12 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Lakeridge Confirms Bowmanville to join the on- investing $272 million to help Commitment to call weekend group at seniors receive needed health Bowmanville Lakeridge Health Oshawa. services in the comfort and Staying in Touch Lakeridge Health Corp- Once again, I would like to dignity of their own homes MPP John O’Toole oration announced last week thank the physicians in and communities. The fund- that it remains committed to Bowmanville for being such ing will also help decrease the keeping Emergency Room strong advocates for our hos- number of alternate level of and Acute Care Services in pital. They were joined by care (ALC) patients in hospi- As long ago as 2002, Bowmanville. Lakeridge also many other healthcare profes- tals. ALC patients require a Saskatchewan passed legisla- said it will continue efforts to sionals, hospital volunteers, high level of care and support. tion allowing retirees 100% recruit additional internist businesses, individuals and The funding will assist in the access to locked-in pensions. coverage for the families who understand the timely transfer of patients Pensioners Denied Access To my knowledge, there has Bowmanville site. In addi- importance of quality health- from hospitals to more appro- to Their Own Money been no squandering of tion, it has announced that care provided close to home. priate services. The follow- In the Ontario Legislature money by seniors in when a Bowmanville special- Until the provincial govern- ing are some of the highlights this month, Liberal MPPs Saskatchewan just because ist is not available, a specialist ment recognizes that commu- from the funding as they voted against a Bill that the government no longer at Lakeridge Health Oshawa nity hospitals are just as affect the Central East Local would have given Ontario stops them from accessing will be available for consulta- important as the larger "super- Health Integration Network retirees control over access to their pension nest eggs as they tions using new state-of-the- hospitals," Ontario communi- (LHIN). Central East includes their own pensions. Bill 116 see fit. Ontario's pensioners at video conferencing equip- ties must continue to be advo- most hospitals serving was introduced by Halton will be equally responsible in ment. Through the Ontario cates for retaining full servic- Durham Region and Durham MPP Ted Chudleigh and handling their own money, Telemedicine Network es at local hospitals. It is Riding, with the exception of would have changed the law and I am disappointed that our (OTN), more than 42,000 encouraging to see that some Uxbridge Cottage Hospital so that seniors could access provincial government ap- clinical consultations were progress has been made, but that is part of the Central 100% of their locked-in pen- pears to think otherwise. The conducted in Ontario last there is more to be done. The LHIN. sion money. Currently, May 14 vote on second read- year. This telemedicine con- priority has to be providing The Central East LHIN retirees are only able to access ing of Bill 116 was lost by a ferencing will be used in equal funding based on popu- receives $7,012,500 for half of these assets. In my count of 7-26. All votes Bowmanville. Lakeridge lation needs. 2009/10 for Community Care view, Ted Chudleigh's Bill against were from Liberal Hea-lth has also indicated that Access Centres. Under the would have brought a wel- MPPs while the Bill received full surgical services will be Ontario Expands Aging at Aging at Home Strategy, the come end to a policy in which support from all present PC available Monday-Friday Home Programs Central East LHIN receives the government treats seniors' and NDP Members. MPP with reasonable evening cov- Last week, the Province of $11,535,688. The Province of own locked-in pension money Leeanna Pendergast was the erage. The proposed plan Ontario announced an expan- Ontario is allocating $22 mil- as if it were an allowance to sole Liberal supporter of the calls for general surgeons at sion of its Aging at Home lion to the 14 LHINs for children. Ontario's seniors Bill. Lakeridge Health Program. The province is improved ER performance and pensioners deserve better. and reducing the number of alternative level of care (ALC) patients in hospitals. The Central East LHIN's share of this funding is $1,688,675. In addition, each of the 14 LHINs will be allocated $250,000 to establish out- reach teams led by nurses. These teams will provide res- idents in long-term care facil- ities with timely and appro- priate care as well as stabiliz- ing residents who need more urgent attention. These teams of nurse practitioners and reg- istered nurses travel to long- term care homes to assess urgent problems, determine the need for hospital care, and provide interventions such as intravenous therapy, antibiot- ic management and oxygen administration.