Ontario Increasing Funding to Local Hospital
Province investing an additional $14,782,300 this year to connect people in Thunder Bay to care, close to home
August 30th, 2024
The Ontario government is investing an additional $14,782,300 this year to deliver faster, more connected care to people in Thunder Bay. This funding is part of the province’s investment of an additional $965 million, through the 2024 Budget, to help Ontario’s publicly funded hospitals meet the needs of the communities they serve now, and for years to come.
“I am proud to work with The Honourable Sylvia Jones and our government, who have remained committed to Ontario hospitals. These significant funding investments are designed to provide hospitals the tools they need so the residents of Thunder Bay and surrounding area can continue to receive quality and compassionate healthcare,” said Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan. “It is equally important to celebrate the hospital’s leadership and staff team for their outstanding achievements in compassionate care, patient and staff safety, and quality improvement.”
Through this investment, the Ontario government is delivering an increase of 5.6% to the hospital’s operating budget, which is in addition to last year’s 2.5% increase. This funding will help the hospital keep emergency departments open, support inflationary or other wage pressures and reduce wait times for diagnostic imaging and surgical procedures, including MRI, CT, cardiac, stroke, neuroservices, orthopedics, and cataracts so that people can connect to care faster.
“Our government is continuing to make record investments in our publicly funded healthcare system to connect families across the province to the care they need, when they need it,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This unprecedented investment in our hospitals will ensure they can continue to deliver high quality care while reducing wait lists and wait times in their communities, for years to come.”
To continue to make it faster and easier for people to access the care they need, no matter where they live, Ontario’s $965 million investment includes funding to specifically support smaller and Northern hospitals to maintain service delivery and reduce their surgical wait lists and wait times.
Through Your Health: A Plan For Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is expanding access to key services to provide people with the right care, in the right place, close to come.
“Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is grateful for this increase in base funding that will allow us to address some of our operational challenges while continuing to support us to provide quality care to patients throughout Northwestern Ontario. We extend our gratitude to MPP Holland and the Provincial Government for this additional funding that will support our ongoing efforts to provide exceptional care for every patient, every time.” said Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President & CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
QUICK FACTS
- The province’s $965 million investment through Budget 2024, represents a four percent increase in funding for the hospital sector for the second year in a row.
- All public hospitals, regardless of size or type, will receive a minimum two percent increase to maintain their base operations, with hospitals experiencing higher levels of growth to receive additional funding.
- Since 2018, the Ontario government has added over 3,500 beds across the province. Over the next 10 years, Ontario’s investments will lead to nearly $50 billion in more than 50 health infrastructure projects across the province, adding 3,000 more new beds.
- To allow health system partners to address their infrastructure needs, the Ontario government is investing an additional $620 million over 10 years through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund and the Community Infrastructure Renewal Fund.
- The government is also investing an additional $500 million over 10 years for small hospital projects and community health programs.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Ontario Reducing Wait Times in Emergency Departments
Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care
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