In a press release delivered on Monday, the Ontario government announced they are investing more than $7 million in small hospitals, including many rural hospitals, to improve patient care close to home.
Could some of this funding be earmarked for the Sydenham Campus in Wallaceburg?
Those details have yet to be revealed.
The release stated this funding will help more than 50 hospitals across Ontario improve care for patients through measures such as:
– Reducing wait times
– Providing staff with additional clinical education
– Expanding programs in partnership with community organizations.
Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, was at the Campbellford Memorial Hospital in Northumberland County to announce this funding.
“Hospitals play a particularly important role in small communities, as providers of care, as employers and as corporate citizens,” Hoskins stated. “This additional funding will ensure that local hospitals can continue to put patients first by enabling access to care that is close to home.”
“While touring rural communities across Ontario, I’ve heard from municipal leaders, healthcare advocates and community members that investing in hospitals is a top priority,” stated Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “Our government is committed to continuing to build One Ontario, ensuring our hospitals have the capacity to deliver high quality care to patients regardless of where they live.”
The press release states that 56 small hospitals in Ontario will receive an increase to their base funding.
Ontario has also created a Small and Rural Hospital Transformation Fund, which fosters innovation and encourages collaboration among small and rural hospital and community care providers, so they can operate as integrated networks.
Let’s do the math here. $7million divided by 56 hospitals means only $125 000 per hospital assuming each one gets the same amount. Pathetic really.