Transitional Care Centre will provide specialized services for the region

Providence Care has identified a gap in specialized services for aging, mental health and rehabilitation across the Southeast region of Ontario. As the region’s leading provider of these specialized care services, Providence Care is continuously looking at new and innovative ways to help enhance the quality of life for all people.

In partnership with Queen’s University, Providence Care is creating a 64 bed Providence Transitional Care Centre which will open at 340 Union Street, in the Gibson Wing of the former St. Mary’s of the Lake Hospital site.

“This is an innovative approach and something the Southeast region desperately needs to help care for individuals and their families,” explained Cathy Szabo, Providence Care President & CEO. “By opening Providence Transitional Care Centre, we’re working to ensure people have access to the care they need in their own region, when they need it.”

The centre aligns perfectly with their vision to redefine care in aging, mental health and rehabilitation, and will provide missing services to those in need, such as:

• Provide increased capacity to meet the needs of vulnerable, older adults and those living with dementia
• Reduce the use and length of stay in regional hospitals and allow better support for patient flow (right patient, right place, right time)
• Work closely with primary care partners in the new Ontario Health Team model, to provide older adults the care they need
• Enable older adults to age in their community by promoting and preserving wellness and functionality through  access to timely assessment, care navigation and care delivery
• Improve health outcomes and quality of life for patients and families

“Queen’s University is pleased to be able to partner with Providence Care and provide the space needed to allow them to develop new transitional care beds for the Kingston community and surrounding region,” said Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University. “This project will have a direct and positive impact in the provision of care to some of our region’s most vulnerable patients, and is an excellent example of how public institutions can work together to deliver positive results for our community.”

Queen’s University owns the building at 340 Union Street and will be leasing the Gibson Wing to Providence Care for the transitional care centre, according to a release from Providence Care, dated Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. Providence Care’s Redevelopment and Planning team is engaging consultants to begin the necessary work to restore the Gibson Wing for this new model of care. Construction is slated to begin as soon as possible, once details have been finalized, Providence Care says.

The university bought the former Saint Mary’s of the Lake Hospital site from Providence Care when it was offered for sale in 2017. Because of it’s location, it is seen as an ideal site for future campus development. According to Providence Care, the university is utilizing some of the existing buildings for the near-term, and was approached by Providence Care and the provincial government to lease unallocated space in another of its existing buildings for a fixed term to respond to immediate community needs.

Providence Care says they’re still in the early days of planning, but more information on the Providence Transitional Care Centre, including construction timelines and opening, will be released soon.

About Providence Care:
Providence Care is Southeastern Ontario’s leading provider of specialized care in aging, mental health and rehabilitation. The organization operates Providence Care Hospital, long-term care home Providence Manor and more than 20 community-based rehabilitation and mental health services across the region. To find out more about Providence Care, visit ProvidenceCare.ca.