Stronger Hospitals, Better Care for York Region

MacKenzie Health

Major Funding Boost Will Reduce Wait Times, Address Capacity Issues and Provide Better Care Closer to Home

Richmond Hill, ON – Mar 23, 2018

Ontario is investing an additional $21.1 million in Mackenzie Health. This is part of the province’s commitment to invest an additional $822 million investment in Ontario hospitals in 2018/19- an increase of 4.6 per cent.

MPP Steven Del Duca and MPP Reza Moridi along with President and CEO Altaf Stationwala were at the new Mackenzie Vaughan Hospital site to explain how this major increase in hospital funding will provide better access to care, reduce wait times, address capacity issues and better meet the needs of York Region’s changing population.

This overall increase of 4.6 per cent across the province is on top of the 3.2 per cent provided last year — allowing hospitals to invest with more precision in the care and supports that address the specific needs of their patients and community.

Patients and families across Ontario will also directly benefit from this increased funding with the expansion of essential services to reduce wait times and priority procedures such as cardiac care, critical care, chemotherapy, treatment for strokes, hip and knee replacements, and medical imaging.

Increasing funding to hospitals and access to high-quality health care across the province is part of the government’s plan to support care, create opportunity and make life more affordable during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25, and 65 or over, through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.