Inside look at the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital set to open this month

It’s been decades in the making but the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Grimsby is almost ready to open to the public.

The new hospital operated by Hamilton Health Sciences is located just behind the original facility that was built in 1949 on Main Street East.

While the ceremonial opening took place Friday, the new emergency department will open to the public on Nov. 23 at 7 a.m. and all other hospital services will be available the next day.

“The opening of the new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital marks a historic moment for our entire region,” Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton writes in a statement.

“This state-of-the-art facility reflects years of collaboration, advocacy and shared vision across West Niagara. For the residents of Lincoln, it represents not only access to exceptional health care close to home, but also an investment in our growing, vibrant community.”

READ MORE: West Lincoln Memorial Hospital opening date will be delayed

The Ontario government announced its support for the new $224-million hospital nearly seven years ago, with shovels in the ground in May 2022.

The new facility is almost 80 per cent larger than the hospital it’s replacing and is the first new hospital in the province to include all single-patient rooms.

It includes 55 inpatient beds, six maternal-newborn suites and eight bassinets. There’s also an increase in the number of operating rooms, with three ORs and one procedure room.

The new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital has a modern 24/7 emergency department, as well as fully renovated and enhanced advanced diagnostic imaging suites including X-ray, mammography, echocardiography and ultrasound, and CT scanning.

WATCH MORE: Construction begins on new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Grimsby