This is the first in a series of Health Services Enhancement Bulletins that will keep Ontarians up-to-date with the progress being made by the government.

Northern Ontario School of Medicine

New space is being developed at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre to allow Northern Ontario School of Medicine students and residents to train at the hospital. The province made an $8-million investment to the hospital to expand on-calls rooms and add a new trauma room, learner work stations and school office space. The first wave of students began in May.

Acquired Brain Injury Services

More people with acquired brain injuries will receive services closer to home.  An investment of $7.94 million goes toward a residential placement site, supportive housing services, outreach services and funding for the Canadian Paraplegic Association Ontario’s independence training service.

Physician Assistants

Physician assistants are joining teams in selected hospitals, community health centres and diabetes and long-term care settings across the province as part of a 2-year demonstration project.  In addition, Ontario’s first civilian physician assistant education program will be offered at McMaster University in Hamilton with the first class of 20 students beginning this fall. Funding of $1.26 million is being provided to create and develop the education program.

Community Health Services

The province is investing an additional $127 million in community-based health services in 2008/09.  This increased funding will result in more community-based services provided by Community Care Access Centres as well as additional mental health, addiction and assisted living support services. Services for long-term care home residents will also be enhanced.

Mental Health

Sound Times Support Services in Toronto is planning for more space to provide mental health services to 500 clients. Funding of $687,000 is being provided to the consumer/survivor support program to purchase more property and to plan for the proposed expansion.

St. Michael’s Hospital

St. Michael’s Hospital will begin planning for a new critical care tower which would provide more treatment space for patients in Toronto.  A $6-million investment is going toward further planning for cancer, cardiac, neurology and orthopaedic services.

Mount Sinai Hospital

Day surgery, critical care and emergency room patients would benefit from improvements being planned for Mount Sinai Hospital. Funding of $5.5 million is being provided toward further planning for the expansion of the emergency room, consolidation of day surgery facilities and the relocation of the critical care unit.

Toronto East General Hospital

An investment of $5.2 million is going toward further planning at Toronto East General Hospital to provide patients with modern, state-of-the-art facilities at the hospital. The hospital plans to update outpatient care clinics, cardiac diagnostic lab, surgical and rehabilitation beds, mental health beds and the respiratory centre.

Assessing Hospital Facilities

Through the Facility Condition Assessment Program (FCAP) Ontario will be developing detailed information on the age and condition of the province’s hospital facilities.

Funding of $8.6 million is being provided to VFA Canada Corporation to conduct condition assessments of all hospital facilities across the province over the next 4 years. The data collected will assist hospitals and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in making plans and decisions about needed capital investments.

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