A new partnership between Quinte Health and Providence Care will mean a transition for regional dementia behavioural supports under local healthcare, Quinte Health has announced.
“Quinte Health and Providence Care are announcing plans to transition the care and services people receive from the Behavioural Support Transitional Unit (BSTU) at Quinte Health to Providence Care,” Quinte Health announced in a release.
The program has been in operation through Quinte Health up until this point since 2014, supporting patients from across Southeastern Ontario who are living with dementia and complex behavioural challenges.
However, since 2025, officials with both organizations said they’ve been reviewing the most appropriate specialized model of care for this patient population.
“Across Ontario, programs supporting patients with complex behavioural and geriatric needs are typically delivered through organizations with specialized geriatric expertise and regional behavioural health capacity,” reads Quinte Health’s release.
The regional review has reportedly led the organizations to believe this transition represents the best path forward “to strengthen access to specialized behavioural and geriatric supports for patients and families across Southeastern Ontario.”
“Patients and families living with complex behavioural and cognitive challenges deserve access to highly-specialized supports that meet their evolving needs,” echoed Lina Rinaldi, vice-president and chief nursing executive with Quinte Health. “While we have had an extraordinary team caring for patients through the BSTU program for many years, Providence Care has the specialized geriatric expertise and regional behavioural health capacity to provide an expanded range of supports for this patient population into the future.”
However, Quinte Health has also confirmed that the transition will impact staff roles connected to the BSTU program.
“Quinte Health is committed to supporting affected staff respectfully and thoughtfully throughout the process. Reassignment opportunities within Quinte Health are anticipated for many impacted staff, while other staffing changes will be managed through the applicable collective agreement and union processes, in collaboration with union partners,” reads Quinte Health’s release, which provided no other details surrounding potential staff impact specifics.
“Providence Care is committed to supporting patients with complex behavioural and cognitive needs through compassionate, specialized care,” vowed Darcy Woods-Fournier, vice-president of patient care, long-term care and chief nursing executive. “Through this transition, we are expanding the regional service model to include strengthened transitional supports, greater community services and more co-ordinated access to specialized care for people living with dementia and complex responsive behaviours.
“We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with Quinte Health throughout this transition.”
According to Quinte Health, patients currently admitted to the BSTU will continue receiving care through the organization while transition planning occurs with Providence Care.
“Continuity of care, patient safety and patient experience will remain the priority throughout the transition process,” added officials, who are also thanking staffers who’ve supported the program over the past decade.
“The compassion and expertise of the BSTU team have made a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and families across our region,” said Rinaldi. “We are deeply grateful for the care they have provided.”
Additional details about timelines and the transition are to be determined and announced as work continues.
