next five years. The expansion will provide 22 treatment spaces in the department, com- pared to the current accommodation for 11 patients. Previously, diagnostic imaging services were spread throughout the facility and were stretched past capacity, while hundreds of patients requiring a CT scanner were often transferred to HHS hospitals in Milton and Oakville. The CT scanner will be delivered the first week of November and officials ex- pect it to be in use by end of November. Thanks to the expansion, it's expected that shorter wait times will result, with diagnos- tic imaging and the CT scanner capabilities improved in the larger Emergency Depart- ment area. "It's a staggering amount of work that's gone into this place," said Dr. Justin Busse, chief physician of the Emergency Depart- ment, who awaited the go-ahead from Georgetown Hospital Chief Operating Offi- cer Cindy McDonell at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday about whether the move from the old emer- gency ward to the new space could proceed. "This is called a go/no-go decision and it all sounds so stressful. I haven't had the heart to tell Cindy that it doesn't matter what happens. If she says no-go, we're still going to open it. It doesn't matter if there's flash flooding or a hurricane, we'll be moving in (because) we're so excited about this." Hospital donors thanked for contributions By EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer Georgetown Hospital Foundation Chair Ken McDermot welcomed all to the opening of the new Emergency Department at Georgetown Hospital Wednesday evening. Here he unveils the donor wall. Photo by Ted Brown Director Terry Alyman said the cash-in- lieu received will be used to acquire more strategic properties for future parks. On the Halton Hills Dr. lands, beside the Civic Centre, Concept 2 is the preferred option. That's 41 bungalow townhouses, a 6-8 storey mid-rise building with 91 units, a one-acre park integrated with a pioneer cemetery and trail links. Jim D'Orazio of the D'Orazio Group of Companies, which recently bought the Hum- berstone property north of the Civic Centre, expressed his excitement for the plan. "We are all singing from the same song sheet," he said, adding he is looking for- ward to integrating his development with the Civic Centre surplus land concept. His development would include townhouses and possibly a mid-rise. He said his company was prepared to submit an application to the Town, but is now willing to proceed with a Com- prehensive Development Plan that would co-ordinate planning on the two proper- ties including the public spaces and infra- structure. The Town will retain the 1.5 acres front- ing on Maple Ave., said Alyman. The Town still has time before market- ing the property to protect their vision with zoning and official/secondary plan amend- ments since the Ministry of Environment will not confirm additional water capacity in Georgetown for possibly a year. Staff with Halton Hills Hydro, on the recommendation of Councillor Ann Law- lor, will look at the potential for a district energy system-- the centralization of the production of heating and cooling for a neighbourhood. Staff were asked to seek a new apprais- al for the former ambulance station land on Guelph St. and then sell it. Townhouses, apartments and parks part of development plans Continued from pg. 1 After nearly one year of construction, the new Emer- gency Department (ED) at Georgetown Hospital opened for 'business as usual' yester- day (Wednesday). The first patient was seen at 7 a.m. Planning for the move be- gan months ago and involved staff from almost every de- partment. At 14,000 sq. ft., the new ED will accommodate more than 32,000 annual visits. New features include a sepa- rate main entrance, enclosed individual treatment rooms, a specialized treatment room for infants and youngsters and a Rapid Assessment and Fast Track (RAFT) area for the treatment of lower acuity patients. "It's been a busy day so far and the response from every- one has been very positive," said Dr. Justin Busse, medical director of the Georgetown Hospital ED Wednesday. For a look at the new ED visit www.theifp.ca/photos/ Hospital's new-look ED opens