May 24, 2007

SUDBURY –The McGuinty government is ensuring Sudbury area residents can count on access to a modern and well-planned health care infrastructure by giving St. Joseph’s Health Centre approval to proceed with its 64-bed Complex Continuing Care redevelopment project. This approval was announced today by the Honourable Rick Bartolucci, MPP for Sudbury, on behalf of Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman.

“Today we confirm the McGuinty government’s commitment to the people of Sudbury with a new facility to meet the needs of our community’s Complex Continuing Care patients,” said Mr. Bartolucci. “This is another important step in ensuring the health care needs of our community are being met.”

The 64-bed Complex Continuing Care redevelopment project will accommodate the relocation of the Complex Continuing Care beds from Hôpital régional de Sudbury Regional Hospital and will be co-located with the 128 long-term care beds at St. Joseph’s Health Centre.

“Sudbury residents in need of complex continuing care have always been able to count on receiving high quality care from our front line health professionals,” said Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman. “Today’s announcement means that they will now receive this care in a more modern setting – one specifically designed to support the needs of both patients and their health care providers.”

“We are delighted the government has responded and acted on this project. St. Joseph’s Health Centre has an important role to play in expanding the range of services available to patients needing specialized complex care. Once built, these additional beds will assist in alleviating the pressure on acute services at the Sudbury Regional Hospital. We are grateful that the government has recognized the significant contribution that the Sisters of St. Joseph can make in meeting the health care needs in our community” said Jo-Anne Palkovits, President and CEO of St. Joseph's Health Centre.

The St. Joseph’s Health Centre project is one of many approved under ReNew Ontario, the government’s five year, $30 plus billion infrastructure plan investment plan, which commits more than $5 billion to health care infrastructure. ReNew Ontario is a plan to modernize and replace many of the province’s hospitals, schools and post-secondary institutions. This will also support the provincial economy through investments in transportation, transit and research.

This is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians have achieved results in healthcare. Other initiatives include :

• Investing $5 billion in modernizing and expanding health care facilities by 2010 to meet the needs of the province’s growing and aging population;
• Investing $143 million in an Emergency Department Action Plan, which contains system-wide solutions to ensure emergency rooms stay open and increase capacity in the health care system to meet the needs of Ontario patients;
• Reducing wait times for five key health care services (hip and knee joint replacement, cataract surgeries, MRI exams, cancer surgeries and cardiac procedures).

Today’s initiative is part of the McGuinty government’s plan for innovation in public health care, building a system that delivers on three priorities – keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.

For further information :

Members of the general public :
416-327-4327, or 1-866-532-3161

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