SMITHS FALLS — Kingston Health Sciences Centre treated 1,918 Smiths Falls residents who made 7,894 visits to its hospital sites in the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year. The figures were presented during a delegation to Smiths Falls council’s committee of the whole on Nov. 10.
Abigail McIlquham, associate director of health care advancement with the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, said KHSC now serves about 650,000 people across southeastern Ontario. The organization was formed in 2017 when Kingston General Hospital and Hotel Dieu Hospital merged.
Of the 7,894 total visits by Smiths Falls residents:
- 6,246 were outpatient visits
- 1,058 were cancer related
- 226 involved inpatient stays
- 185 were surgical procedures
- 179 were emergency visits
McIlquham said there is still a widespread assumption that the province fully funds hospital equipment and modernization.
“The province funds operations and some capital, but hospitals must fundraise for equipment, technology and modernization,” she told council.
KHSC operates as an academic health sciences centre. It integrates patient care, medical training, research and specialized clinical services including cardiac care, a Level 3 pediatric intensive care unit, advanced diagnostic imaging and a regional cancer centre.
Lanark County patients also access KHSC through satellite and outreach programs such as dialysis clinics, stroke rehabilitation, ophthalmology and orthopaedic visits, early psychosis intervention, and digital pathology, which allows lab specimens from community hospitals to be read by Kingston pathologists.
McIlquham confirmed that planning is underway for a new Kingston General Hospital. KHSC has secured land and is entering detailed design. Early phases include relocating labs and pharmacy to free up space for more inpatient beds and a larger emergency department.
Coun. Peter McKenna said he previously believed hospital funding should remain a provincial matter.
“I always believed this was a provincial responsibility,” McKenna said. “When I see numbers like this, I am open to revisiting it. I do not know where we would find the money, but I understand the benefit of the expertise our residents receive.”
McKenna said he is willing to explore a future commitment, possibly structured over time.
“My thinking has evolved,” he said. “Maybe there is a way to support a campaign over a longer period.”
Mayor Shawn Pankow said nearly everyone in Smiths Falls knows someone receiving care in Kingston.
“Kingston is essential to our community,” Pankow said. “I was there this week with family members. We understand the value it brings, and I am interested in having the conversation.”
Coun. Dawn Quinn shared her own recent experience receiving care at Kingston General Hospital.
“I used the facility this summer and it was fantastic,” Quinn said. “Where do you get the funding if the province does not fully fund it? Maybe small municipalities need to look at how we can help.”
Smiths Falls council members expressed appreciation for services like satellite dialysis, which reduced travel time for residents when the clinic first opened in Smiths Falls.
Council expressed a preference to revisit the issue in a future budget discussion or strategic planning session.
“We really appreciate the work you do,” Pankow said. “It sounds like we will be having a discussion in the future.”
Stay up to date—check out the latest Smiths Falls news.
Follow Smiths Falls council on their Youtube channel.
