Announcement of Emergency Department Action Plan
For the Attention of Hospital CEOs, CFOs, OHA Board of Directors and CACN Members
From Hilary Short,President and CEO
Announcement of Emergency Department Action Plan
Today the Government of Ontario announced that it would commit $142.4 million to implement a three-point Emergency Department Action Plan designed to stabilize and improve access to hospital emergency departments. The plan includes:
- $13.2 million to retain and recruit emergency room physicians and launch pilot projects to add physician assistants and nurse practitioners to emergency rooms.
- $76.8 million “Emergency Care Fund”, designed to increase hospitals’ capacity to deliver emergency services and optimize resources to improve patient access. This fund includes:
o $10 million for which hospitals can apply for initiatives that support Emergency Departments
o $15 million to facilitate improvements in ER procedures in all hospitals
o $7.5 million for additional critical care beds under the Critical Care Strategy
o $2.5 million for Emergency Department Coaching Teams and an Emergency Department Flow Toolkit
o $1.8 million to fund five Critical Care Response Teams (CCRTs) consisting of intensive care physicians, intensive care nurses and Respiratory Therapists
o $10 million for small and rural hospitals
o $30 million for hospitals in areas of high population growth
- $52.4 million to support current community-based services and provide more services in the community. The plan also includes the construction of 1750 new long-term care beds, and the replacement of 662 long-term care beds.
Details of this announcement, including individual hospital funding breakdowns, are available at:
http://www.health.gov.on.ca.
The government’s plan is based on the “Improving Access to Emergency Care: Addressing System Issues” study, developed in partnership by the OHA, the Ontario Medical Association and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Today’s investment in health human resources, hospital services and community funding recognizes that a comprehensive approach is needed to stabilize and strengthen access to emergency room services. The Ontario Hospital Association strongly supports the creation of the Emergency Care Fund and additional funding targeted at hospitals in high growth areas, as well as small hospitals, as important ways of ensuring stable and ongoing access to emergency room care for Ontario’s patients.
In the time ahead, the OHA will continue to work together with our system partners in implementing these solutions to the problems facing our emergency departments.
If you have any questions about this announcement, please contact Anthony Dale, Vice President, Policy and Public Affairs, by telephone at 416-205-1348 or by email at adale@oha.com, or Lou Reidel, Director, Health Finance and Research, by telephone at 416-205-1320 or by email at lreidel@oha.com