For Immediate Release                                                            

June 02 , 2006

McGUINTY GOVERNMENT INVESTING IN BETTER HOSPITAL CARE IN KINGSTON AND THE ISLANDS

Multi-Year Funding Will Help Area Hospitals Plan For The Care Needs Of Patients

KINGSTON – The McGuinty government is ensuring Ontarians have improved access to better hospital care for residents of Kingston by providing area hospitals with $14,009,700 in additional funding for this fiscal year, MPP John Gerretsen announced today on behalf of Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman.

“We’re on the side of Ontario families who want and deserve the best health care, including the services they receive in hospital,” Gerretsen said. “Today’s funding commitment means patients in the Kingston community will benefit from improved access to the first-class care provided at our local hospitals.”

For the second time in the province’s history, every Ontario hospital will know how much it’s getting over the next three years – instead of just one.

Kingston General Hospital will receive $239,449,500 for operations in 2007/08, and $242,897,000 in 2008/09. The Hotel Dieu will receive $46,349,700 for operations in 2007/08 and $47,638,700 for 2008/09. In addition the Providence Continuing Care Centre will receive $82,067,200 for 2007/08 and $84,184,200 for 2008/09.

“Ontario’s hospitals must be made sustainable if they are to be able to meet the growing and changing needs of their patients,” Smitherman said. “That’s why we have stabilized their funding with predictable multi-year allocations that will allow our hospitals to better plan for the needs of their communities and the needs of their patients.”

Hospitals in Ontario will receive $13.35 billion in operating funding this fiscal year, $13.9 billion in 2007/08, and $14.5 billion in 2008/09. The funding for this year represents an increase of over $619 million – 4.9 per cent – from the previous year.

This is just the latest example of how the McGuinty government’s commitment to providing quality hospital care for Ontario families. Other initiatives include:

• Reducing wait times for five key health care services (hip and knee joint replacement, cataract surgeries, MRI exams, cancer surgeries and cardiac procedures) with a recent investment of $222.5 million

• Issuing Requests for Proposals for 11 new hospital projects in 2006/07 worth $2 billion

• Unveiling a $96 million comprehensive plan to reduce ambulance offload delays and improve critical care at Ontario hospitals

• Unprecedented investments in community-based health care with the creation of 22 new Community Health Centres (CHCs), 17 satellite CHCs and 150 Family Health Teams to reduce the pressure on hospital emergency rooms.

Today’s initiative is part of the McGuinty government’s plan for innovation in public health, 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