What David O. is doing for nurses

NEWS RELEASE FROM SAULT MPP DAVID ORAZIETTI

************************** Orazietti announces $660,000 for new nursing positions

Sault Ste. Marie - Today, David Orazietti, MPP announced that Sault Ste. Marie will be receiving $660,000 in additional funding to hire more full-time nurses.

Orazietti said, "It is essential we begin the process of re-building our province’s health care system and this initiative marks another promise that our government is delivering. The previous government took nurses for granted, they failed to recognize the essential role nurses play in our hospitals and long-term care centres and so we are working hard to reverse that trend."

The investment announced today is part of the first wave of positions out of the 2004 budget.

This $25 million total investment will create 400 new full-time positions in Ontario’s community hospitals.

The Plan For Change budget investment will create more than 2,000 new full-time positions in hospitals, long-term care, home care and primary care in 2004/5.

This will grow to 8,000 positions in four years.

"SAH is grateful to the provincial government for this funding announcement. The recent provincial budget announced new healthcare investments in several areas, such as nursing, community mental health, homecare and public health," said Brady Irwin, Vice President of Public Affairs at Sault Area Hospitals.

"SAH is optimistic about the impact of these investments on hospital care."

Our government has committed to hiring more nurses over the next four years and this is just one of several initiatives that will help rebuild health care in Ontario.

In our provincial budget we also committed to additional health-care re-investments to give Ontarians the health care they need and deserve:

• $191 million for long-term care reform to hire 2000 new staff including at least 600 nurses and to ensure all residents have access to a registered nurse 24/7

• $14 million for hospitals to purchase equipment such as hydraulic lifts and electric beds to improve patient safety and the work-environment for Ontario nurses.

• An additional 36,000 cardiac procedures per year, by 2007-08

• An additional 2,300 joint replacements each year, by 2007-08

• Funding 9 new MRI and CT sites

• An additional 9,000 cataract surgeries per year

• More than $600 million to support and reform primary care for 2004-05

• An additional $14 million in 2004-05 for community health centres

• Providing home care for an additional 95,700 Ontarians by 2007-08

• Providing end-of-life care to another 6,000 Ontarians in their home by 2007-08

• An additional invested in long-term care of $406 million growing to $546 million by 2007-08

• Community-based mental health services to an additional 78,600 Ontarians

• An immediate increase in public health of $273 million, growing to $469 million by 2007-08

"Last month I celebrated nursing week by going to four different health care centres and gaining a greater understanding of the many challenges nurses face in Sault Ste. Marie," said Orazietti.

"Our government is committed to strengthening the nursing profession which is vital to building a stronger health care system in Ontario."

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