A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER
WELCOME TO THE NEW New Groves hospital move went smoothly, all services now operational BY JAIME MYSLIK ABOYNE – On Aug. 9 at 6am the doors to the old Groves Memorial Community Hospital on Union Street in Fergus were closed and locked for the last time. Simultaneously the doors to the new Groves hospital on 131 Frederick Campbell St. in Aboyne opened to patients for the first time. “The thing that hit me the hardest was walking through our inpatient area and the chipped paint and the faded colours and the small rooms and sharing rooms sometimes with two other patients,” Groves CEO and president Stephen Street said of the old hospital. “In the morning that was the condition of our inpatients. “In the afternoon walking around visiting them [at the new site], seeing the smiles on their faces, their own private room, very bright windows, spacious areas, large bathrooms with showers, large TV for them, patient lift, they just were overjoyed with their new home.” However, the historical moment did not come easily. The new Groves hospital was more than a decade in the making and the Groves Hospital Foundation raised over
Dr. John Stickney, who has over 43 years of service with the hospital, had the honours of locking the ER doors at the old Groves location. $20 million dollars to make it a reality. Street said the hospital administration began moving into the new 158,000-square-foot Groves site at the Wellington Place campus a couple months ago, with administrative functions
moving first. “Early occupiers is what we deemed them,” he said. Their presence allowed the hospital staff to test some of the systems before the hospital was fully functioning with patients
and the public in attendance. Next, the health information department moved to the new hospital before the Aug. 3 civic holiday long weekend. At that point old patient records and charts moved over. The Tuesday after the long weekend is when the big moves began. “Each day a different service would be moving over and packing and unpacking and getting settled in and that allowed for a phased stabilization period for each of our services,” Street said. That left just the emergency and inpatients at the old hospital on Aug. 9 moving day. “We were staffing both facilities in parallel and by the time 6am hit, everyone was treated in the emerge department at the old Groves and our Dr. (John) Stickney who has over 43 years of service with the hospital locked the doors for the last ER shift,” Street said. “We had a number of extra staff and physicians in the system so that helped move patients through.” The hospital spent time advertising the news of the move so only individuals who really needed the emergency department were attending that weekend. The less continued on page 9 above photo by Greg Fess Photography
New Groves hospital photos by Keegan Taylor
Congratulations to the hospital administration, the board of directors of Groves, the foundation board, and the volunteers who, for almost two decades, did the fundraising and planning work to see this hospital through to completion. Thank you to everyone that has been involved with this project.
Michael Chong
“A brand new, state-of-the-art Groves Memorial Community Hospital, opening in 2020, Representing hope in these difficult days, Reminding us that a shadow, no matter how dark, Will always, in time, give way again to the light.” Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott - August 7th, 2020
Thank you to our community!
Member of Parliament, Wellington - Halton Hills Contact Ted Arnott: ted.arnottco@pc.ola.org 1-800-265.2366
2 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER | AUGUST 20, 2020
The History and Legacy of Groves Celebrating more than a century of service
Dr. A. Groves “Abraham Groves a truly great name in Canadian Medicine … first and foremost – A small town country doctor … his Greatest Legacy – Groves Memorial Community Hospital.” - History of Canadian Physicians
Excerpt from ‘Because of You’ - Printed 2014 for the Groves Memorial Community Hospital Foundation
In 1871, Dr. Abraham Groves began his medical practice in Fergus, Ontario. Back then, the closest hospital was in Toronto. There was not one trained nurse in all of Canada and no skilled assistants of any kind. Dr. Groves performed his early surgical work under very primitive conditions. The operating room was generally his patient’s kitchen; milk pans were used as catch basins, sea-sponges for wiping and horse hair (generally taken directly from Dr. Groves’ horse) for stitching up surgical wounds. Chloroform was the only anesthetic and it was typically administered from a bottle with a split cork onto a towel that was then inhaled by the patient. If a patient needed emergency surgery at night, a coal-oil lamp supplied the light, because electricity had not yet been invented. Little to nothing was known back then about bacteria; rubber gloves, sterilized gauze or absorbent cotton seemed like elements of a Jules Verne novel. However, Dr. Groves ignored the skepticism of all of his medical peers. He was a trailblazer - insisting on sterilizing all of his surgical instruments long
Fergus doctors developed anemia cure in 1927
before it became standard practice in hospitals. Dr. Groves performed the world’s first appendectomy on May 10, 1883 in a farmhouse in Fergus. He also pioneered a new model in the delivery of rural healthcare and was responsible for building the first community hospital in our town’s history - the front doors of Royal Alexandra Hospital opened in 1902. In 1932, after 60 years of service, Dr. Groves donated his hospital to the Town of Fergus. The Royal Alexandra served our community for 53 years before a major new hospital was built in 1955. The new hospital was respectfully renamed the Groves Memorial Community Hospital in honor of this medical and surgical innovator. Dr. Abraham Groves left a legacy of commitment and care when he donated the hospital to the Town of Fergus - the community he dedicated his life to serve. He knew health care was not only an immediate priority but one that would endure for generations. Seven decades later, his gift continues to serve our community and inspire the next generation of generosity.
