Lakeridge Health is proud to announce the official opening of the interim helipad in Bowmanville, a key milestone in the ongoing efforts to enhance health care for Durham Region.
For over 30 years, Bowmanville Hospital’s helipad was used to transfer critically ill patients to other acute care facilities. After it was closed in 2018 due to safety concerns, Lakeridge Health worked closely with Ornge, and various municipal, regional, provincial and federal partners to secure a new location, funding, and obtain the necessary approvals for an interim helipad for Bowmanville.
The Municipality of Clarington generously provided Lakeridge Health with access to its property at 1150 Haines Street for the interim helipad located less than five minutes away from the Bowmanville Hospital. This site has undergone comprehensive feasibility assessments and after successfully passing various rigorous safety tests, Transport Canada officially certified the site.
The opening of the interim helipad marks another significant milestone in Lakeridge Health’s mission to enhance patient care and ensure that the integrated, regional system of care meets the evolving needs of the people of Durham Region. This interim helipad will support emergency air transportation until the permanent rooftop helipad is completed, a key component of the Bowmanville Hospital redevelopment plan.
The redeveloped hospital will usher in a new era of health care in the Durham Region, featuring expanded critical care services, state-of-the-art facilities like an Ambulatory Care Centre and a Haemodialysis Centre, and a doubling of the hospital's size.
The interim helipad is one of many recent achievements in this redevelopment journey. Last month, the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was issued to identify project teams with the expertise and capacity to design, construct, and finance this transformative project.
Lakeridge Health is excited to share this significant achievement with the community at a future event. Please stay tuned for upcoming details.