Ministry approves region’s hospital merger
Posted Mar 28, 2025 04:25:09 PM.
Last Updated Mar 30, 2025 10:02:01 AM.
Same services, new name.
The Ontario Ministry of Health has officially approved the merger of Grand River Hospital and St. Mary’s General Hospital, creating the Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN).
A press release from WRHN reads, “Building on over 90 years of partnership, this merger represents a continued commitment to enhancing the health-care experience through combined resources, expertise, and continued work towards including the new state-of-the-art Hospital at the University of Waterloo’s North Campus.”
The merger comes into effect on April 1, 2025. At the same time, the three hospitals in Kitchener will be re-branded under the WRHN banner.
- Grand River Hospital becomes WRHN at Midtown
- St. Mary’s General becomes WRHN at Queen’s Boulevard
- Freeport Hospital become WRHN at Chicopee
“We are excited to unite our strengths and expertise to better serve the communities of Waterloo-Wellington, and beyond,” said WRHN Board Co-Chair, Tim Rollins. “This merger is more than just a name change, it’s about building a stronger health care system that prioritizes patient care, innovation, and community well-being.”
The intent to merge was first announced in April 2024. It came around the same time work was underway to identify potential sites for the new Regional hospital.
It was announced at the end of July that the new facility would be built on the University of Waterloo North Campus. It’s not expected to open until 2034.
The current hospitals will continue to operate as normal until the new building is completed. At which point, some services will moved and those facilities repurposed.