The following is a re-print of a past column by former Advertiser columnist Stephen Thorning, who passed away on Feb. 23, 2015. Some text has been updated to reflect changes since the original publication and any images used may not be the same as those that accompanied the original publication. Some people seem to loom out of Wellington County’s history as characters larger than life. Dr. Abraham Groves of Fergus is one of them. There always seems to be something new to discover about these people. Recently I stumbled upon one of Dr. Groves’ last developments in his long career. Like many doctors of his generation, Dr. Groves dabbled in all sorts of business ventures. Some of these related to medicine, like his hospital. Others, such as his flour mill and his electrical plant, did not. Dr. Groves, over a career that spanned more than 60 years, always kept his feet firmly planted in medicine, even though other matters
occasionally diverted his attention. Unlike some doctors, old Abe Groves constantly studied medical journals and new texts. He eagerly embraced new methods until his retirement. Perhaps the best known of Dr. Groves’ innovations was his work with x-rays, both for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. His hospital installed one of the first x-ray machines in Ontario. In the 1920s two machines operated. Among other things, Dr. Groves used x-rays to cure various skin ailments. Less known is some work later in the 1920s, involving a treatment for anemia. In this case, he worked with his son, Dr. William A. Groves. After he graduated from medical school in 1904, young William practiced in Fergus for a couple of years, but then moved on to Stratford, London, Leamington and then Saskatchewan, where he had a civil service position. He enlisted in the medical corps during the First World War. In truth, William never wanted to be a doctor, and continued on page 3
For almost 120 years,
Groves Memorial Community Hospital has served our families in Centre Wellington. We are proud and excited to have a new home for our state-of-the-art hospital that will serve our community for many generations to come. Our community has always stepped up and actively supported our local hospital. Thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who graciously donated their time to the Groves Hospital Volunteer Association, to the Groves Foundation Members who take on massive fundraising initiatives, the board and staff of Groves Memorial Community Hospital and to all levels of Government who played an active role in making this new hospital a reality. On behalf of the Township of Centre Wellington Council,
congratulations!
Community is a powerful word.
Jennark Homes partners Clark McDaniel, Taylor McDaniel, and Jennifer Mochrie all live in Centre Wellington and are proud to be a part of this community. Amazing things can happen when a community comes together, and the new Groves Memorial Community Hospital is a testament to just that.
Congratulations to everyone who made this happen.
