Hospital Funding to Come With Accountability
In late February Ontario’s Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, George Smitherman announced an additional $385 million in funding to help cash-strapped hospitals cover their operating deficits and hire more nurses. Mr. Smitherman, however, warned hospitals there will be no future bail-outs.
To obtain the funding,
hospitals will be required to enter into performance agreements with the
province, spelling out things like, service delivery goals, patient volumes,
and waiting list reduction targets. Mr. Smitherman promised “a relationship
that for the first time ties funding to results, rewards good performance
and has real consequences for poor performance.” The Ontario Hospital
Association has expressed concerns that the new relationship and powers
provided to the province by Bill 8 will undermine the authority of hospital
Boards.
A key element of that new relationship, according to the Minister, will
be stable, long-term hospital funding, designed to enable hospitals to
do the planning necessary to achieve the new performance levels.
Noting that currently only 57% of nurses have full-time jobs, Mr. Smitherman earmarked $50 million exclusively for the hiring of more full-time nurses and to improving the safety and working conditions of nurses.
For more information
please visit: http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2004/02/24/c3424.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html
or
http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/media/speeches/archives/sp_04/sp_022404.html
Source: United Ways of Ontario's Government Relations Bulletin - Issue dd March 16, 2004
Other news ...
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Hospital Funding to Come With Accountability
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Province Beefs up Family Responsibility Office
New Public Policy Resource for Non-profits and Charities
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Courts Upholds Charitable Property Tax Exemption
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Page last updated March 18, 2004