MANITOULIN—The Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) has received some good news in regards to government funding.
“We’re working towards year end and accountability agreements, but we have received confirmation of an increase of one percent in our base funding for this year from the province,” said Derek Graham, chief executive officer of the MHC, last week.
“And we have been informed that the province will be continuing its $20 million innovation funding program, although we don’t know what the ground rules on this are as of yet for this year,” he said.
Mr. Graham also pointed out, “we are also anticipating funding for a partnership we are working on with HSN (Health Sciences North) where in the case of patients needing to have hip, knee and shoulder joint- replacements done, their assessments could be done here (MHC). This is going to be going forward and physiotherapy staff is undergoing training on this. We are working with the HSN and LHINs (Local Health Integration Networks) on this and although this is not signed sealed and delivered we are anticipating funding for this.”
The funding being provided to the MHC was part of the recent provincial budget announcements. The province is investing $345 million in hospitals, including a one percent increase in base funding, to provide better patient access to high quality health care services.
In 2016-2017 hospitals will receive $175 million to provide patients with access to more services in new and redeveloped hospitals and for targeted priority services such as organ and tissue transplants; $160 million to improve access and wait times for hospital services, including additional procedures such as cataract surgeries, knee and hip replacements and knee arthroscopies; and $7.5 million for small, Northern and rural hospitals, which is in addition to Ontario’s $20 million Small and Rural Hospital Transformation Fund; and $6 million for mental health hospitals.
