Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare (MAHC) is advising the community of a temporary interruption to surgical services at the South Muskoka Memorial Hospital (SMMH) site following an issue with the hospital’s chiller system serving the Operating Room area.
As a result, elective surgeries at the Bracebridge site have been rescheduled. Patients affected by these changes have been contacted directly.
To ensure patients continue to receive timely surgical care, surgical services have been temporarily moved to Huntsville District Memorial Hospital (HDMH).
The Emergency Department at South Muskoka Memorial Hospital remains open and continues to provide emergency care. However, patients requiring emergency surgery that cannot be safely provided on site during this temporary disruption may be transferred to the Huntsville site or another regional hospital to receive the care they need as quickly as possible.
“Our priority is ensuring patients continue to receive safe, timely, and high-quality care,” said Cheryl Harrison, President and CEO of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our patients and community while our teams work to restore full surgical services at the Bracebridge site.”
Clinical and operational teams continue to assess the situation and work toward restoring normal operations. Operating Room services at the South Muskoka Memorial Hospital site are anticipated to resume as early as next week, pending system repairs, testing, and confirmation that conditions are safe for surgical care. MAHC will provide updates as more information becomes available.
MAHC thanks patients, staff, physicians, volunteers, and its regional healthcare partners for their continued flexibility, collaboration, and support during this temporary service disruption.