Inspired Living Dr. Groves Original practise
101 St. Andrew St. W., Suite 201 | Fergus, ON
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continued from page 2
did so only under extreme pressure from his father. He much preferred laboratory and research work. In Fergus, the two had quarreled frequently. Dr. Abraham Groves was always a difficult man to work for and with. He was never able to hold on to a partner, staff doctor, or x-ray technician for very long. In the early 1920s, Abe Groves began thinking about retirement. He wanted his son to return to Fergus to take over management of the hospital. William agreed reluctantly, and on the condition that he be able to set up a lab in the hospital. During the spring of 1927, the two men co-operated to develop a treatment for anemia. This consisted of an extract of raw beef liver, administered to patients in capsules. William did the bulk of the work in developing the new method. Abe immediately saw a commercial potential. He arranged for a supply to go to medical colleagues in the area, and he asked that they supply him with the results of the treatment. It is useful here to look at the history of the treatment of anemia. In 1875, an American doctor published an article on bone marrow irregularities in patients with anemia, but for the next half century, no one was able to discover what exactly caused these patients to stop producing a sufficient number of red blood cells to keep them healthy. In the early 1920s, three doctors and researchers associated with Brigham Hospital and Harvard University – William Murphy, George Minot and Homer Wright – developed a theory that the ailment was the result of a nutritional deficiency. Some work by a fourth researcher, George Whipple, reinforced their ideas. Whipple demonstrated that a diet rich
in liver stimulated the production of red corpuscles in dogs. In 1925, Minot and Murphy began to recommend that their anemia patients eat a diet rich in liver, and raw liver if possible. The vast majority of the medical profession scoffed. They could not believe that a problem that had frustrated the
“Hospitals should be looked upon primarily as centres from which should emanate never-ending streams of knowledge regarding the prevention of the disease ...”
- Dr. Abraham Groves profession for so long could have such a simple answer. Nevertheless, Murphy and Minot delivered a paper at the 1926 meeting of the Association of American Physicians, and it was printed in the August 1926 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Dr. W. A. Groves read this article with much interest. He had been dabbling with the same problem for years in his lab. He
A cause for
Wellington Dufferin is ong-time local insight
Celebration
followed the Boston method for several months. By the end of 1926, Murphy and Minot had successfully treated 45 patients with their liver diet. There were obvious problems. Most people hate liver, and many cringe at the mere thought of eating raw liver. And the diet required a lot of liver – at least a half pound per day. The Boston doctors needed to feed their patients through a stomach tube.
- Dr. William Groves
son of Dr. Abraham Groves The capsules developed by William and Abraham Groves neatly dealt with this problem. Their extract reduced the amount necessary to only an ounce or two daily, a quantity that could be taken palatably with a handful of capsules. They began treating their Fergus patients with their capsules in March 1927, and achieved results equal to those reported from Boston. Dr. William Groves carefully tracked the blood tests and red corpuscle counts in the hospital lab. Dr. Abe Groves, meanwhile, tried to interest other doctors in the method and to publicize the work. Unfortunately, two developments frustrated the work in Fergus. First, Abe Groves and his son began squabbling
again, and they never managed to set up a proper trial for their capsules or to publish anything on their method. Consequently, the Groves capsules never went into commercial production, as Dr. Abraham Groves had hoped. Meanwhile, events elsewhere overtook them. Elwin Cohn, a biochemist at Harvard, developed a concentrated extract of liver that proved to be effective in capsule form. After suitable trials, Eli Lilly secured the licence for commercial production in 1929. Another researcher identified the “intensive factor” that made liver a useful treatment. This soon received a permanent name, Vitamin B12. Two years later, researchers working with Murphy, Minot and Wright developed a highly effective injection of Vitamin B12 that became the standard method of treating anemia. The 1927 anemia cure tantalized Dr. Abraham Groves with a last grasp at fame and fortune. His work and that of his son was remarkable for a small country hospital. They had kept pace with the much better funded and equipped work in Boston. In the end, though, they did not have the resources necessary for modern medical research, or the pool of specialized scientists as their colleagues. William and Abraham Groves endured a stormy relationship for the rest of their lives. In the end, Abe Groves decided to give the hospital to Fergus in 1932, rather than leave its management to his son. He died in May 1935. His ill-starred son committed suicide five months later, at the age of 58. The Boston doctors and researchers ultimately achieved fame and recognition for their work. Three of them, Murphy, Minot and Whipple, received the 1934 Nobel Prize in Medicine for their treatment of anemia.
Wellington Terrace welcomes our new neighbours…
To all involved in planning, building, contributing, and donating their time...
Congratulations you deserve it.
Wishing you all the best in your new facility!
