Ottawa to Launch Ontario’s First Standalone Surgical Centre

Ottawa is set to become home to one of Ontario’s first standalone surgical centres. The facility will be operated by a group of orthopedic surgeons who have successfully completed over 2,000 surgeries on hip, knee, and shoulder procedures at Riverside Hospital. This initiative is part of a broader strategy by the Ontario government to enhance surgical care availability across the province.

Sylvia Jones, Ontario’s Minister of Health, announced earlier this week that four new licenses for surgical and diagnostic centres dedicated to orthopedic surgeries will be granted in early 2026. This development is part of a two-year investment of $125 million aimed at improving healthcare services. The new surgeries are scheduled to commence in 2026, as confirmed by the Ministry of Health.

One of the primary licensees is the Academic Orthopedic Surgical Associates of Ottawa (AOAO), which has been operating privately at The Ottawa Hospital’s Riverside campus since 2023. This group has utilized weekends, previously a downtime for the hospital, to perform surgeries, thereby increasing access to necessary orthopedic procedures.

In a statement reflecting on this pilot project, Cameron Love, President and CEO of The Ottawa Hospital, mentioned the collaboration with AOAO and the province to establish a private, standalone surgical centre. This facility aims to serve as a high-efficiency orthopedic centre for day surgeries, allowing hospital operating rooms to focus on more complex cases.

The Ottawa Hospital emphasized its ongoing collaboration with AOAO as their application progresses. Hospital spokesperson Rebecca Abelson indicated that discussions regarding the operational details between the hospital and AOAO are still in development. It remains uncertain whether weekend surgeries will continue at Riverside once the new surgical centre opens.

Since AOAO began weekend operations, the partnership has reportedly made significant strides in enhancing access to orthopedic surgical care. As of late November, a total of 2,225 surgeries had been successfully performed under this arrangement. A recent report presented at a 2024 Ontario Orthopedic Association meeting noted AOAO’s innovative approaches that have contributed to remarkable efficiency in orthopedic surgery.

Dr. Paul Beaulé, former chief of orthopedic surgery at The Ottawa Hospital and a member of AOAO, highlighted the effectiveness of the ambulatory orthopedic centre pilot project. The report detailed how surgical cases are strategically staggered across various operating rooms, allowing a single surgeon to supervise two to three rooms simultaneously. This method has enabled some surgeons to complete up to ten joint replacements in a single day.

The recent licensing announcement marks a significant shift in Ontario’s healthcare landscape, as it is the first instance of the province permitting free-standing, privately operated surgical centres specifically for orthopedic surgeries. Previously, standalone medical facilities primarily focused on diagnostics and cataract surgeries, with few exceptions.

This development also raises concerns regarding the potential impacts on Ontario’s public healthcare system. Critics argue that high-efficiency day surgery centres may draw surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nursing staff away from public hospitals. This could result in longer wait times for more complex surgical cases, as evidenced by some reports from Alberta, where transitioning to privately operated surgeries has not significantly improved overall wait times and has led to increased costs per procedure.

Addressing these concerns, the Ministry of Health has assured that the new surgical centres will be integrated with the broader public health system. The ministry stated that new facilities must provide comprehensive staffing plans to ensure stability in public hospital resources. They will also be required to report into the province’s wait times information system and participate in regional central intakes to facilitate timely patient care.

All community surgical and diagnostic centres will be under the oversight of Accreditation Canada‘s new quality-assurance program, ensuring that they meet the same standards of patient safety and care as public hospitals.

As Ottawa prepares for this significant advancement in healthcare, the implications of the new surgical centre will be closely monitored, both for its benefits and potential challenges within Ontario’s healthcare system.