KDH Opens its Doors – “Castle in the Sky”
by Lynne Clifford-Ward, KDH Foundation
The Kemptville District Hospital Foundation is in the process of raising $2.2 million to bring a CT Scanner to the Hospital. What follows is the Hospital’s chronological story, how it came to be, how the community has generously supported the Hospital over the decades, how it was physically transformed since 1960 and why the current fundraising campaign is such an important Crossroads for the Hospital and the community.
At last! The doors of the new Kemptville District Hospital opened: June 29,1960 was a day to celebrate! The ribbon cutting was performed by Dr. M.B. Dymond, then Minister for Health of Ontario and Miss Hawkins, Administrator. On that happy day, nurses provided guided tours to some two thousand curious guests from 2:00 pm until 11:00 pm. Visitors were keen to see “the castle in the sky” and “one of the best-designed, modern hospitals in Canada” as described at the time by staff writer Philip Cooper in the Citizen.
In the January 1961 publication, “Canadian Hospital”, Miss Hawkins described the Hospital in greater detail. In her article, “Kemptville Has Reason to be Proud”, she wrote: “the two-floor building of double corridor design has all the services grouped in the central core. Patient accommodation, reached from a hallway on either side of the core, is in the outside perimeter. We have found that less duplication of services, smaller building perimeter, reduced heat loss and shorter walking distances are but some of the merits inherent in the double corridor plan.” She also explained the many areas and functions of the Hospital which provide some interesting insights. For example, she described the operating suites “with (their) soft grey-green tiles (which) give a restful and efficient appearance”, the kitchen with “an electric potato peeler, one of the main modern pieces of equipment in the vegetable preparation section” and the Hospital’s emergency preparedness with diesel operated equipment. With regards to the linen service, Miss Hawkins wrote: “pleasant, neatly attired employees in fresh crisp uniforms do much to sell the Hospital to the public”.
Four years later, Miss Hawkins led KDH to its first accreditation. At the time, KDH was the smallest hospital in Ontario to achieve this commendable accomplishment. Performed by an agency outside of the Hospital, this assessment is not just about meeting established standards but implementing ways to continuously improve care and maintain patient safety.
Expansion Crossroads, April 1969
As Canada’s exciting 1967 Centennial Year came to a close, KDH began a plan to expand and meet the growing needs of the community and welcome new opportunities.
This included a new emergency, OR wing and 53 beds – almost double the original number.
The Honourable M.B. Dymond, M.D. returned to open the new wing on April 26, 1969, along with Honorary Chair W.B. George, Board Chair, Mike Kotlarchuk and Miss Hawkins. The Candy Stripers – the newly formed youth volunteer group – provided guided tours on that day for 300 guests. Miss Hawkins later described the service provided by the Candy Stripers in an April 22, 1971 letter to the editor of The Weekly Advance as follows: “these girls add a ray of sunshine in the lives of those who are ill and injured”.
The Formation and Major Achievements of the KDH Foundation:
In 1979, the KDH Foundation was incorporated as the fundraising arm of the hospital and welcomed its first volunteer Board of Directors. Since then, it has raised millions of dollars to purchase medical, surgical and diagnostic equipment, refurbish patient rooms and communal spaces and fund large capital projects.
In 2011, the Foundation’s Lean On Me Campaign raised $8 million to build a new Emergency Room, operating suites and digital imaging facility. And again, in 2018, the Foundation raised $1 million to build new space for the Hospital’s many specialized clinics.
At a total cost of $250,000 in 2023, three new anesthesia ventilators were funded by the Foundation. The Chief of KDH Staff, Dr. Colin Sentongo, described the ventilators as “the most important equipment that you can have in an operating room.”
Joanne Mavis, the Executive Director of the KDH Foundation, said, “the Foundation is on track to raise $2.2 million to purchase and install a new CT Scanner for the Hospital. Thanks to the generosity of the North Grenville community, we presently have raised just over $1.2 million. The CT Scanner will be a gamechanger for the Hospital and the community.”
Maternity Ward at KDH:
From late-June 1960 to mid-1990, some 3,000 babies were born at KDH. Many of these babies grew up to work at KDH and they in turn had babies there. However, as the “Baby Boom” gradually declined from over 100 births per year to 25, this ward was closed to make room for other needs and services.