0342 Gerrie Road, Elora 519.846.5315 450 Speedvale Ave. W. Unit 113, Guelph 519.822.7670
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! g n i z a Am We couldn’t be more proud to live in a community with such hardworking and dedicated individuals. Congratulations to Groves Memorial Community Hospital on the opening of your state-of-the-art facility.
C ON GRAT UL A TIONS
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Greg McCabe DEALER PRINCIPAL
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Congratulations! A toast and cheers to the official opening of the Groves Hospital.
from the Keating family
Congratulations ON THE GRAND OPENING OF GROVES MEMORIAL HOSPITAL!
Wellington County patients and residents will benefit from expanded and modernized service delivery.
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HEALING GARDENS
GRAS is proud to help Groves
grow! The Grand River Agricultural Society (GRAS) was thrilled to be an early contributor to the New Groves Hospital with a pledge of $250,000 towards the capital campaign back in 2017. The donation sponsored the naming of the Healing Garden, which was a perfect fit as GRAS strives to support and provide facilities in the community intended to enrich rural life.
AUGUST 20, 2020 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER | 9
The old emergency room closes, as new hospital opens continued from page 1 urgent cases were encouraged to wait to attend at the new hospital. The move was especially difficult at this time with the global COVID-19 pandemic. “Our staff and physicians worked extremely hard providing a COVID response but also preparing the building for occupancy and they knew how important it was and we were very lucky that we found the low right when we had scheduled our move,” he said. “If we were experiencing the same volume of COVID suspect patients as we were in April and May it would have been a different move. “But we were fortunate that we have so few cases in our community right now.” However, Street did say that they took the same precautions they would have if the COVID-19 cases had been prevalent. “As the transfers were happening with patients we had a team of our support service attendants that were cleaning down every piece of equipment involved in the transfer just to take every precaution,” he said. “So that didn’t change but I think the planning took a new level of intensity because we were in COVID and I would just say I’m extremely proud of what the team was able to accomplish.” About 28 inpatients were moved to the new hospital between 7am and noon on Aug. 9. “Patients had breakfast at the old site and lunch at the new site,”
Street said. And the move went off without a hitch. “Hundreds of hours went into planning and the logistics around every aspect of the move, supplies and equipment and patients and staff, people have gone over many, many times,” he said. “It was the smoothest move I’ve ever been involved in.” Patients were also pleased with the move. “We’ve done lots of rounding with the patients and they are thrilled with the space, with the environment,” said patient care manager Heather Reid about a week after the hospital opened. She added that some of the benefits of the new hospital for patients is the increased number of private rooms, the windows in each patient room showing the rural landscape, individual room temperature control and technology equipped rooms. With the new space, also comes the ability to offer more capacity in services that were reduced due to COVID-19. The additional space has allowed for more ambulatory and diagnostic services to meet the demands of the community, while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines and within the first week emergency volumes reached the levels seen before the move at the old Groves. “We’ve had busy days because we’ve had a number of acute cases,” Street said. “But overall
our numbers are where we expect them to be.” Another feature of the new site is better infection control measures that were not available at the old
the current world climate, these infection control measures were always going to be part of the new hospital. “Infection control practices in
The Last Call - photo by Greg Fess Photography
site. Something that’s especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures include: - individual patient washrooms; - unique equipment for each treatment area, which reduces the transfer of any ailment through things like infusion pumps and vital signs measures; and - an increased number of sinks throughout the facility to promote hand washing amongst staff and physicians. “Our goal is that hospital acquired infections will drop substantially,” Street said. While beneficial in light of
hospital are always at that level that allow you to respond to things like COVID,” Street said. “So we are just reinforcing the measures that staff need, all the precautions that staff and physicians need to have in place every day. “It just gets more elevated in times like this.” A week into the new hospital being open, Street said that every service is operational. The first baby was born in the early morning of Aug. 10 and the first surgical procedure, related to the ear, nose and throat, was performed on Aug. 11.
helping communities meet the challenges of
“It’s Been a Team Effort!”
