Inside the Planning Behind a Major Hospital Expansion
- Share This Story
Q&A with Adrienne Spafford
Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (OTMH) recently announced an exciting new project: the construction of almost 80,000 square feet of modern care spaces. When completed in 2028, this project will result in 111 new acute care beds across three state-of-the-art patient floors.
This rapid expansion will be built into existing “shelled spaces” on the 3rd, 4th and 8th floors that were created for this purpose when the hospital was built in 2015. Shelled space is unfinished space that was intentionally part of the hospital’s build to allow us to grow with our communities and patient needs. In this interview, Adrienne Spafford, Halton Healthcare’s Chief Communications Officer and Vice President, Strategy and Partnerships, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the foresight and planning that made this project possible, and the positive impact it will have on the local community and region as a whole.
Population growth, aging, and rising demand for care
Q: Why was this shelled space created within the new Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital in 2015?
A: When the hospital was built, the board, the hospital and foundation leadership team, and the Town of Oakville had foresight into how the communities we care for would grow and change. Building shelled space into the hospital then meant we could expand within our existing walls when the time came, faster and at a fraction of the cost of new construction.
Expanding into shelled spaces: an efficient way to add patient beds
Q: Why is now the right time to expand into the shelled spaces?
A: New hospital builds are being planned across the province to meet long-term growth, but those projects will take nearly a decade to complete. The communities we care for can’t wait that long.
Finishing our shelled spaces means new capacity for patients years sooner than any new build.
Q: What is the size and scope of this expansion?
A: This project will add 123 new patient beds in total, serving patients across Oakville, Milton and the broader region — equivalent to building a small community hospital. Building a new hospital can take close to a decade and cost significantly more. Because shelled space was built into the original design, we can complete this expansion in a fraction of the time and at a fraction of the cost. The shelled – or “roughed in” – spaces were built to seamlessly connect to the rest of the hospital and fitted with plumbing, heating, cooling and other necessary utilities.
The vision to include this space a decade ago means patients and families benefit now and when it’s needed most.
The benefits: shorter waits and better spaces that meet patient needs
Q: What will this expansion mean for patients?
A: One example of the challenges we’re facing right across the region is emergency wait times. When people need to be admitted and have to wait for an inpatient bed to become available, it creates a backlog in the emergency department that can have an impact on patient flow right across the hospital and system. Access to these new beds will help relieve that backlog and help to create a more seamless experience for both patients and care teams.
This project will also help to address the current need to provide occasional care in hallways or other unconventional spaces. Instead, patients will have access to beautiful new rooms with enhanced safety, privacy, comfort, and stunning views of the region and the escarpment.
Q: How will this project benefit hospital staff and care teams?
A : Our teams are deeply committed to compassionate, high-quality care. This expansion gives them something to be genuinely excited about: more space, better flow, the ability to see patients more quickly and the government’s recognition of the region’s need.
In addition, Halton Healthcare continues to attract and retain talented professionals, supported in part by Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital’s modern facilities and strong reputation. Ongoing expansion across our hospitals will help ensure we continue to recruit skilled physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals—strengthening our ability to provide high-quality care for our community.
Q: Why is this expansion important ?
A: This expansion will help relieve pressure across the broader regional health system, but the impact starts right here. More capacity means more people can access high-quality care close to home, without travelling far when they’re at their most vulnerable. Our communities have always understood what this hospital means to them, and their generosity is what’s making this project possible. That support ensures care will be there for families when they need it most.
Would you like to learn more about this project and its impact on Oakville? Visit the shelled space expansion project page to learn more and to get the latest updates.
