North Wellington Health Care is a regional provider of primary and secondary health services to the people of North Wellington County and to parts of its adjacent counties, Grey and Perth. Our area has a population base approaching 30,000 people.

The North Wellington Health Care Corporation was formed on September 1st, 2001 through the amalgamation of the Palmerston District and Louise Marshall Hospitals. Our two acute care hospitals voluntarily merged after having worked together since 1996 in a formal alliance where we shared administrative and support services.

On October 1, 2005, North Wellington Health Care formed an administrative alliance with Groves Memorial Community Hospital in Fergus. The Wellington Health Care Alliance shares the Chief Executive Officer and a senior management team.

North Wellington Health Care continues to deliver high quality and appropriate health care services to the people of the area through our two fully-accredited hospital sites in Mount Forest and Palmerston. Both hospitals operate 24-hour emergency departments, deliver obstetrical services and provide a comprehensive range of medical and surgical inpatient care and outpatient or ambulatory care services.

The Corporation employs more than 200 highly skilled staff and has an active medical staff of 13 family and general practitioners across both sites. Our local medical staff is supplemented by specialists who travel to our sites from nearby referral centres such as Guelph, Stratford and Kitchener-Waterloo to provide necessary support. Tertiary level services are accessed through Hamilton, London and Toronto.

Guelph Hydro Electric Systems Inc (GHESI) is the local electricity distribution company (LDC) for Guelph and Rockwood. We deliver electricity, maintain the lines to homes and businesses, provide 24-hour emergency service and ensure that we can always meet the electricity supply requirements of our customer community. In industry jargon, our business is often called the “wires” business. Under Section 29 of the Electricity Act, we also provide electricity for customers who do not choose to contract with a licensed electricity retailer.

When the doors to Guelph General Hospital were opened on August 16, 1875, the hospital had 12 beds, a small infectious room and a dispensary. A superintendent and two nurses provided care, as well as working in the kitchen, housekeeping, switchboard and laundry.

Today, GGH is a dynamic, comprehensive acute care facility providing a full range of services to the residents of Guelph and Wellington County. Services include 24-hour emergency coverage, advanced technology and diagnostic support, and specialty programs such as surgery, orthopaedics, cardiac care, obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics.

In its capacity as a community and referral hospital, GGH serves a population of 180,000 people throughout Guelph and Wellington County. In 2001, all of the City of Guelph’s hospital-based, acute care services were integrated into an expanded and completely updated Guelph General Hospital.

GGH is governed by a volunteer Board of Commissioners.