McGunity Government Improving Access To Critical Care Services

KINGSTON – The McGuinty government is improving access to critical care services for Ontarians by investing $130,000 in specialized training for more nurses at Kingston General Hospital, MPP John Gerretsen announced today on behalf of Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman.

“We’re facing an increased demand for critical care services because of our growing and aging population in Kingston,” Gerretsen said. “Our government is responding to this demand by ensuring more nurses are trained at KGH to provide this highly specialized care.”

The government is investing $7 million to increase the critical care training opportunities available to nurses in the province. This includes:

• $4.5 million for 61 hospital corporations to assist with the costs of ensuring that more than 270 critical care nurses meet the new provincial critical care nursing standards
• $2.5 million for a new critical care nursing e-learning program. This will be operated in partnership with Durham College, to make critical care training more accessible to nurses who may not be able to attend traditional college programs due to distance and/or work or family responsibilities. Through this innovative program, nurses will take part in lectures via the Internet and participate in hands-on training at simulation lab centres.

This funding is part of the government’s $90 million critical care strategy, which is improving access to quality, integrated critical care services across the province.

Making Ontario an employer of choice through investments that improve opportunities and work life for nurses and other health care professionals is a key goal of the province’s health human resources strategy. The HealthForceOntario strategy is aimed at ensuring that Ontario has the right supply and mix of health care professionals.

The McGuinty government has launched several initiatives designed to ensure that Ontario families continue to receive the best possible nursing care. These include:

• Guaranteeing that every nursing graduate gets offered a full-time job, beginning in 2007
  
• Enhancing the work environments for nurses through better supplies and equipment, and more educational and professional career opportunities
• Keeping late career nurses in the profession while utilizing their skills and experience to benefit the health care system
• Purchasing modern hospital equipment – such as patient lifts, electric beds and safety alarms – to improve patient safety and working conditions for nurses.

Today’s initiative is part of the McGuinty government’s plan for innovation in public health care, building a system that delivers on three priorities – keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.

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For more information contact:
John Gerretsen, MPP
(613) 547-2385