Ontario Government Invests In Strategy to Improve ER Efficiency

Waterloo Region - Residents of Waterloo Region will benefit from more than $2.3 million in funding to help local hospitals reduce emergency room (ER) wait times. The funding includes $1,330,400 for Grand River Hospital and $1,059,900 for St. Mary’s General Hospital.

For the second year in a row, the Ontario government is funding a comprehensive ER strategy which includes:

$55 million for a Pay for Results program which will give 46 hospitals with challenged ERs incentives to reduce ER wait times. Grand River and St. Mary’s General Hospitals will receive $2,390,300 to improve ER performance.

$4.9 million to help ease ambulance offload delays by providing dedicated nurses to care for patients who arrive at ERs by ambulance. The Region of Waterloo will receive $138,889 to hire nurses through this program.

$4.1 million to have physician assistants work in ERs across the province. A portion of this funding will allow St. Mary’s General Hospital to hire a physician assistant in their emergency department.

$6.5 million for community projects.

$7.5 million for a performance fund targeting emergency rooms facing the largest challenges. The fund provides information technology enhancements and coaching teams to improve hospital efficiency. As a result, the LHIN is working with all of the hospitals in the area to pilot the Process Improvement Program (PIP) for Ontario.

$4 million to promote appropriate alternatives to the ER. These initiatives are aimed at improving the overall performance of hospital ERs across the province.

“Our government is working with the province’s hospitals to ensure our ERs are running as efficiently as possible,” said John Milloy, MPP Kitchener Centre. “Our ER strategy, along with our improvements to community services for seniors, will help to reduce the time people spend in ERs.”