KGH receives funding boost from Province

All three Kingston hospitals recently received some good news from the Provincial Government as Kingston and the Islands MPP Sophie Kiwala announced new funding for Kingston General Hospital, Hotel Dieu Hospital and Providence Care.

KGH will receive an additional $890,900 in base funding this year, while Hotel Dieu will receives $284,600 and Providence Care receives an additional $1.57 million.

“Our three hospitals, serving Kingston and our surrounding communities, will benefit greatly from this investment which will help decrease wait times and hospital stays, and will ensure that patients continue to receive high-quality care,” MPP Kiwala said during her announcement.

The money is part of a $140 million dollar funding envelope that was unveiled by Ontario Minister of Finance Charles Sousa during his recent 2016 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review.

The money has not been allocated to any specific program here at KGH and will be added to the hospital’s operating budget.

“Over the past few years we have seen an increase in patient volumes and increased demands for service from patients,” says Interim President and CEO Jim Flett. “This new funding will help us meet the needs of our patients during this busy time.”

Combined with an earlier funding increase of $345 million for Ontario hospitals announced as part of the 2016 Provincial budget, this recent announcement means that all hospitals in Ontario have received, at a minimum, a two per cent increase to their base funding this year.

“Across the South East LHIN, our hospitals have been working hard to improve access to high quality care within tight fiscal constraints,” says Paul Huras, CEO of the South East Local Health Integration Network. “This will help to ensure that patients across our region continue to receive excellent care in hospital, and are well supported as they transition through the health care system.“