(File Photo) MPP Daryl Kramp (here speaking at a KHSC event in March) recently announced an additional $45 million in funding for KHSC.
(File Photo) MPP Daryl Kramp (here speaking at a KHSC event in March) recently announced an additional $45 million in funding for KHSC.
Credit
Matthew Manor

Kingston Health Sciences Centre will soon be receiving over $45 million in funding following an announcement by Hastings-Lennox and Addington MPP Daryl Kramp earlier this week. For KHSC, the announcement included over $32 million to secure the continued operation of 95 patient beds, as well as 3.5 per cent boost to the organization’s operating budget starting in 2022/23, totaling an additional $13.6 million. 

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our local hospitals -- at both the staff and management levels – have gone above and beyond to provide exceptional care to patients and families in our region,” said MPP Kramp. “This new investment is part of our support for high-quality and timely access to health care to ensure we have the capacity to stay open.”

As part of the government’s ‘Plan to Stay Open,’ Ontario is implementing a capital plan expansion with more than 50 major projects that will add 3,000 new beds over 10 years and invest to support the continuation of over 3,100 acute and post-acute beds in hospitals and alternate health care facilities.

At KHSC, the $32 million will be used to fund the ongoing operation of beds that were opened through the course of the pandemic. This includes 45 total acute care beds at the Hotel Dieu Hospital site, which have been critical to navigating the pandemic, as well as 50 post-acute care beds at an offsite retirement home.

These 50 post-acute beds have been used to accommodate KHSC patients who no longer are in need of in-hospital care, but require continued support while they wait for an available space at a local long-term care facility, freeing up in-hospital space for patients with more specialized needs.

“We are delighted to hear about the additional funding targeted at the Kingston area with this announcement,” says KHSC President and CEO Dr. David Pichora. “Throughout the pandemic, we have repeatedly demonstrated the vital role that KHSC plays in anchoring the South Eastern Ontario region. This kind of investment is critical in the ongoing advancement of KHSC as a provincial leader among academic health sciences centres as well as ensuring that our community continues to get much needed services, close to home.”

The announcement also included $5.2 million in funding for 10 beds at Providence Care (PC) as well as an $1.8 million dollar boost in 2022/23. An additional $500,000 in funding was also announced for Lennox and Addington County General Hospital in Napanee in 2022/23.

The funds are part of the government’s $827 million additional investment to hospitals across the province. This will ensure all publicly funded hospitals receive a minimum two per cent increase to their operating budgets to help them better meet patient needs, while building a stronger, more resilient health care system.

“Ontario’s hospitals have been unwavering in their commitment to protect the health and wellbeing of Ontarians, and our government is committed to ensuring that they have the resources needed to recover from the pandemic and meet the ongoing needs of the communities they serve,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By increasing investments in hospitals province wide, our government is helping to ensure that patients have access to the high-quality care they need, when and where they need it.”