Additional $1.8 million in operational funding announced for Sault Area Hospital

NEWS RELEASE
ROSS ROMANO, MPP FOR SAULT STE. MARIE
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Today, MPP Ross Romano announced that the Ontario government is delivering on its promise to reduce the strain on the healthcare system in Sault Ste. Marie.

At a press conference early Friday morning, MPP Romano announced that Sault Area Hospital will be receiving an additional $1.8 million in operational funding. This represents a 1.3 per cent increase in ongoing annual funding to meet current and future demands for regular services, as well as funding for increased cardiac care volumes.

"I am so grateful that we were able to secure this additional funding. This will help Sault Area Hospital continue to provide quality programs and services to ensure that patients and families have access to the reliable, high-quality care they expect and deserve," said MPP Ross Romano. "COVID-19 has been an incredible challenge for us all and our front-line healthcare workers have been fighting to keep us all safe. It is incumbent on us to ensure that our hospital and those working within it, have the necessary resources to continue to do exceptional work to protect our community."

“We appreciate and welcome this funding support from our MPP Ross Romano and the provincial government. These funds will be used in day-to-day operations to help us provide quality programs and services to our patients, and this incremental funding will help the hospital fund inflationary expenses. Funding for our cardiac program will benefit our cardiac patients and the residents of Algoma,” says Wendy Hansson, president and CEO of Sault Area Hospital.

“It is paramount that members of our community have access to high quality health care, and I want to recognize the Provincial government for its support of Sault Area Hospital. Given the pressures on the health care system, in particular during COVID-19, ongoing support is needed in order to maintain access to the front-line services required by our residents,” said Mayor Christian Provenzano.

This announcement is part of an additional $935 million investment by the provincial government in hospitals through Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19. This new funding provides $594 million in support for Ontario hospitals to meet their current and future demands.

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