Smaller hospitals across the province of Ontario are getting some additional funding for patient care.
The province is investing more than $7 million in small hospitals, including many rural hospitals.
This funding will help more than 50 hospitals across the province improve patient care through measures such as reducing wait times, providing staff with additional clinical education, and expanding programs in partnership with community organizations, according to a recent press release.
Dr. Eric Hoskins, minister of Health and Long-Term Care, made the funding announcement recently in Northumberland County.
“Hospitals pay a particularly important role in small communities, as providers of care, as employers and as corporate citizens,” says Hoskins. “This additional funding will ensure that local hospitals can continue to put patients first by enabling access to care that is close to home.”
Fifty-six small hospitals in Ontario will receive an increase in their base funding. The province has also created a Small and Rural Hospital Transformation Fund, which fosters innovation and encourages collaboration among small and rural hospital and community providers, so they can operate as integrated networks, the release states.
“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,” says 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.”
For more information on the funding investment, visit www.ontario.ca/health.
