South West LHIN Investing in Small and Rural Hospitals

Additional Funding for Patient Care, Closer to Home

TORONTO, Aug. 27, 2015 /CNW/ - Small and rural hospitals in the South West LHIN are benefiting from two types of investments that will ensure residents have improved access to care closer to home.

The first investment is through the provincial Small and Rural Hospital Transformation Fund. At its July 21, 2015 board meeting, the South West LHIN Board of Directors approved $4,776,100 in funding for 16 projects at 17 small and rural hospital sites across the LHIN. The Small and Rural Hospital Transformation Fund aims to improve collaboration between small and rural hospitals and community partners. Approved projects fall into five categories:

• Technology
• Health human resources and training
• Integration, collaboration and care coordination
• Clinical improvements and standards
• Knowledge exchange and translation

A list of approved projects and project partners can be found in Appendix A, and further information can be found on our website.

The second type of investment is a 1% base funding increase for small hospitals to improve patient care close to home. The funding is through the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care which is investing $7 million in small hospitals across the province. The total amount invested in South West LHIN hospitals is over $1.5 million. This funding will help more than 50 hospitals across Ontario improve care for patients through measures such as:

• Reducing wait times
• Providing staff with additional clinical education
• Expanding programs in partnership with community organizations

A complete list of hospitals receiving the 1% base increase can be found in Appendix B.

BACKGROUND

• The Small and Rural Transformation Fund was initially announced in 2012 and renewed as a three year commitment in the 2013/14 Ontario budget. The fund provides $20 million per year in one-time funding to small and rural hospitals.
• The South West LHIN has received $4,776,100 per year.
• There are 33 hospital sites in the South West LHIN and 17 of them qualify as small and rural.
• For eligibility, a small hospital is defined as having fewer than 2,700 acute inpatient/day surgery weighted cases in any two of the past three years.
• Rural is defined as being in a community with 30,000 or fewer people, and located more than a 30-minute drive, at posted speeds, from a community with a population greater than 30,000.

QUOTES

"Small and rural hospitals not only play an important role in the health system, they are also the    heart of many small communities in our region. Investments in these hospitals ensure residents have better access to high quality care, regardless of where they live in the South West LHIN."
– Jeff Low, Board Chair, South West LHIN

"This funding is an important investment to assist our small and rural hospitals improve patient quality and safety. The funds allow them to make investments in new technology, training and processes to provide better care for the patients in their communities." – Michael Barrett, CEO, South West LHIN

"We are pleased to receive these additional funds to support several projects and initiatives at Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance. These investments speak to both the importance of rural healthcare services, and the value of partnering with other small and rural hospitals to enhance the quality of services we deliver to patients every day." – Karl Ellis, President and CEO, Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance

Appendix A: Small and Rural Hospitals Transformation Fund 2015-2016

Project	Partners	Funding
Senior Friendly Hospital Strategic Roadmap Development	Listowel Memorial Hospital, Wingham and District Hospital, Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital, Alexandra Hospital, South Bruce Grey Health Centre, North Perth Family Health Team	$300,000
Implementation of PharmNet	South Huron Hospital Association	$60,000
Back office integration	South Bruce Grey Health Centre, Hanover and District Hospital, Grey Bruce Health Services	$100,000
Regional Electronic Documentation Refresh	Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance, Alexandra Marine and General Hospital	$500,000
Cerner Regional Project to Interface Point of Care Glucometer and iStat Point of Care Diagnostic Services	Listowel Memorial Hospital, Wingham and District Hospital, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, Middlesex Hospital Alliance, London Health Sciences Centre, Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital, Alexandra Hospital	$50,000
Digital dictation/voice recognition	Four Counties Health Services, South Huron Hospital Association, Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance, Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital	$350,000
Cerner Optimization Project	South Bruce Grey Health Centre, Hanover and District Hospital, Grey Bruce Health Services	$1,800,000
Huron Perth Tripartite Study Advancement – Pharmacist and Medication Process Support	Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance, Ritz Lutheran Villa, Knollcrest Lodge	$150,000
Elevating leadership and staff alignment, competency, and capacity to drive results	Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, Hanover and District Hospital	$175,000
Facilitating improved laboratory services utilization through guidelines/education for physician ordering	Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance, Hanover and District Hospital	$75,000
Point of Care Competency Training Video	Hanover and District Hospital, Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance	$25,000
Regional Learning Management System Implementation	Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance, Alexandra Marine and General Hospital	$200,000
Huron Perth Tripartite Study Advancement – Corporate Services Shared Resources	Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance, Ritz Lutheran Villa, Knollcrest Lodge	$200,000
Regional Cardiovascular Information Management System	Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance, Alexandra Marine and General Hospital	$600,000
Rural Wi-Fi System Expansion	Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance, Alexandra Marine and General Hospital	$150,000
Videoconferencing equipment replacement	Four Counties Health Services	$41,100
	TOTAL	$4,776,100

Appendix B: Hospitals receiving 1% base funding increases in 2015-2016

Hospital	1% Base Increase Receiving
Four Counties Health Services Corporation	$83,600
Clinton Public Hospital	$92,500
South Huron Hospital Association	$70,600
Alexandra Marine and General Hospital	$163,300
Hanover and District Hospital	$134,200
Alexandra Hospital	$132,100
Listowel Memorial Hospital	$139,700
St. Marys Memorial Hospital	$75,500
Seaforth Community Hospital	$69,500
Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital	$206,300
Wingham and District Hospital	$120,000
South Bruce Grey Health Centre	$301,200
South West LHIN TOTAL	$1,588,500

SOURCE South West Local Health Integration Network

Ashley Jackson, Director, Communications and Community Engagement, 519-672-0445 ext. 2604, 1-866-294-5446, [email protected]