Grand River Hospital and St Mary's General Hospital in Canada are seeking public input on the location of a proposed joint hospital in Kitchener-Waterloo.

A five-member Site Selection Panel has been assembled to identify a preferred site for the hospital.

Community members have been invited to provide input on the draft site selection criteria.

They are allowed to participate in an online survey until 3 August. The survey is available in multiple languages.

The panel will also reach out to hospital teams, municipalities, care groups, subject matter experts and others to invite feedback on the proposals.

It is expected to make a recommendation on the preferred site by the end of this year.

Grand River Hospital president and CEO Ron Gagnon said: “This is an exciting opportunity for people across our community to help shape the future of health care in our region.

“The location of the future hospital that will be shared by Grand River Hospital and St Mary's General Hospital is going to have a significant impact on how we continue to deliver exceptional patient care and help our community grow and prosper.

“We encourage community members to provide their input as part of this process.”

The process is overseen by the Building the Future of Care Together Committee, which reports to the boards of both hospitals.

The new hospital is part of a broader initiative to modernise and expand healthcare infrastructure and services in the region to accommodate growing numbers of patients and their families.

Plans are also being proposed to transform the midtown Kitchener-Waterloo Campus into an ambulatory and urgent care centre, as well as modernise and expand the Freeport Campus to increase its rehabilitation capacity.

Grand River Hospital and St Mary's General Hospital will share all three sites.