GROWTH & CHANGE
Congratulations
to Groves Memorial Community Hospital on the grand opening of a beautiful new facility
Reid said some parents of babies delivered at the new hospital said they were hoping labour would wait until the new hospital was open. However, the staff is still working out some kinks that are “small things in the grand scheme of things,” Street said. There were some technology issues where systems weren’t doing what they should have been and programming that needs to be fine-tuned. The same is true for the thermostat. Adjustments were required as staff realized that some areas of the hospital are cold and others are hot. The hospital also experienced some plumbing issues once it was used full scale for long periods of time. “We have extra staff on, and our technology department, they’re working 24/7,” Street said. “Our professional practice leads are working 24/7 to support our front line nurses with the new technology and the new systems. “And our maintenance staff are here to deal with any programming issue because we’ve had a lot of security systems and the mechanical issues.” He said the hospital is still keeping focused on things that may be unexpected. “So our teams are really focused on making this experience great for our patients and so far they’ve exceeded everyone’s expectations,” he said. “So they’ve done a great job.”
The New Groves Memorial Community Hospital is something special all of us can be proud of! As one of the many sponsors, and along with the community, we are extremely happy to see this modern state-of-the-art facility come to fruition. Our entire community can be thrilled about this greatly needed and completed endeavor. We are thankful for the part we have played in this significant and important project and we have enjoyed helping Groves move forward.
on your new facility!
WELLINGTON ADVERTISER THE
FREE PRESS ~ NEWS WEEKLY™
900 Tower St. S., Fergus 519.787.2025 | gianttiger.com
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Hospital foundation raised $20 million for new hospital BY JOANNE SHUTTLEWORTH CENTRE WELLINGTON – Even after the Ministry of Health agreed to fund a new Groves hospital, the community had to come up with 10 per cent of the cost of the building and all of the cost of equipping the hospital. How that happened is a tale unto itself. The story begins some 20 years ago, when the community was originally asking the province to redevelop the existing Groves Memorial Community Hospital. “The government said they’d do it if the community could raise half of the money,” said Bob Cameron, one of the founding members of the Groves Hospital Foundation, which formed in 2002. “So we formed the foundation and set a goal to raise $15 million.” By the time that money was raised, the government had changed, the Ministry of Health was open to building a new hospital instead of redeveloping the old one, but it needed the community
to raise 10% of the building cost and all of the cost to equip the hospital. The foundation set a new target of $20 million and started to re-mobilize. “That turned out to be a turning point,” Cameron said. “A brand new hospital was more than anyone expected. And I don’t believe the government would have approved it if we didn’t already have so much money in the bank.” “Seven million dollars had been raised from the redevelopment campaign,” agreed Lori Arsenault, who became executive director of the foundation in 2015. “And that was really important. Without it, we were not certain at all that we’d get approval from the ministry for a new hospital. But the community had demonstrated the commitment and the ministry OK’d the new hospital.” John Wheatley was part of the early drive to raise $1 million for the original Redevelopment Campaign.
After some doorknocking, where residents might give one-time donations, he devised a plan to ask individuals to contribute $5 a month for
Wheatley said the Chamber of Commerce was instrumental in driving interest and donations from small businesses in the community.
“I always say the reason why the word ‘community’ is in the hospital’s name is because it truly is a community hospital and it took a community effort to have it built.” - Cindy Lindsay, Chair of the Groves Hospital Foundation
three years through a regular credit card payment. “The board was resistant to that idea at first,” he recalled. “But eventually they came around and allowed it. And it was very successful, the credit card approach. I think 80 to 90% kept their three-year promise.”
