The research community in the Windsor area is reaching out to participate in the planning for the proposed Acute Care Hospital.
While the $2-billion hospital complex is still close to a decade away, researchers from the University of Windsor and several other institutions met with the hospital steering committee.
About 50 people gathered at the Fogolar Furlan Club to do what was billed as a "visioning" exercise.
University of Windsor Vice President of Research and Innovation, Dr. Michael Siu says it could include a wide variety of research areas. "To build on areas of importance due to the region, so its not just a single minded focus, people talk about cancer research, obviously it is a strength but cancer is not the only disease that will impact our lives so we have to branch out and look at other possibilities as well," says Siu.
University of Windsor cancer researcher Dr. Lisa Porter says it's critical to get this aspect of the hospital included in the planning at this stage. She says "one of the biggest things is to create a vision for how we're going to move forward with research and education, health research and education in our community. With the development of the new hospital system this is a perfect time because it needs to be incorporated in the whole vision."
Windsor Regional Hospital President and CEO David Musyj says it's key to the planning process to have this element included early on, because the current facilities are not well designed for research.