Ontario provides an additional $15,654,300 for Quinte Health hospitals this year

BAY OF QUINTE – The Ontario government is investing an additional $15,654,300 at Quinte Health this year to deliver faster, more hospital care in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties and neighbouring communities. 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 communities they serve now, and for the years to come.

“In our growing communities, Quinte Health hospitals are being relied upon to deliver increased care volume, while maintaining the high standards patients and families expect. This significant investment builds upon a trend of increased allocations, ensuring reliable support and capacity to meet our local needs,” said Todd Smith, MPP for Bay of Quinte.

Ric Bresee, MPP for Hastings-Lennox and Addington, added: “Residents throughout Hastings-Lennox and Addington, specifically in Hastings County, count on the services provided by Quinte Health. Through our government’s commitment to improving access to health care services across the province, this increase in funding will allow Quinte Heath to continue to innovate and adapt in serving our communities in the Quinte and North Hastings region and expand its services for all of those they serve.”

Through this investment Ontario is delivering operating budget increases of at least two-to-four percent to hospital operating budgets for the second year in a row. It also included specialized funding for hospitals experiencing significant growth. The annualization for Quinte Health represents a 7.7-per-cent increase, following a 3.4-per-cent increase last year.

The funding will help hospitals 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, neuro services, orthopedics, and cataracts) so that people can connect to care faster.

Stacey Daub, the President and Chief Executive Officer at Quinte Health, welcomed the news.

“Today’s investment represents a hard-fought, long overdue step forward for communities served by Quinte Health. While one-time financial gestures have helped offset the ongoing operation of unfunded and underfunded beds necessary to serve our growing and aging population, this new permanent funding is categorically different. This is an important step in an ongoing journey toward establishing
the necessary funding levels critical to serve our community. This funding enables our mighty Quinte Health family to continuously improve and innovate as we expand to meet the growing needs of our population,” said Daub.

“It’s with enormous gratitude that I acknowledge the tenacious support extended by MPP Todd Smith, MPP Ric Bresee, Ontario Health, the Ministry of Health, and our municipal partners, in our collective efforts to validate and action the funding levels necessary to meet the sustained demand our teams are, and will continue, to experience at Quinte Health.”

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. Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones said this investment is key to that process.

“Our government is continuing to make record investments in our publicly funded health care system to connect families across the province to the care they need, when they need it,” said Jones. “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.”

ADDITIONAL QUOTES

“Today’s announcement is welcome news for the citizens of Belleville. With our city continuing to develop and grow at an incredible rate, so too does the strain on our health care system. These funds will provide Quinte Health with additional support to help meet the ever-growing demands of our community.”

Neil Ellis, Mayor, City of Belleville

“I am thrilled to see this additional funding allocation for Quinte Health which will provide more opportunities for advancement in critical health services for our County and region as a whole. Quinte Health is integral to the local health care systems. As our population ages and we experience growth in our region, having capacity within our local hospitals is imperative.”

Warden Bob Mullin, Hastings County.

“Our local hospital plays a central role in building health and wellness in our community. The staff and physicians at Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital do an incredible job providing the best possible care. It’s critically important that investments continue to be made so that our local hospitals can continue to meet the complex and ever-growing health-care needs across the Quinte region.”

Steve Ferguson, Mayor, Prince Edward County

“I want to extend our gratitude to MPP Todd Smith and the Province for this remarkable news of an annualization increase of 7.7 per cent for Quinte Health. This money is vital to the daily operations of our dedicated medical professionals providing high-quality health care services in our communities, as well as our continual effort in recruiting skilled medical professionals to the Quinte area.”

Jim Harrison, Mayor, City of Quinte West

QUICK FACTS
▪The province’s $965 million investment through Budget 2024, represents a four-per-cent 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-per-cent 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 RESOURCE
▪ Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care – www.ontario.ca/page/your-health