St. Marys, Ontario | Canada
Temporary negative pressure room system | St. Marys Memorial Hospital, Ontario

— Stories: What is That Structure?! —

What is That Structure?!

As 2021 ends and we head into the new year, the St. Marys Healthcare Foundation would like to say thank you! Thank you for all of your support and generosity over the years. We know times have been tough, especially with the pandemic but we can and we will get through it together.

Some of you may have noticed the large box structure attached to the front of the St. Marys Memorial Hospital. Since the COVID-19 pandemic first began, there was a Provincial requirement that each hospital needed a certain amount of negative pressure rooms for COVID-positive individuals. This meant that individuals that tested positive for COVID could be quarantined in the hospital, while keeping the staff, volunteers, visitors and other patients safe. In order to meet the requirements, HPHA had to convert some patient rooms into negative pressure rooms, which would then need to be fitted with the proper equipment. At St. Marys Memorial Hospital the required equipment was added to the outside of the building, to not take up required space in the room.

Since the construction for the negative pressure room had to happen quickly and was only going to be a temporary structure it is not the nicest looking. However, when the construction for the Here For You Today, Building For Tomorrow construction starts summer 2022, the structure will be removed!