Local healthcare providers in Grey County are receiving increased funding from the province this year.
A pair of joint news releases last week from Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Rick Byers and Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson announced provincial funding from two different programs for a number of hospitals and healthcare providers in Grey, Bruce and Huron counties.
Through the Small and Northern Hospital Stabilization Fund, Grey Bruce Health Services (which operates hospitals in Lion’s Head, Markdale, Meaford, Owen Sound, Southampton and Wiarton) will receive $5,467,800 in funding.
“This increase in base funding to hospitals in our community will help ensure people can continue to connect to world-class care, including emergency department services, trauma, pediatrics, medicine, obstetrics, cancer care, and hospital-based mental health service close to home,” said Byers.
Grey Bruce Health Services President and CEO Gary Sims said the funding is a boost for the hospital corporation.
“We are grateful for the continued support and increase in base funding to sustain the provision of high-quality health care close to home,” said Sims.
Byers and Thompson also announced funding through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Fund (HIRF) and the Community Infrastructure Renewal Fund (CIRF).
Through the HIRF program Grey Bruce Health Services will receive $2,483,770 up from $1,808,269 the previous year.
Through the CIRF program South East Grey Community Health Centre (which runs a main clinic in Markdale and satellite clinics in Chatsworth, Dundalk and Feversham) will receive $217,776 this year.
“This funding is a significant investment by the Ontario government to our local hospitals and community health centres to help maintain and upgrade our facilities," said Byers. "This funding from the province allows its health care system partners to address urgent infrastructure renewal needs such as upgrades or replacements of roofs, windows, security systems, fire alarms and back-up generators."
Sims said the funding through the HIRF program is critical for the hospital corporation to continue maintaining its infrastructure.
“This significant investment, made by the Ontario government, will help Grey Bruce Health Services to maintain and upgrade its facilities and help to ensure that we have the infrastructure in place to deliver care to our community members well into the future,” said Sims.
Alex Hector, executive director for South East Grey Community Health Centre, said the funding will have a major impact on the organization’s operations.
“These funds will enable our CHC to complete a much-needed re-surfacing of our parking lot and will also enable us to replace two of our roof-mounted HVAC units that are no longer repairable. This form of financial support from the provincial government is essential to ensuring that we can continue to provide much needed inter-professional care to the residents of South East Grey county,” said Hector.
