Building climate resiliency in a small,rural eastern Ontario hospital from a facilities management perspective

Abstract

Protecting critical building infrastructure and equipment in small, rural eastern Ontario hospitals from intensifying weather patterns is crucial to ensuring continuous, reliable operations—but incredibly challenging. Smaller hospitals face the same climate-driven risks as larger hospitals in urban environments; however, their remote location often means they do not have the same access to resources that are integral to supporting healthcare services and programs. Kemptville District Hospital (KDH) offers first-hand experiences of impacts related to climate change, and how a small, rural healthcare facility rallies to remain agile, ready to respond quickly to weather events to remain a viable community healthcare provider—and a leader. A few contributing factors to climate-induced operational constraints from a facilities management perspective have been highlighted within, including maintaining building infrastructure and equipment, emergency planning with a focus on cybersecurity, policies for change, and the importance of transformational leadership.