Locum House scaled back to reflect circumstances

News Release
RRHCC

First order of business at its Thursday, March 29 meeting the Rainy River Health Care Committee was to pass a motion to reconsider earlier motions on the construction of Rainy River House, the Locum Housing Project.
Changing staffing to health care in Rainy River has lessened the immediate need for medical student housing, but has reinforced the necessity for locum housing. As reported earlier after mid-April with the resignation of Dr. Singleton, our communities have no permanent physicians and are totally dependent on locums to provide coverage.
This makes the availability of good locum housing doubly important, not only for attracting locums, but for the recruitment of full time physicians. The Committee felt it was imperative to proceed immediately with Rainy River House as extensive changes on how Health Care Services are to be staffed and provided in our communities will be determined in the next weeks and months.
At the same time current changes have reduced at this time the urgency of providing additional student housing for students placed in the community by the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
Thus the Committee has unanimously directed our architect to revise the drawings to build a single, rather than a duplex dwelling. Should the need arise to increase student housing down the road, an additional student facility can be considered at that time.
The new drawings are to be before the Building sub Committee by mid-April, with the intent to call for tenders and have a contractor selected during the second half of May. This would have Rainy River House ready for occupancy later this year.
The Fund Raising sub Committee will be meeting in the near future to review current status and re-assess its required goal to complete this reduced project.