“It was just everybody working together to reach this goal. Everybody felt it was worthwhile,” he said. The first big ask brought the foundation to nearly half of its goal. In 2014, Wellington County agreed to contribute almost $10 million to the
project - $5 million for the property, roads and preliminary surveys, and another $5 million to the foundation for equipment. Along with that commitment was another $5 million for upgrades to Palmerston and Mount Forest hospitals. Minto mayor George Bridge, who was county warden at the time, said it was a “no brainer.” “I’m heavy into economic development and you can’t have economic growth without hospitals and schools and arenas and parks,” he said. “The hospitals are in the north part of the county, so we had to bring the (municipalities in) the south on board. But I really credit the council of the day who saw the big picture.” Bridge said the county took out debentures to pay the hospital foundation and the payments were spread over time, “so it didn’t hit any one year. “And when you look at the growth that has happened since then, how the tax base
has grown and spread out, it’s an investment that has come back ten-fold.” So, the foundation was off to a good start. But $10 million is still daunting. Cameron said the original board members would approach businesses or people they knew who might be in a position to give a sizable donation. They also made pitches to service clubs and other organizations. “We called it the Road Show. We talked to people to get them to buy into the vision. And they did,” Cameron said. “We always knew we’d get there,” Arsenault said. “As people saw shovels in the ground, the campaign gained momentum. It was incredible.” From large events to small, from corporate donations to in memoriams and estate donations, the foundation nudged its way toward the finish line. It seemed everyone wanted to raise money for the hospital. continued on page 11
From our team to yours — Congratulations Groves Memorial Community Hospital and Thank You for serving our community!
AUGUST 20, 2020 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT TO THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER | 11
continued from page 10 And several annual events sprang from that desire, including the Mardi Bra Bro Show, the Arthur Legion’s long weekend barbecues, the Pike Derby, and the Centre Wellington Rotary Club’s Grand Taste. There were also many oneoff events, such as the Gala for Groves hosted by the Elora Mill. The Pine Meadows group raised $500,000, the hospital’s volunteer association raised $1 million, the nine Lions’ clubs in the region raised $250,000 through numerous events over the years and the Centre Wellington Rotary Club held its Catch the Ace event. “Three years ago the school boards got together and held fundraising activities for us,” Arsenault said. “Every gift, large or small, made a difference.” Cindy Lindsay, chair of the foundation, said when she became chair in 2017 there was still $8 or $9 million to raise. “That’s huge for a small community,” she said. “But people gave birthday money, there were lemonade stands, and the gala at the Elora Mill. People were very passionate about our hospital. “I always say the reason why the word ‘community’ is in the hospital’s name is because it truly is a community hospital
and it took a community effort to have it built.” The final push for the final $2 million started last fall with the 151 campaign. “This was an initiative of the foundation board to reach out to the community in support of reaching our goal. The concept was if every household contributed $151, we would reach our goal. “For the price of a coffee a week you could contribute $151 and it made it easy for community members to participate,” Lindsay said. Now that the hospital is open, the pressure to raise funds has lifted for a while. But the need never goes away, and the Groves Hospital Foundation is here to stay. “We will always have an ongoing need for equipment, so we still hope for continued support,” Arsenault said. “What could be reused or repurposed (from the old hospital to the new) was.” She said COVID-19 delayed the opening of the new hospital by a few months but didn’t really get in the way of the fundraising, which had pretty much wrapped up when the pandemic hit in March. “It has hindered our celebration though,” she added. “Maybe a year from now we can
celebrate with the community. Raising the funds, opening the hospital – these are momentous occasions and it took the entire community to make it happen.” “The pandemic has shone a light on what health care workers do,” agreed Lindsay. “Now more than ever, people realize how lucky we are to have this new hospital that will serve our community for decades. “I’m proud and I’m grateful to everyone who helped make this happen.”
“ ... Raising the funds, opening the hospital – these are momentous occasions and it took the entire community to make it happen.
“
- Lori Arsenault, executive director, Groves Hospital Foundation
“
“
Congratulations
As a founding board member for the new Groves Hospital we at Ecclestone Financial Group congratulate you on your incredible journey ending in great success! We, as a member of Centre Wellington also applaud our wonderful community for supporting this project over the years!
to Groves Hospital and the community of Centre Wellington Proud sponsor of the Groves Hospital Boardroom and host of the 2020 Gala for Groves
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wishes to send its
Congratulations ON THE NEW
G R O V E S M E M O R I A L C O M M U N I T Y H O S P I TA L
Thank you to our members for their hard work and dedication. We will continue to build a strong presence in our community while advocating for all health care workers. Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector and represents 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, ďŹ ghts for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.