Ontario Doing Even More to Connect People in South Georgian Bay to Care
Model of Care Innovation Fund championing local innovation to make it faster and easier to connect to mental health care
NEWS December 2, 2024
Collingwood, ON – Brian Saunderson, MPP for Simcoe-Grey was pleased to announce that the Ontario government is connecting more people to faster, more convenient care in Collingwood and area by investing $760,000 through the Models of Care Innovation Fund to support the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital.
“Healthcare is always a priority for our government and for the citizens and families in our riding,” said MPP Brian Saunderson. “Ensuring those delivering best-in-class healthcare on the frontline are utilizing the most innovative tools and techniques is vital as they support a growing and aging population.”
The Models of Care Innovation Fund is the province’s new $40 million fund focused on championing local innovation to provide more people with the right care, in the right place. This Fund supports health care partners such as hospitals, home care providers and Ontario Health Teams find new ways to maximize the skills and expertise of their highly skilled healthcare workforce to connect Ontarians to better services and care.
In Collingwood, the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital Community Treatment Team will use the funding to support CGMH’s new community-based mental health program, which will provide psychiatric care at home for individuals requiring ongoing mental health support. The program will offer regular visits from a multidisciplinary team, including psychiatrists, registered nurses, and other healthcare professionals, providing psychiatric assessment, treatment and stabilization, symptom management, medication management, practical support, and psychoeducation with coping skills.
“We are grateful for this funding and excited about this step forward for mental health services in our community,” says Rosemary Frketich, Vice President, Patient Services and Chief Nursing Executive at CGMH. “This program reflects the innovative thinking of our outpatient mental health team, who have worked hard to address a critical gap in access to care in South Georgian Bay. It’s a testament to CGMH’s ongoing commitment to expanding services and meeting the evolving needs of our community.”
“Our government is continuing to make it easier and faster for Ontario families to connect to the care they need, when they need it, for years to come,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, “Through the Models of Care Innovation Fund, we are continuing to support new and innovation solutions to provide more people, with the right care, in the right place, close to home.”
Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take action to strengthen the healthcare system so that it can continue to meet the needs of families, no matter where they live, for years to come.
QUICK FACTS
- Since 2018, Ontario has seen a record-breaking number of new health care professionals join the workforce, adding nearly 100,000 new nurses with another 30,000 nurses currently studying at Ontario colleges and universities.
- The province is investing over $500 million in specialized education and training for over 20,000 nurses to continue to bolster the health care workforce.
- Ontario is also continuing working with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) to reduce barriers for internationally educated nurses, allowing them to register to work in Ontario faster and start caring for Ontarians sooner.
- This is in addition to the $743 million investment, over three years, as part of the 2024 budget, to continue to address immediate health care staffing needs, as well as to grow the workforce for years to come.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES