OHC in the News

Hospital merger? Fighting the LHIN spin, The Lindsay Advocate, October 29, 2018

Hospital merger? Fighting the LHIN spin Published on October 29, 2018 in Around Town/Columnists/Community/Health by Trevor Hutchinson Experts like Natalie Mehra of the Ontario Health Coalition have warned us that our local hospital is at risk. And as concerned residents continue to await more information on the proposed integration of the Ross Memorial Hospital (RMH) and the Peterborough Regional […]

Rally for the Ross Monday to stop merger; Toronto rally attracts thousands, The Lindsay Advocate, October 25, 2018

Rally for the Ross Monday to stop merger; Toronto rally attracts thousands Published on October 25, 2018 in by Roderick Benns “Hands Off Our Health Care” chanted a capacity crowd of about 8,000 people — including people from Kawartha Lakes — who joined hands and encircled Queen’s Park earlier in the week at the largest rally at the […]

Thousands rally against health care cuts at Queen’s Park, Global News, October 24, 2018

October 24, 2018 4:31 pm Thousands rally against health care cuts at Queen’s Park By Mark GiuntaVideographer, Backup News & Sports Anchor Global News The Ontario Health Coalition is calling on the Ford Government to expand public health care services while preventing cuts to the sector. – A A + Listen Armed with signs and flags, the Ontario Health Coalition […]

Thousands rally against health care cuts at Queen’s Park, Global News, October 24, 2018

Thousands rally against health care cuts at Queen’s Park By Mark GiuntaVideographer, Backup News & Sports Anchor Global News The Ontario Health Coalition is calling on the Ford Government to expand public health care services while preventing cuts to the sector. Armed with signs and flags, the Ontario Health Coalition marched at Queen’s Park on Tuesday. […]

Health Care Workers Rally at Queen’s Park, CP 24, October 23, 2018

https://www.cp24.com/video?clipId=1521438

Ontario Health Coalition Rally at Queen’s Park, CP24, October 23, 2018

Ontario Health Coalition Rally at Queen’s Park, CP24, October 23, 2018 Live video coverage: http://Ontario Health Coalition Rally at Queen’s Park, CP24, October 23, 2018

Londoners to join rally at Queen’s Park to call for end to ‘hallway medicine’, Global News 980 CFPL, Oct 23

Londoners to join rally at Queen’s Park to call for end to ‘hallway medicine’ The front entrance of Ontario’s Legislative Building at Queen’s Park. Nick Westoll / File / Global News – A A + Listen Londoners will be part of a massive rally at Queen’s Park Tuesday organized to call on the provincial government to end so-called […]

Niagara residents rallying for health care, The St. Catharines Standard, Oct 17, 2018

Niagara residents rallying for health care Queen’s Park rally planned for Oct. 23 News Oct 17, 2018 by Allan Benner The St. Catharines Standard Subject: stethascope on 18/November/2010, at 4:54 pm, wynn, spencer wrote: – File photo Long-awaited new hospitals, an overdose prevention site and adequate funding for mental health services are among the […]

Ontario Health Coalition to rally against heathcare cuts, Sarnia News, October 14, 2018

Ontario Health Coalition to rally against heathcare cuts BY LEE MICHAELSOCTOBER 14, 2018 6:53AM The Ontario Health Coalition fears the Ford government intends to make revenue cuts that could prove disastrous to the healthcare system. Local President Shirley Roebuck said the system is already in crisis. “Ontario has fewer hospital beds than almost all other […]

Ernst + Young “Line by Line” Review Biased and Unhelpful: Ontario Health Coalition, Sault online, Sept 25, 2018

Ernst + Young “Line by Line” Review Biased and Unhelpful: Ontario Health Coalition By Content Team Natalie Mehra – Executive Director, OHC. photo courtesy Ontario Health Coalition. Ernst + Young “Line by Line” Review Biased and Unhelpful: Health Coalition Warns it is Just Repackaging of Same Old Ideas that Have Led to Cuts, Restructuring and […]

Fighting for health care, Waterloo Region Record, September 24, 2018

Fighting for health care NEWS 07:30 AM Waterloo Region Record Jim Stewart, co-chair of the Waterloo Region Health Coaltion watches as Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Care Coalition, speaks to a small crowd at Speaker’s Corner in Kitchener on Saturday. The rally was held to bring attention to the Progressive Conservative’s plans to cut […]

Coalition rallying to guard public health care, The Sarnia Observer, September 20, 2018

Coalition rallying to guard public health care Local Ontario Health Coalition chapters looking for funding to attend Oct. 23 rally at Queen’s Park Tyler Kula Published on: September 20, 2018 Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra was in Sarnia in May as part of a provincial tour calling for more investment in hospitals and […]

Health coalition fears job losses, service impacts if Peterborough and Lindsay hospitals amalgamate, Global News, September 14, 2018

Health coalition fears job losses, service impacts if Peterborough and Lindsay hospitals amalgamate By Greg DavisVideographer/Online Journalist Global News NEWS: ONTARIO HEALTH COALITION WARNS OF SERVICE AND JOB CUTS IF PETERBOROUGH AND LINDSAY HOSPITALS AMALGAMATEX As Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay continue discussions over amalgamation, voices are being raised over the […]

Resistance is not futile: Fight for Ross Memorial because threat to services is real, says OHC, Then Lindsay Advocate, September 13, 2018

NEWS. COMMUNITY. WELLNESS. Natalie Mehra, of the OHC, says speak up to save Ross Memorial’s services. Resistance is not futile: Fight for Ross Memorial because threat to services is real, says OHC Published on September 13, 2018 in Around Town/Community/Health/Seniors by Trevor Hutchinson In a scathing indictment of hospital mergers that have occurred with shocking regularity across Ontario the […]

Ontario Health Coalition raises concerns about amalgamation of Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Ross Memorial Hospital administration, Peterborough Examiner, September 13, 2018

Ontario Health Coalition raises concerns about amalgamation of Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Ross Memorial Hospital administration by Jessica Nyznik Examiner Staff Writer About 25 citizens attend the Ontario Health Coalition meeting on integration between PRHC and Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay on Thursday September 13, 2018 at the Lions Community Centre in Peterborough, Ont. – […]

Ontario Health Coalition warns of hospital amalgamation consequences, CHEX – Global News, September 10, 2018

THE MORNING SHOW ON CHEX https://globalnews.ca/video/4437816/ontario-health-coalition-warns-of-hospital-amalgamation-consequences September 10 2018 11:11am Ontario Health Coalition warns of hospital amalgamation consequences A proposed plan to merge the Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Ross Memorial Hospital has been raising some eyebrows within the Ontario Health Coalition. Executive director, Natalie Mehra, joined The Morning Show today to talk about two […]

Ontario health care needs ‘system transformation’: Elliott, Toronto Sun, September 7, 2018

Ontario health care needs ‘system transformation’: Elliott Canadian PressMore from Canadian Press Published:September 7, 2018 Ontario Deputy Premier Christine Elliott talks with journalists following Question Period at the Ontario Legislature in Toronto on Wednesday, August 1, 2018.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young Ontario’s new government will uphold a promise to address hospital overcrowding but any action taken […]

Health Coalition organizes meetings to talk about proposed merger’s impact, The Lindsay Advocate, September 6, 2018

“We believe that the proposed integration will be devastating, with centralized surgeries, rehabilitation and palliative care moved.” Health Coalition organizes meetings to talk about proposed merger’s impact Published on September 6, 2018 in Around Town/Community/Health/Local News/Seniors by Trevor Hutchinson Citizens concerned about the impact of the proposed ‘integration’ of the Ross Memorial Hospital and the Peterborough Regional Health Centre […]

Reopening closed health-care services urgent, says watchdog. Who suffers from cuts to public services? The public. Toronto Star, Labour Day 2018

Reopening closed health-care services urgent, says watchdog Who suffers from cuts to public services? The public. When the Ontario government sent an internal memo announcing a hiring freeze for the public sector early this summer, they set the province on a course for reduced public services and more precarious jobs. These changes will have a deeply negative […]

Planned hospital merger could be big risk for Ross Memorial, The Lindsay Advocate, August 15, 2018

Planned hospital merger could be big risk for Ross Memorial Published on August 15, 2018 in Around Town/Community/Health/Seniors by Trevor Hutchinson On November 20, 1902, medical experts travelled by train to Lindsay to be part of the opening of the $80,000 Ross Memorial Hospital, named in honour of the benefactor James L. Ross’ parents. At the time it was […]

Letter to the Editor: Thunder Bay Health Coalition shares OCHU’s concerns about hospital cuts, tbnewswatch, August 6, 2018

Letter to the Editor: Thunder Bay Health Coalition shares OCHU’s concerns about hospital cuts Michael Hurley of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) warned us of job cuts and bed closures at the Regional Health Sciences Centre here in Thunder Bay. Aug 6, 2018 1:55 PM by: Community Submission To the editor: On June 18th Michael Hurley of […]

Campbell, Ford no friends of public health care

(July 30, 2018) By: Jules Tupker, The Chronicle Journal CUPE’s (Candian Union of Public Employees) recent warning of job cuts and bed closures needs to be taken very seriously by everyone in Ontario. In Thunder Bay, our hospital budgeted for a $5-million shortfall in the 2017-18 fiscal year. The Liberal government last year realized that […]

Proposed PC spending cuts could lead to hospital bed closures, union says CUPE says Thunder Bay hospitals could lose up to 71 beds

(July 30, 2018) By: CBC News Hospitals such as the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre could lose up to 71 beds if the Ford government proceeds with spending cuts promised during the election campaign, according to the hospital division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). (CBC) The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) […]

Unions council predicts province could cut more than 700 Ottawa hospital jobs

(July 27, 2018) By: Joanne Laucius, Ottawa Citizen Patients wait in the hallway at the overcrowded Queensway Carleton Hospital in 2016. ERROL MCGIHON / OTTAWA SUN PHOTO BY ERROL MCGIHON Between 748 and 1,634 Ottawa hospital jobs could be cut if Ontario’s new Progressive Conservative government fulfils its campaign promises, according to projections by the hospital division of […]

Far from ending hallway medicine, Ontario stands to lose 3,712 more hospital beds, more than 16,000 staff under Ford programs

(July 26, 2018) By: CUPE Already funded and staffed at levels well below other provinces, Ontario’s hospitals’ hallway medicine and bed crisis will deepen under Premier Doug Ford’s public service “efficiency” program and promised tax cuts, the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (OCHU) warned today in Toronto. OCHU, the hospital division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (OCHU/CUPE), has […]

Don’t be surprised if Gordon Campbell’s inquiry aligns with PC ideology, says his former chief of staff

(July 19, 2018) By: Jeremy Nuttall, StarMetro Vancouver VANCOUVER—The appointment of British Columbia’s former premier Gordon Campbell to oversee an inquiry into Ontario’s finances is political, charge health care advocates in the province. Campbell’s former chief of staff in B.C. agrees. Earlier this week the new Ontario Progressive Conservative government lead by Premier Doug Ford […]

Doug Ford gives former PC president job as health adviser with $350K salary

(July 6, 2018) By: Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press Ford appoints Dr. Rueben Devlin as the PC party healthcare adviser. TORONTO — Ontario’s new premier has appointed a former Progressive Conservative party president as a special adviser on health care. Premier Doug Ford has named Dr. Rueben Devlin as chair of a new council on […]

Doug Ford gives ex-PC president job as health adviser with $350k salary

(July 6, 2018) By: The Canadian Press Ontario Premier Doug Ford picks former PC president as health advisor. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin TORONTO — Ontario’s new premier has appointed a former Progressive Conservative party president as a special adviser on health care. Premier Doug Ford has named Dr. Rueben Devlin as chair of a […]

Ontario Health Coalition calls for public consultations on OHIP+ reform

(July 4, 2018) By: Sara Cain, 900 CHML The Ontario Health Coalition is raising concerns over Premier Doug Ford’s plan to alter OHIP-plus coverage. OHIP-plus was first rolled out by the Liberal government in January 2018. It offered kids and adults under 24 free prescription medication. This included more than 4,400 drugs in the Ontario […]

Doug Ford kicks off premiership with a pay freeze on public service managers

Doug Ford kicks off premiership with a pay freeze on public service managers (June 30, 2018) By: Justin Giovannetti, Globe and Mail Ontario’s new premier Doug Ford and his Progressive Conservatives have put the brakes on government spending only hours after taking office, freezing the pay of managers in the Ontario public service and putting […]

Ford’s top five priorities a daunting challenge

(June 24, 2018) By: Antonella Artuso, Toronto Sun Premier-designate Doug Ford takes office Friday with a new cabinet, a majority of the 124 newly-elected MPPs and a short but daunting to-do list. The Tories provided that list when asked what Ontarians should expect. NUMBER ONE: “Put more money in your pocket. Scrap the carbon tax, […]

Public could lose voice with hospital

(June 21, 2018) By: Jules Tupker ONTARIO’S new Not-for-profit Corporations Act, 2010, isn’t expected to come into force until 2019, but it’s already having some unintended and unfortunate consequences. Some provisions in the act have worried the board of directors of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre enough that it proposes to change the […]

What ‘hallway health care’ looks like in Ontario’s most crowded hospital system

(June 20, 2018) By: Mariam Mishriki, TVO In London’s main hospital network, medical staff treat patients in corridors, storage areas and other “unconventional spaces” when beds aren’t available. LONDON — On a summer night three years ago, Alex Godfrey was admitted to the emergency room at Victoria Hospital in a manic state. What was supposed […]

NATALIE MEHRA ON CBC RADIO ONE, Election Commentary, June 7, 2018

NATALIE MEHRA ON CBC RADIO ONE – ELECTION COMMENTARY TONIGHT Dear Members and Supporters, Our executive director, Natalie Mehra has been asked to be on CBC Radio One tonight providing commentary on the election results as they come in. You can listen for her after approx. 9:30 p.m. once the results start to become clear.

Hospitals running at crisis levels, says watchdog

(June 6, 2018) By: Mary Katherine Keown, The Sudbury Star Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, speaks to Sudbury Star reporter Mary Katherine Keown in Sudbury on Friday. John Lappa/Sudbury Star/Postmedia It should be no surprise that Sudbury (and Ontario) is facing a health care crunch. But it has become a […]

Ontario Health Coalition wants spotlight on proposed mega hospital leading up to election

(June 1, 2018) By: CTV Windsor The Ontario Health Coalition is putting the spotlight on the proposed mega hospital with less than a week to go in the provincial election campaign. Executive director Natalie Mehra doesn’t think residents are informed enough about the decision. “The so-called mega hospital is one hospital to replace all of […]

Group Opposed To Hospital Site Gears Up For Election

(June 1, 2018) By: Mark Brown, Blackburn News Members of a group opposed to the new Windsor-Essex hospital plan demonstrate outside Windsor Regional Hospitals Ouellette campus on June 1, 2018. Photo by Mark Brown/Blackburn News. Windsor-Residents opposed to the planned location of a new Windsor-Essex hospital are trying a new approach. Members of the Ontario […]

RELEASE: Coalition Takes to the Street in Effort to Save Hospital Services in the City of Windsor

Coalition Takes to the Street in Effort to Save Hospital Services in the City of Windsor (June 1, 2018) Toronto – At the Windsor Regional Hospital, Ouellette Campus, advocates of saving hospital services in the city of Windsor displayed lawn signs that are popping up all over Windsor. The lawn signs are really popular and […]

Long-term care system in crisis

(May 30, 2018) By: Doug Diaczuk, Thunder Bay News Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, said staffing shortages is an issue impacting long-term care homes across the province. (Photos by Doug Diaczuk – Tbnewswatch.com). THUNDER BAY – When Mariann Jollineau had to move her father into long-term care, the experience was stressful […]

Doc in your pocket: would you pay for a healthcare app?

(May 30, 2018) By: Amanda Ferguson, City News You can order your dinner online. And a ride. Well how about an app that replaces going to a doctor’s office? That’s what Maple is all about — an online service where you can pay to see a doctor online and even get a prescription. The app’s […]

Hospital crowding: Why all 3 major Ontario parties are promising more LTC beds. All parties promising new long-term care beds, but PCs not talking about hospital funding

(May 25, 2018) By: Joanne Chianello, CBC News Hallway medicine has become commonplace in overcrowded Ontario hospitals. (Raj Dabb/Twitter) For Nancy Parker, it began about three years ago when her husband — who suffered from complications from a previous heart attack — had to endure a 48-hour wait in the Ottawa Hospital emergency room before getting a bed. […]

Ontario Health Coalition talks provincial election at Durham hospitals

(May 24, 2018) By: Jennifer O’Meara, Clarington This Week Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra, along with Charlie Courneyer, the co-chair of the Durham Health Coalition, were in front of Lakeridge Health Oshawa on May 18. They discussed the facts and myths from the health-care platform from all parties involved in the 2018 election […]

Parties urged to do more for healthcare

(May 23, 2018) By: Joel Wittnebel, The Oshawa Express Natalie Mehra, the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition and Charlie Couraneyea, the co-chair of the Durham Health Coalition, were at Lakeridge Health for a press conference urging the political parties to make healthcare a priority in this election. (Photo by Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express). […]

London Health Coalition criticizes PC candidate for failing to commit to healthcare debate

(May 23, 2018) By: CBC News Peter Bergmanis, chair of the London Health Coalition, said Susan Truppe is the only candidate among all the major parties who has failed to commit to participating in a debate on health care. The London branch of the Ontario Health Coalition is “calling out” the Progressive Conservative candidate for […]

Candidates agree on more funding for health care

(May 23, 2018) By: Taylor Campbell, Windsor Star Analysis There seems to be little argument. Health care will be a major issue in the upcoming provincial election. All nine local candidates at a debate Tuesday night agreed health-care funding needs to increase. A 5.3 per cent increase to Ontario’s public funding, as recommended by the […]

Candidates’ debate on health care Thursday in Grimsby

(May 22, 2018) By: Grimsby Lincoln News Candidates from the Niagara West Riding will be tackling the issue of health care Thursday night. A special health-care debate will take place Thursday, May 24, from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Livingston Activity Centre, 18 Livingston Ave. in Grimsby. The event one of four that were organized across […]

Rebuild Hospitals and Long-Term Care

(May 20, 2018) By: LeftStreamed After touring Ontario in recent weeks, Ontario Health Coalition spokeswoman Natalie Mehra returned to Toronto on 16 May 2018 at a press conference outside the Emergency Department at Mount Sinai Hospital to talk about the crisis in access to healthcare. Noting that the Coalition’s mandate is to protect public healthcare […]

Health debate to be focus of all-candidates meeting Tuesday

(May 18, 2018) By: Anne Jarvis, Windsor Star Health care is the hottest topic in the provincial election, right up there with skyrocketing hydro bills, and local candidates will be asked how they’ll address it. Erie Shores HealthCare Tyler Brownbridge / Windsor Star Health care is the hottest topic in the provincial election, right up […]

Health Coalition Calls for Concrete Commitments

(May 16, 2018) By: Lynne Brown, saultonline.com After touring Ontario in recent weeks, The Ontario Health Coalition’s Executive Director, Natalie Mehra, returned to Toronto and held a press conference outside the Emergency Department at Mount Sinai Hospital. Mehra emphasized that there is a crisis as it relates to access to health care. Mehra stated that […]

Les libéraux ont-ils vraiment ouvert 24 « nouveaux » hôpitaux en Ontario? CBC, May 16, 2018

Les libéraux ont-ils vraiment ouvert 24 « nouveaux » hôpitaux en Ontario? Publié le mercredi 16 mai 2018 à 6 h 52Mis à jour le 16 mai 2018 à 6 h 53 La première ministre de l’Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, lors d’une annonce de financement à l’Hôpital général de North York le 22 mars 2018 Photo : Radio-Canada/Claudine Brulé La chef du Parti libéral […]

Candidates grilled on health care platforms

(May 15, 2018) By: The Chatham Voice Candidates in the upcoming June provincial election took part in their first local debate Thursday night. From left is Liberal Margaret Schleier Stahl, Green Party Mark Vercouteren, NDP Jordan McGrail and sitting PC MPP Rick Nicholls. In the first official debate for the Chatham-Kent Leamington provincial election candidates, […]

LETTER: Health questions for provincial candidates

(May 13, 2018) By: The Kingston Whig-Standard The Kingston Health Coalition proposed to the campaign managers of Kingston’s provincial candidates to hold an all-candidates meeting on the topic of health care in Ontario. The representatives replied that they already had received from Health City Ontario a request for such […]

Wynne commits to hiring 3,500 nurses as she argues PC plan means health care cuts

(May 10, 2018) By: CBC News Announcement is welcome, Ontario Health Coalition says, but ‘it’s not the end of the story and it can’t be’ A Liberal government will hire 3,500 more nurses in Ontario, Kathleen Wynne said Thursday, as she took aim at the Progressive Conservatives’ promises to cut the corporate tax rate and […]

Candidates square off on health; Local advocates press party standard-bearers on issues ranging from wait times to water quality

(May 11, 2018) By: Trevor Terfloth, The Chatham Daily News On such issues as funding, wait times and water quality, local advocates pressed provincial candidates on health care during a debate in Chatham on Thursday night. The Chatham-Kent Health Coalition and the Registered Nurses’Association of Ontario hosted the event for those running in Chatham-Kent-Leamington, with about 50 […]

Health-care ‘crisis’ topic of upcoming debates, St. Catharines Standard, May 11, 2018

Health-care ‘crisis’ topic of upcoming debates St. Catharines Standard Fri May 11 2018 Byline: Allan Benner It will take more than fleeting election promises to resolve the crisis that is brewing in hospitals across Ontario, says Ontario Health Coalition board member Doug Allan. As people contend with overcrowded hospital emergency departments and lengthy wait lists to access […]

Hospitals Running at Crisis Levels – Watchdog

(May 11, 2018) By Mary Katherine Keown, North Bay Nugget Ontario hospitals need about $1 billion to operate properly, says Natalie Mehra of the Ontario Health Coalition. (Postmedia file photo) It should be no surprise that Ontario is facing a health care crunch. But it has become a hot topic in the upcoming election and […]

Health coalition calls for major funding hike

(May 11, 2018) By: Sharon Hill, Windsor Star Ontario’s health-care system is in crisis and it’s vital to get all political parties to commit to increasing funding for hospitals before the June 7 election, Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra said Monday. “At this point, the downsizing has simply gone too far,” Mehra told local residents Monday at a lunch […]

Ontario Health Coalition: It’s time to rebuild Ontario’s health care system

(May 11, 2018) By: Matt Durnan, sudbury.com Ontario has the lowest number of hospital beds per person in the country Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra stopped in Sudbury on May 11 to talk about the organization’s platform with a group of Sudburians, including the chair of Sudbury’s health coalition, Dot Klein (right). (Matt […]

Health-care ‘crisis’ topic of upcoming debates

(May 10, 2018) By: Allan Benner, The St. Catharines Standard Doug Allan and Sue Hotte from the Ontario Health Coalition discuss plans for a series of debates in Niagara’s provincial ridings on the delivery of health care services. – Allan Benner , The St. Catharines Standard It will take more than fleeting election promises to […]

CKL candidates debate health care

(May 10, 2018) By: Trevor Terfloth, Chatham Daily News Local health-care advocates hosted an all-candidates night at Aristo’s Banquet Hall in Chatham on Thursday. From left are Chatham-Kent-Leamington provincial candidates Margaret Schleier Stahl, of the Liberal party, Mark Vercouteren, of the Green party, Jordan McGrail, of the New Democrats, and Rick Nicholls, of the Progressive Conservatives. […]

CK-Leamington Candidates Debate Health Care

(May 10, 2018) By: Kirk Dickinson, Blackburn News Candidates for the Chatham-Kent Leamington riding debate health care at Smitty’s Family Restaurant in Chatham, May 10, 2018. From left, Margaret Schleier, Mark Vercouteren, Jordan McGrail, and Rick Nicholls. (Photo courtesy of Chris Bright) With provincial election campaigns in full swing, the chair of the Chatham-Kent Registered Nurses’ […]

Time to fix health-care crisis, coalition says

(May 9, 2018) By: Tyler Kula, Sarnia Observer The head of the Ontario Health Coalition is pushing for all political parties to reinvest in hospitals and boost the number of nursing home beds in Ontario to fend off what she calls a crisis in health care. “What we’re saying is we have to turn the corner on […]

Health-care watchdog group calling for more hospital and nursing home funding

(May 8, 2018) By: Tyler Kula, Sarnia Observer Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra was in Sarnia Tuesday. It was a stop on her provincial tour calling for more investment in hospitals and long-term care. (Tyler Kula/Sarnia Observer) The head of the Ontario Health Coalition is pushing for all political parties to reinvest in […]

Health Coalition Says Hospital Care In Crisis

(May 8, 2018) By: Lee Michaels, Blackburn News Main entrance at Bluewater Health’s Sarnia hospital. Photo by Meghan Bond. The executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition says there are two major things the next provincial government must do to fix our broken health care system. Natalie Mehra stopped in Sarnia on Tuesday during her […]

Health funding must increase to deal with crisis, says Ontario Health Coalition

(May 8, 2018) By: Sharon Hill, Windsor Star Ontario’s health-care system is in crisis and it’s vital to get all political parties to commit to increasing funding for hospitals before the June 7 election, Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra said Monday. “At this point, the downsizing has simply gone too far,” Mehra told […]

Election Candidates To Weigh In On Health Care

(May 8, 2018) By: Sarah Cowan, Blackburn News Photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo Inc. / jirsak With the provincial election less than a month away, local candidates will be quizzed this week on how they will address health care issues in the region. The Chatham-Kent Health Coalition is partnering with the Chatham-Kent Registered […]

Health Coalition on Pre-Election Tour

(May 7, 2018) By: Peter Langille, AM800 Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Nathalie Mehra, speaking in Windsor, May 7, 2018 (by AM800’s Peter Langille) The Ontario Health Coalition is hoping to keep a focus on hospital funding in the upcoming provincial election. Executive Director Nathalie Mehra is in Windsor today speaking with community leaders. She […]

Rally held to put focus on healthcare for the provincial election

(May 5, 2018) By: CTV London Calling it a crisis in healthcare, protestors lined Commissioners Road in front of the London Health Sciences Centre Victoria Campus on Saturday morning. It was part of an effort to make hospital overcrowding a key issue in the upcoming provincial election. Members of the London Health Coalition are intent […]

Londoners rally to end overcrowding in Ontario hospitals

(May 5, 2018) By: Christian D’Avino, 980 CFPL Londoners joined the London Health Coalition Saturday for the Crisis in Health Care Rally Christian D’Avino / 980 CFPL Members of the London Health Coalition gathered at Victoria Hospital to rally for what they’re calling a crisis in Ontario’s healthcare system. The Crisis in Health Care Rally, which […]

Public health care watchdog launching in Waterloo Region

(May 4, 2018) By: CTV Kitchener The Ontario Health Coalition says it’s launching a new chapter in Waterloo Region. The non-partisan watchdog says its goal is to protect public health care. Executive director Natalie Mehra says hospital cuts in the province have been extreme. The Ontario Health Coalition says it will focus on turning […]

Palliative care inadequate for coming ‘silver tsunami’ concludes Hamilton report

(May 2, 2018) By: Joanna Frketich, The Hamilton Spectator Significant gaps in end-of-life care were found in a case study of Hamilton that concludes current infrastructure is inadequate to handle the palliative care needs of the “silver tsunami” of baby boomers drawing near. The hospital remains the most common place where people die in the […]

Municipal election, healthcare and residential schools, Bill Kelly Show

People who are wanting to run for mayor or city councillor in the upcoming fall municipal election are now eligible to register. This will be the first election under the new ward boundaries. Guest: John Best. Publisher of the Bay Observer. Healthcare is one of the hot button issues for this upcoming provincial election. The […]

What overcrowding in hospitals looks like in Ontario – CBC Radio One interview with Natalie Mehra, April 27, 2018

(May 2, 2018) The stories were shocking… and heartbreaking. Caller after caller on Ontario Today’s noon call-in show told CBC Ontario Today host Rita Celli and Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra about being left in broom closets, storage areas, a bathroom and hallways waiting for a hospital bed in overcrowded hospitals across Ontario. […]

Friends of Medicare discusses effects of for-profit clinics, The Lethbridge Herald, April 26, 2018

Friends of Medicare discusses effects of for-profit clinics The Lethbridge Herald Thu Apr 26 2018 Byline: Schnarr, J.W. How private clinics can affect public health care was discussed Monday night in Lethbridge during a town hall-style meeting held by Friends of Medicare. The group is on a four-stop tour to raise awareness around issues they […]

More is needed at Sydenham campus, Wallaceburg Courier Press, April 26, 2018

More is needed at Sydenham campus Wallaceburg Courier Press Thu Apr 26 2018 Section: News Byline: Shirley Roebuck, Source: Wallaceburg Courier Press I read with interest the article in last week’s Courier Press, titled “First step towards renewing Wallaceburg’s Sydenham Campus.” The article explained the long history of our hospital’s infrastructure and resistance to maintaining […]

Natalie Mehra on CBC Radio One – Ontario Today with Rita Celli at noon, Thursday April 26

Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra is on CBC radio’s Ontario Today show at noon today talking about the crisis of hospital overcrowding. It is a call-in show so please share your stories and thoughts

New private cardiology clinic unveiled to combat long wait times

(April 25, 2018) By: Sanjay Maru, CBC News People who have suffered a cardiac incident have a new place to receive treatment ? but it will come at a cost. The Windsor-Essex Rehabilitation & Wellness Centre was unveiled Wednesday during a grand opening. The program was first established as a pilot last year and is now being […]

Private clinics blur lines of care versus profit: FoM

(April 25, 2018) By: Gillian Slade, Medicine Hat News In the past two decades there has been a proliferation of private medical clinics that are potentially a violation of the Canada Health Act, said Friends of Medicare at a local public event Tuesday night. Private clinics typically provide medical care with “add-ons,” which blurs the […]

Island Voices: Extra-billing crackdown long overdue

(April 22, 2018) By: Edith Machattie And Rick Turner, Times Colonist The B.C. government is taking decisive action on an illegal activity known as “extra-billing,” bucking a years-long trend of ignoring illegal health-care fees charged to patients in B.C. On April 4, Health Minister Adrian Dix announced plans to enforce patient protections against extrabilling that […]

Groups come together about voicing concerns about proposed mega-hospital

(April 18, 2018) By: Rob Hindi, AM800 Philippa von Ziegenweidt, Natalie Mehra and Michael Hurley, April 17, 2018 (Photo by AM800’s Rob Hindi) More questions and concerns regarding the proposed location of the hospital project in Windsor-Essex. On Tuesday, Citizens For An Accountable Mega-Hospital Planning Process along with the Ontario Health Coalition, Ontario Council of […]

Coalition Forms To Challenge Hospital Site

(April 18, 2018) By: Ian Shalapata Michael Hurley, the president of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE, addresses a full house at the University of Windsor’s School of Social Work on 17 April 2018. The public consultation forum was held to outline the drawbacks to the proposed health care plan for Windsor. Photo by John […]

Public Forum On New Hospital’s Location

(April 17, 2018) By: Adelle Loiselle, Blackburn News If you have concerns about the location of Windsor’s new acute care hospital on County Rd. 42, there is a public forum in Windsor to discuss it. The Citizens for an Accountable Mega-Hospital Planning Process, or CAMPP, is one of five community groups hosting a public meeting […]

HALLWAY HEALTH CARE

This woman waited 47 hours for surgery with broken bones, cracked ribs and internal bleeding

Liberals offer new drug and dental coverage for Ontarians without health plans, Toronto Star, March 28, 2018

(March 28, 2018) By: Rob Ferguson, Toronto Star Ontarians lacking workplace health insurance will get up to $700 a year to defray the cost of medicines and dentist visits starting in summer 2019 under the Wynne government’s pre-election budget. Augmenting a new OHIP+ pharmacare plan and the existing Healthy Smiles aid for needy families, the promised […]

Ontario pre-election budget promises new spending, multi-year deficits

(March 28, 2018) By: Shawn Jeffords and Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press TORONTO — As it braces to fight for re-election this spring, Ontario’s Liberal government has rolled out a spending package that targets nearly every demographic while plunging the province back into deficit, with the books expected to stay in the red for six […]

Scarborough Liberal MPPs again promise to ‘champion’ hospital projects

(March 26, 2018) By: Mike Adler, toronto.com In a pre-election speech, Scarborough-Guildwood MPP Mitzie Hunter stressed Ontario’s Liberal government and its five Scarborough MPPs “will champion” improvements to the area’s only acute-care hospital. “We have to listen, and we listen to our communities,” Hunter told staff at Scarborough and Rouge Hospital’s General campus beside another […]

RELEASE: Better but not cured: Health Coalition responds to Wynne pre-election funding announcement

(March 22, 2018) Toronto – Today’s hospital funding announcement is a move in the right direction but still falls short, the Ontario Health Coalition reported at Queen’s Park after the announcement. Premier Kathleen Wynne announced a 4.6 per cent increase in hospital funding to be unveiled in next week’s provincial Budget, just weeks in advance […]

Ailing Ontario man stuck in U.S. hospital because insurance company can’t find bed back home

(March 20, 2018) By: Ieva Lucs, CBC News Lilian and Todd Hrabchak are seen here in a Florida hospital on March 20. They are trying to get back home to Toronto but were told by their insurance company that there are no beds available. An elderly Toronto man is stuck in a Florida hospital, according […]

Patient advocacy group calls for change as hospital overcrowding leaves Ontarians stranded abroad, 980 CFPL London, March 6, 2018

(March 6, 2018) By: Staff 980 CFPL As Ontarians continue to hear nightmare stories about residents stuck in overseas hospitals, politicians and advocacy groups are calling out for change. Over the last week, the sagas of two London men came to light after they were stuck abroad because local hospitals didn’t have beds available […]

Unions, doctors and health care advocates call for pharmacare

(March 2, 2018) By: Global Newswire The Canadian Labour Congress will host a town hall discussion on pharmacare from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7 at the Liuna Station in Hamilton. The event will feature CLC President Hassan Yussuff on why Canada’s unions believe everyone with a health card should have prescription drug […]

Patients make political push to save Cardiac Fitness Institute CBC News, Feb 23, 2018

(February 23, 2018) By: Andrew Lupton, CBC News The fight to save the Cardiac Fitness Institute at Victoria Hospital is increasingly drawing attention from Queen’s Park politicians with a June 7 election looming. A group of patients gathered outside the grounds of Victoria Hospital Friday to oppose a plan to close down CFI, which many credit […]

Area MPPs, health coalition join foes of Cardiac Fitness Institute closing for Victoria Hospital demonstration The London Free Press, Feb 23, 2018

(February 23, 2018) By: The London Free Press Dozens of patients and politicians disregarded gloomy weather and a mid-afternoon start time to gather Friday in front of London’s Victoria Hospital to protest the planned closing of the Cardiac Fitness Institute. Both hospital brass and Ontario’s ruling Liberals bore the brunt of the anger as patients […]

Flu outbreaks lifted at Windsor Regional Hospital, but overcrowding continues, CBC News, Feb 13, 2018

(February 13, 2018) By: CBC News Influenza A outbreaks in two units at the Windsor Regional Hospital have been lifted, but staff are continuing to struggle with overcrowding. The outbreaks in Unit 2N and Unit 7M were declared on Feb. 2 after hospital-acquired respiratory infections were confirmed in at least six people. Restrictions for patient transfers and […]

Hospital bed money not enough: Nickel Belt MPP, Sudbury Star, Feb 3, 2018

(February 3, 2018) By: Sudbury Star Staff ‘Hallway medicine’ in Ontario and Sudbury will continue, the NDP’s Health critic and Nickel Belt MPP says. France Gélinas said Health Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins’ announcement Friday to extend provincial funding for 1,235 ‘temporary’ hospital beds in the province for one year isn’t enough. She said the $187 […]

RELEASE: Health Minister’s hospital bed announcement welcome but it is only a temporary band aid, more is needed: Health Coalition

Health Minister’s hospital bed announcement welcome but it is only a temporary band aid, more is needed: Health Coalition (February 2, 2018) Toronto – “Although the Minister’s announcement today promising to extend funding for 1,235 ‘temporary’ hospital beds for one year is a positive step it is only a temporary band aid that will not […]

Ontario pledges $187M to ease hospital crowding next year

(February 2, 2018) By: Kate McGillivray, CBC News Five months after committing $100 million to ease crowding in Ontario’s hospitals ahead of this winter’s flu season, Health Minister Eric Hoskins announced that another $187 million will be coming in the next fiscal year to continue to tackle the problem. The money will be spent on […]

Exec Slams Ontario Health System

(November 10, 2017) By: John Divinski, Bayshore Broadcasting News Centre Public health care in Ontario is moving in the wrong direction and people need to stand up and demand change. So says the Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition Natalie Mehra, speaking at the monthly meeting of the Southport Canadian Federation of University Women […]

Long term care beds coming too late, say health policy experts

(November 10, 2017) By: Joanna Frketich, Hamilton Spectator Beds are needed now, as Hamilton and Burlington alone have about 1,900 people waiting for long-term care. – Getty Images/iStockphoto The Liberal government’s promise of thousands of long-term care beds over the next decade is too little and far too late, say health advocates and policy experts. […]

How Ontario’s home care plan would help a union that backs the Liberals

(November 7, 2017) By: Mike Crawley, CBC News Personal support workers employed by new provincial home care agency would likely join SEIU You would expect the Wynne Liberals would shout from the rooftops when they make a change that gets the public sector to deliver more of our publicly funded health care. Yet the government’s […]

Provincial government plans to create new home care agency

(November 6, 2017) By: Kim Zarzour Personal care providers concerned new crown agency will add another level of bureaucracy Plans for a new government agency for personal support workers has raised both hope and concern for Ontario’s burgeoning personal support worker system – Shutterstock A shake-up is in the works for Ontario’s troubled PSW system […]

All party support of Time to Care Act is applauded in Peterborough

(November 4, 2017) By: Global News Staff In what is seen as a victory for Ontario’s seniors, Bill 33 passed its second reading this week. Introduced to the legislature at Queen’s Park by NDP MPP France Gelinas, the private member’s bill would see residents of the province’s long-term care facilities receive four hours of hands-on care […]

Pre-election hospital bed funding ‘cynical’: OHC

(October 28, 2017) By: Antonella Artuso, Toronto Sun Empty bed at The Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre in Ottawa Friday Oct. 27, 2017. The Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre, The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) and the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) will announce the launch of an innovative project to improve the quality […]

BATRA: Wynne Liberals using our cash to get re-elected

(October 30, 2017) By: Adrienne Batra, Toronto Sun Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne tours the Niagara Catholic District School Board’s Niagara Launch Centre located at Seaway Mall in Welland on October 12, 2017.Michelle Allenberg/Welland Tribune/Postmedia Network Here’s a not-so-hidden secret, the Ontario Liberals are going to use your money to ensure they get re-elected in 2018. […]

Stakeholders applaud investment in hospital

(October 29, 2017) By: Steph Crosier, Kingston Whig-Standard KINGSTON – The province’s announcement Friday that it will be contributing more than $500 million to redevelop Kingston General Hospital is great news for the city, says the mayor, the hospital workers’ union and the local health coalition. “This is so important,” Health Minister Eric Hoskins said on […]

Canada’s health system serves as model for Sanders – but faces troubles of its own

(October 28, 2017) By: Ashifa Kassam, The Guardian Bernie Sanders is visiting Toronto this weekend as he pushes universal healthcare in the US. Photograph: Eric Thayer/Reuters Bernie Sanders will arrive in Toronto this weekend for a crash course in an unrivalled point of pride for most Canadians: the country’s healthcare system. The visit – which will include […]

Code Gridlock: Hospitals “bursting at the seams” heading into flu season

(October 28, 2017) By: Joanna Frketich, Hamilton Spectator Hamilton’s hospitals are alarmingly overcrowded before the sickest season of the year even starts. St. Joseph’s Healthcare had 26 per cent more patients than medical beds in August, which is supposed to be one of the quieter months. Across the city, hospitals opened an average of 86 […]

Ontario Health Coalition Arrives In Windsor

(October 26, 2017) By: Ian Shalapata, The Square Windsor residents recounted their health care stories at the central branch of the Windsor Public Library during the Ontario Health Coalition provincial tour, on 25 October 2017. Photo by Ian Shalapata. (WINDSOR, ON) – There were few empty chairs when the Ontario Health Coalition hosted the Windsor stop […]

Ontario Health Coalition hears from Windsor residents

(October 26, 2017) By: CTV News Windsor The Ontario Health Coalition is getting ready for the next provincial election. The coalition is conducting a province-wide tour to hear stories from residents about the current state of public health care, and representatives stopped in Windsor on Wednesday. Some of the residents who spoke expressed concerns about […]

Even though it’s temporary, Peterborough Regional Health Centre welcomes new provincial funding for 20 more beds during flu season

(October 25, 2017) By: Joelle Kovach, The Peterborough Examiner Peterborough Regional Health Centre plans to use $1.37 million it’s about to receive from the province to add 20 more beds during “surge season” this winter, states a release from the hospital – meaning the money will be spent within a few months. A press release from PRHC […]

Hospital beds too few, too ‘stopgap’

(October 24, 2017) By: Jim Moodie, The Sudbury Star A promise from Queen’s Park to boost the number of beds in hospitals — including 16 more at Health Sciences North — is welcome news, but a move that doesn’t go nearly far enough. That’s the position of Natalie Mehra, who has been pushing for years […]

Ontario hospitals getting more beds, $140 million in funding

(October 24, 2017) By: Toronto Metro Staff Health Minister Eric Hoskins has announced $140 million in funding to make more hospital beds available and enhance home care services. PETER POWER / FOR THE TORONTO STAR Two patients share a room, formerly a sun room, on the fifth floor of Hamilton General Hospital last spring. Many of […]

Londoners to voice opinions on local hospitals

(October 24, 2017) By: Global News Staff The Ontario Health Coalition wants to hear from Londoners about their experiences with local hospitals. The organization is touring the province gathering feedback from patients, their families and hospital workers to find out what’s working, what’s not, and how they think things could be improved in hospitals across […]

Ontario Health Coalition gathering input on ways to bring the public health care system back to life

(October 24, 2017) By: Linda Holmes, Bay Today ‘There are gaps in services and funding which lead to less than ideal care for our most vulnerable citizens throughout the province’ Wife of Long Term Care resident Ann McIntyre spends four to five hours a day with her 70-year-old husband who was admitted to a Long […]

Hamiltonians share hospital concerns

Posted: October 23, 2017 By: Natalie Paddon, The Spec In this file photo from August, Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, speaks during a media conference. – Hamilton Spectator file photo Before last December, Suzanne Clancy never had reason to learn how to navigate the ins and outs of the local hospital […]

L’Ontario financera 2000 lits supplémentaires pour désengorger les hôpitaux

Posted: October 23, 2017 Radio Canada, by Caroline Bourdua Plus de 2000 lits et places supplémentaires seront financés par la province, afin de préparer les hôpitaux à la saison de la grippe et pour aider à désengorger les établissements dont des lits sont occupés par des patients en attente d’une place dans un centre d’accueil. […]

Province investing $140-million to create new hospital beds across Ontario

(October 23, 2017) By: Durham Radio News Staff To help ease the pressure on overcrowded hospital wards, the province is creating 1,200 new beds across Ontario. 22 beds will be at the Lakeridge Health Oshawa site and there will be short-term transitional care spaces provided at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences in Whitby. […]

Ontario government announcement sees 56 hospital beds coming county-wide

(October 23, 2017) By: Orillia Packet The Ontario government announced the addition of more than 1,200 new hospital beds Monday morning, 56 of which will be found in Barrie, Orillia and northern Simcoe County. The funding, revealed by Minister of Health Dr. Eric Hoskins in Toronto, will see more than 2,000 additional beds and spaces […]

Hospitals getting more beds, more funding

(October 23, 2017) By: Theresa Boyle, Toronto Star Health Minister Eric Hoskins has announced $140 million in funding to take pressure off of overwhelmed hospitals. The Ontario government has come to the rescue of overwhelmed hospitals with more money and beds — just as flu season is starting and pressure on the sector is growing […]

Ontario Health Coalition brings hospital hearings to Hamilton

(October 23, 2017) By: Ken Mann, AM 900 CHML Residents are being asked to share their hospital stories during a public hearing on Monday in downtown Hamilton. The event is being hosted by the Ontario Health Coalition which has been travelling the province and collecting stories that executive director Natalie Mehra describes as ranging from […]

Cannabis and opioid crisis on agenda as health ministers meet in Edmonton

(October 19, 2017) By: Kim Trynacity, CBC News Cannabis and opioid crisis on agenda as health ministers meet in Edmonton Funding not on the table this time. Instead ministers to focus on issues One day before Canada’s ministers of health gather in Edmonton, the Canadian Health Coalition and Ontario Health Coalition released a report showing […]

Universal Healthcare : A Pride at Risk

(October 22, 2017) By: Doly Begum, Canadian Bangladeshi News Tommy Douglas, whom many consider to be the greatest Canadian in history, believed that every Canadian deserved the right to quality healthcare regardless of their social and economic circumstances. Known as “the father of Medicare,” Douglas fought relentlessly for a better Canada, which included universal healthcare […]

Registered nurses in Ontario feeling pressure of hospital cuts

(October 19, 2017) By: Heidi Westfield, Ottawa Citizen As a registered nurse, Angela Spiler has seen first-hand the impact of hospital staffing cuts in Ontario. Over the past few years, there has been a significant drop in the number of RNs in her workplace – a large, municipal hospital outside of Toronto. The number of […]

Heartache over a broken health care system

(October 22, 2017) By: Jennifer Hamilton-McCharles, The Nugget The public voices their concerns and shares their stories during a provincial tour Heartache over a broken health care system The golden years for many seniors are anything but golden. Little community support and few services at a reasonable cost. Understaffed long-term care homes, with nurses who […]

Your opninions on Hospital care

(October 16, 2017) By: Mary Thomas, Quinte News Anyone interested in improving hospital care will have an opportunity to make their opinions known at a public meeting in Trenton this week. The Ontario Health Coalition is holding a public consultation on hospital reform and improvement. The organization is gathering ideas for reform to improve funding, access, and quality […]

Mental health services run ‘thin’

(October 13, 2017) By: Jodi Lundmark, The Chronicle Journal The need for more immediate mental health-care services in Thunder Bay was one of the topics brought to the attention of the Ontario Health Coalition during a public hearing on Thursday. The coalition is hosting a series of public hearings on how to improve public hospitals […]

Health coalition hopes to continue momentum

(October 11, 2017) By: Allan Brenner, The Standard While there’s still room for improvement, Natalie Mehra said the Ontario government seems to be responding to concerns about hospitals across the province. “I feel hopeful,” said Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, a group of activists working to improve the public health-care system. For […]

Coalition Collecting Healthcare Stories

(October 11, 2017) By: The Square Windsor’s Independent News Source (WINDSOR, ON) – The Ontario Health Coalition wants to collect stories from patients, families, and hospital staff, and organize them to generate a democratic public debate about the changes needed to protect and improve local public hospital services. The coalition has spent the last decade […]

Collecting good, bad stories ahead of provincial election

(October 11, 2017) By: North Bay Nugget Staff The Ontario Health Coalition is collecting stories from patients, families and hospital staff, and organizing them to generate an election debate about the changes needed to protect and improve local public hospital services. To that end, it has planned a series of public forums throughout the province, […]

Public urged to tell their hospital stories at Oct. 25 Windsor meeting

(October 8, 2017) By: Jason Kryk, Windsor Star The Ontario Health Coalition is holding a public meeting on Oct. 25 to hear stories from Windsor people about their hospital experiences and their ideas for improving and preserving hospital services. t says Ontario has suffered the worst hospital cuts in the country. “These changes to our […]

Public invited to provide feedback about hospital performance

(October 6, 2017) By: Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com Ontario Health Coalition holding hearings across Ontario this month in advance of next year’s provincial election. Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (FILE). THUNDER BAY – The public is being asked for feedback on local hospitals. The Ontario Health Coalition will hold public sessions across the province throughout […]

OHC looking for input in reforming hospitals

(October 3, 2017) By: Wallaceburg Courier Press Staff The Ontario Health Coalition is looking for public input on reforming public hospitals in the province. They will be hosting public meetings across the province, including a stop in Wallaceburg on Oct. 18. In a press release, the OHC said they are looking for ideas on how […]

Ontario considers reopening Toronto hospital to help with overcrowding

(September 27, 2017) By: Justin Giovannetti, The Globe and Mail The Ontario government could reopen a Toronto hospital that was mothballed only two years ago as health professionals and opposition parties warn that an overcrowding crisis at health-care institutions across the province is reaching dangerous levels. The Humber River Hospital site on Finch Ave. was closed […]

Older Persons Day a time to push for change

(September 28, 2017) By Natalie Mehra, Executive Director In May, The Hamilton Spectator reported that for the first time in Hamilton and Ontario, seniors outnumber children. In fact, in Hamilton, Burlington and Grimsby almost one in every five people is 65 or older. Hamilton is slightly greyer than the rest of Ontario and the proportion […]

‘Crisis in care’: Ontario looks to tackle hospital bed crunch

(September 27, 2017) By: Mike Crawley, CBC News Health Ministry looking at old Humber River Regional building as intermediate care site The Finch Avenue site of the Humber River Regional Hospital in Toronto is no longer being used, after a new facility was opened in 2015. (Sébastien St-Francois/Radio-Canada) Ontario is considering a plan to urgently transform […]

International Day of Older Persons to be celebrated Friday at Hamilton City Hall

(September 24th, 2017) By: The Hamilton Spectator Hamilton City Hall, June 2015 – photo by Gord Bowes International Day of Older Persons is being marked Friday at Hamilton City Hall. The focus of the event is seniors health care issues, including home care, long term care, palliative care, hospital cuts, pharmacare and dementia. It will […]

Coalition fights to preserve free health care

(August 28, 2017) By: M. McKinnon, Atikokan Progress What’s a giant teddy bear got to do with health care? “We can’t ‘bear’ to lose medicare” says the Ontario Health Coalition, which has for nearly a decade been fighting off any erosion to Canada’s free medical care system. Three coalition officials made Atikokan their first stop […]

‘Bear’ Helping to send message

(August 16, 2017) By: Duane Hicks, Fort Frances Times A giant teddy bear is helping to raise awareness about the threat of health-care privatization in the region with the slogan: “We Can’t Bear to Lose Medicare.” Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, and Jules Tupker, co-chair of the Thunder Bay Health Coalition, […]

Pressure on Ontario to ‘cut the cuts’ on hospital funding

(August 9, 2017) By: Anthony Urciuoli, Global News The Ontario Health Coalition says it will be putting pressure on the provincial government this fall to “cut the cuts” being made to hospital funding. Executive Director of the Coalition, Natalie Mehra, says Hamilton’s hospitals are at a crisis point. “For the last four years, hospital funding has […]

Controversial for-fee service connects Ontario doctors and patients via video chat

(July 10, 2017) By: Andrew Lupton, CBC News Critics say Maple only improves doctor access for those who can afford it Tired of seeing his patients wait hours in an emergency room to see a doctor about a minor ailment or a prescription re-fill, Dr. Brett Belchetz felt there must be a better way. Now he heads Maple, a service that, […]

If we don’t fix medicare, we may lose it: Editorial

(June 16, 2017) By: STAR EDITORIAL BOARD – The Star It is a source of national pride that in Canada health care is supposedly provided based on need, not on ability to pay. But recent evidence suggests the principle of equal care for all is in increasing jeopardy. Across the country, private clinics are popping up […]

Union wants action on illegal health fees

(June 15, 2017) By: Lynn Desjardins, Radio Canada International Canada has a publicly-funded health care system, but there are several private clinics that charging extra fees for faster service that should be free. Because of budget shortfalls in many provinces, there have been cuts to services in hospitals. Long wait times In some cases, the number […]

Government must take action against private clinic user fees, OPSEU says

(June 15, 2017) The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) is calling on the provincial government to take action immediately against private clinics that are charging patients illegal user fees for medically necessary services. In a damning report released this week, the Ontario Health Coalition identified 88 private clinics across the country that charge such […]

Group stands up for Medicare

(June 15, 2017) By: Sandi Krasowski, The Chronicle Journal Members of the Ontario Health Coalition arrived at Thunder Bay City Hall carrying an enormous teddy bear that has become the emblem of their Ontario tour to draw attention to health care privatization. Natalie Mehra, the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, said it all began […]

Jumping the Queue. The Ontario Health Coalition releases Report on Escalation of Health Care Privatization

(June 14, 2017) By: Lynne Brown – Sault Online The Ontario Health Coalition has conducted a cross-Canada study that includes the results of surveys of 136 private hospitals, diagnostic and “boutique” physician clinics, and with almost 400 individual patients in Ontario. The results of the survey are found in a recently released report titled ‘Private Clinics and the […]

Healthcare privatization fight arrives in Oshawa

(June 14, 2017) By: Joel Wittnebel, The Oshawa Express We can’t bear to lose medicare. That slogan adorned the placard tied around the neck of a seven-foot tall teddy bear that arrived at Lakeridge Health Oshawa, as the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) continues to spread its messaging about the threat of health care privatization. The […]

Coalition concerned that privatization will lead to downfall of public health care

(June 13, 2017) Members of the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) were in Chatham recently as part of its ‘We Can’t Bear to Lose Medicare’ campaign, with a warning about the threat privatization poses to Canada’s public health-care system. Peter Boyle, a volunteer member of the OHC touring with the bear, met with local coalition members […]

Extra-billing causes hardship and must be stopped, says OFL

(June 13, 2017) By: Market Wired The OFL supports the call by the Ontario Health Coalition for better regulation and enforcement of the Canada Health Act to prevent the charging of user fees across Canada. A recent survey conducted by the Ontario Health Coalition, showed that 88 clinics across Canada are charging unlawful user fees. […]

Canada’s Health Minister Calls Out BC for Extra-Billing by Doctors

(June 13, 2017) By: Kyle Duggan Health Minister Jane Philpott condemned extra-billing by Canadian doctors at a gathering of healthcare and hospital professionals in Vancouver Monday, singling out B.C. as a province that needs to stem the growing practice. At the national HealthcareCan conference in Vancouver, Philpott responded to media reports that the practice has been […]

Private clinic fees threatening public health, P.E.I. coalition warns

(June 13, 2017) By: The Guardian CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – At least 88 private health-care clinics in six provinces charge extra user fees that amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars for patients, a new study has found. The results of the cross-country survey have prompted health coalitions, including P.E.I.’s, to warn that challenges posed by […]

Private health care unbearable

(June 12, 2017) By: Allan Benner, The Standard The enormous teddy bear attracted attention almost immediately after it was set up at the corner of James and King streets in St. Catharines, Monday morning. It was the impact the volunteers from the Ontario Health Coalition were counting on. “I was wondering what was going on here,” […]

Jane-Finch ER site lies dormant almost a year after closure

(June 12, 2017) By: Victoria Gibson, The Star It’s been one year since the parking lot outside the Finch Ave. hospital went from an ambulance hub to a pedestrian shortcut. At 7:30 a.m. on Friday, commuters cut through the empty lot to reach a bus stop on Oakdale Rd. An hour later, students skirted across […]

Health Collation warns of privatizing health-care

(June 12, 2017) By: David Gough, Postmedia Network / Wallaceburg Courier Press Two years in the making, the Ontario Health Coalition released a report on private health-care clinics and how the OHC feels that they are a threat to Canada’s public medicare system. Released on Monday morning, the report says that private clinics serve to bolster […]

Canadian patients, advocates speak out about illegal doctor double-billing

(June 12, 2017) By: Kathy Tomlinson, Eric Andrew-Gee, The Globe and Mail Canadian patients and public-health-care advocates are coming forward with more stories of double-dipping by doctors who work in the public system but also charge some patients extra fees for quicker access to medical care. They are speaking out in the wake of a […]

Unifor calls on governments to stop proliferation of health care user-fees

(June 12, 2017) Unifor is calling on the federal and provincial governments to put a halt to the practice by clinics of charging user-fees for necessary health services, as found in a ground-breaking new report by the Ontario Health Coalition. “Health care should never be a money-making venture,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “The […]

Ontario Health Coalition visits Woodstock City Hall to promote Medicare

(June 11, 2017) By: Bruce Chessell, Woodstock Sentinel-Review Some Friendly City residents were treated Sunday to a nice warm hug from a seven-foot-tall teddy bear. The Ontario Health Coalition and the Oxford Coalition for Social Justice brought the giant teddy bear to city hall to help share the message “we can’t bear to lose Medicare.” Oxford […]

Health Coalition members warn of illegal billing by private health clinics during tour stop in Sarnia-Lambton

(June 11, 2017) By: Tyler Kula, Sarnia Observer Private, for-profit clinics are cutting a second tier into Canada’s public health-care system, a representative with a provincial health-care watchdog group says. And, in many cases, what they’re doing is illegal, said Peter Boyle, a volunteer with the Ontario Health Coalition. “If you need money for medical care, […]

Health Minister vows action against illegal physician double-billing

(June 11, 2017) By: Kathy Tomlinson, Justine Hunter, The Globe and Mail Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott said Sunday she is “determined to find ways to make it very clear that we expect the law to be upheld” and she finds it “disturbing” to see how Canadian physicians are double-dipping – by billing the public […]

Some doctors are charging both government and patients privately in illegal double-dipping practice

(June 10, 2017) By: Kathy Tomlinson, The Globe and Mail Regulators are doing little to stop doctor-owned clinics from quietly making desperate patients open their wallets to bypass long lines for everything from simple appointments to major surgery. Kathy Tomlinson reports Rosalia Guthrie is still astounded that it cost her $4,350 to get her shoulder […]

Can’t Bear To Lose Medicare

(June 10, 2017) By: Melanie Irwin “Tommy” the 7 ft Teddy Bear visited Point Edward Saturday with the Ontario Health Coalition’s tour against the threat of healthcare privatization. Sarnia-Lambton Health Coalition Chair Shirley Roebuck says Tommy brings with him the message “We Can’t Bear To Lose Medicare.” “Maybe we in Sarnia and Lambton have seen […]

GIANT 7′ TALL ‘MEDICARE’ BEAR STOPPING IN WALLACEBURG

(June 8, 2017) By: Aaron, Sydenham Current The Ontario Health Coalition along with the Wallaceburg-Walpole Island First Nation Health Coalition are touring a giant teddy bear with the slogan ‘We Can’t Bear to Lose Medicare’ to 20 towns from late May to mid-June to raise awareness about the threat of health care privatization. The group […]

Giant teddy bear in Cobourg on Ontario Health Coalition tour

(June 9, 2017) By: Karen Longwell, Northumberland News COBOURG — A giant teddy bear has drawn attention to a health care concern. The bear is touring the province with the slogan “We Can’t Bear to Lose Medicare”. The Ontario and Northumberland Health Coalitions gathered at Elgin Street and Strathy Road with the bear and signs […]

Ontario Health Coalition tour Ontario to raise awareness about private, for-profit clinics

(June 9, 2017) By: Ellwood Shreve, Chatham Daily News A seven-foot teddy bear isn’t going to alarm anyone, but the message being delivered through the use of this prop just might. Members of the Ontario Health Coalition made a stop in Chatham on Friday as part of its ‘We Can’t Bear to Lose Medicare’ campaign, that […]

Ontario can’t ‘bear’ to let private clinics overcharge, health coalition says

(June 9, 2017) By: Tom Morrison, OurWindsor.ca Members of the Ontario Health Coalition have brought a seven-foot stuffed bear to Windsor to raise their concerns about the use of private clinics in the province. The furry animal, which has travelled to other parts of the province, is meant to support their message: “We can’t ‘bear’ […]

Group aims to raise awareness about the risks of health-care privatization

(June 10, 2017) By: Mandy Marciniak, Kingston Heritage “We can’t ‘bear’ to lose Medicare.” That is the message the Ontario Health Coalition is bringing with them across the province this month, and on June 6, they brought it to Kingston. “We are doing a tour to let people know about the threat to health care […]

Ontario Health Coalition’s giant Care Bear visits Peterborough Downtown Farmers’ Market to send a message about health care privatization

(June 7, 2017) By: Clifford Skarstedt, Peterborough Examiner Members of the Peterborough Health Coalition were joined by a giant seven-foot-tall Care Bear on Wednesday at the Peterborough Downtown Farmers’ Market to voice their concerns about the privatization of health care in Ontario. The Care Bear stopped at the city’s Louis Street parking lot on a provincial […]

Big Bear Coming To Windsor

(June 6, 2017) By: Robert Tuomi (WINDSOR, ON) – Almost on the heels of the 210 ton HMCS Goose Bay, the next big visitor to Windsor will apparently be a so-called giant of a bear. This is no ordinary bear. Much larger than the one at Costco near the exit door, this will be a […]

The Ontario Health Coalition is touring “Tommy” the bear across the province along with a message about the importance of public healthcare.

(June 6, 2017) By: Nick Seebruch The bear is named after Tommy Douglas, the father of the Canadian Public Healthcare system. On Monday, June 5, Tommy was in Cornwall. ohn Milne is one of the people who attended the demonstration in Cornwall at that corner of Pitt and Second streets, he warned that a lack […]

Bear to lose your care campaign swings through Cornwall

(June 5, 2017) By: Todd Hambleton, Cornwall Standard-Freeholder A big bear was drawing some attention in the middle of downtown Cornwall on Monday afternoon. The We Can’t “Bear” to Lose Medicare Tour visited the city, and the star attraction was a giant – and of course cute — 7-foot tall, 4.5-foot wide teddy bear positioned at […]

Coalition aims to spur up debate on health care

(June 5, 2017) By: Joseph Cattana Kingston Health Coalition chair Matthew Gventer hopes that a larger-than-life teddy bear will get residents to ask questions about Ontario’s health-care system. On June 6, the seven-foot-tall, five-foot-wide stuffed animal will be stationed outside Kingston and the Islands MPP Sophie Kiwala’s office at Bagot and Princess streets for the […]

Peterborough Health Coaltion members can’t bear to see health care privatization

(June 3, 2017) By: The Peterborough Examiner A giant teddy bear will be downtown Wednesday to warn citizens about health care privatization. The 7-foot tall “Care Bear” will be outside the Peterborough Downtown Farmers’ Market from 10 a.m. to noon at the Louis St. parking lot. It’s making an appearance on behalf of the Peterborough Health […]

Ontario Health Coalition launches tour railing against privatization

(May 30, 2017) By: Sara Cain, 900CHML A giant teddy bear has made its first stop of 20, in Hamilton with the message: “we can’t bear to lose Medicare.” It’s part of a tour across Ontario by the Ontario Health Coalition to raise awareness about what it calls the threat of privatization by for-profit clinics. Executive Director, […]

Health care rally planned for Tuesday

(June 1, 2017) By: Valerie MacDonald, Northumberland Today A campaign travelling through Northumberland to warn of the potential privatization of health care comes to Cobourg June 6 at the corner of Elgin and Strathy Road, near Northumberland Mall. The Ontario Health Coalition (of which Northumberland is a member) and the Hamilton Health Coalition are touring […]

Giant teddy bear to hit town with health message

(June 8, 2017) By: The Chatham Voice The Ontario and Chatham-Kent Health Coalitions are touring a giant teddy bear with the slogan, “We Can’t Bear to Lose Medicare,” to 20 towns from late May to mid-June to raise awareness about the threat of health care privatization. The bear, which is seven feet tall and five […]

Health coalition continuing hospital press

(May 24, 2017) By: Steve Henschel, Niagara This Week WELLAND — Despite the $9 billion earmarked for new hospitals in the provincial budget, and the assertion that some of that will be directed to a new Niagara Falls hospital, the fight isn’t over in Welland. Speaking at a Niagara Health Coalition Save Our Welland Hospital […]

Fight for Welland Hospital not over yet

(May 21, 2017) By: Laura Barton, Welland Tribune “It is not a done deal.” That was the main message delivered by Sue Hotte, chair of the Save Our Welland Hospital group, and other speakers gathered at a press conference held in Welland Friday morning. Their goal was to get the word out that Welland Hospital can still […]

Emergency services first on scene at Northumberland Hills Hospital medical distress call, says witness

(May 11, 2017) By: Pete Fisher, Northumberland Today COBOURG – Northumberland Hills Hospital is reviewing its policies after a person went into medical distress on the property and emergency services were first to arrive on scene. Patrick Ahern, 31, from Peterborough said was he witnessed Tuesday around 11:30 a.m. just inside the main entrance of NHH “was so […]

Public hearing from Ontario Health Coalition will focus on hospital reform

(June 22, 2017) By: Bruce Chessell, Woodstock Sentinel-Review Residents of Oxford County will soon have the chance to have their voices heard when it comes to public health reform. A public hearing on public hospital reform will be held in Ingersoll on June 26. Hosted by the Oxford Coalition for Social Justice and the Ontario Health Coalition, […]

ER wait times at Brampton Civic unlikely to improve despite promises

(May 2, 2017) By: Radhika Panjwani, Brampton Guardian The Ontario government’s much publicized announcement of approximately $518 million in funding to hospitals including Brampton Civic Hospital (BCH) to alleviate the patient gridlock in the emergency department, may have just been eyewash designed to squelch the outcry about the inhumane conditions experienced by patients, say some […]

New provincial budget brings more money to Peterborough’s health care and mental health

(April 28, 2017) By: Taylor Clysdale, Peterborough This Week The areas in which Peterborough will benefit from the new provincial budget will be foremost in health care, says the city’s member of provincial parliament. “It’s all about making life more affordable for Ontarians,” says MPP Jeff Leal. Several new additions to the 2016-2017 provincial budget, […]

Ontario budget ‘really designed’ for Peterborough riding: Leal

(April 28, 2017) By: Joelle Kovach MPP Jeff Leal says the new provincial budget is one that’s tailor-made for local people. “This was a budget really designed, in many ways, for the residents of Peterborough riding,” he said. Take the promise of free prescription medication for Ontarians under age 25, for instance. Leal says there […]

Youth drug plan on way; Prescription medication free to those under age 25

(April 28, 2017) By: THE CANADIAN PRESS Ontario’s Liberal government is promising to inject billions of new dollars into health care in its first balanced budget in a decade, a fiscal plan designed to appeal to nearly everyone in the province ahead of an election next summer. Crafted by a party in power since 2003 […]

RELEASE: Ontario Budget Health Care Investments Do Not Meet Expectations: Hospital Funding Inadequate to Stop Cuts & Meet Community’s Needs

(April 28, 2017) Despite the hype, the Ontario Budget did not provide the relief from a decade of hospital cuts that was hoped. Overall health funding will increase by 3 percent, less than the rest of the public sector. Home and community care funding increases are positive and appear to remain at the same rate […]

Free prescription medicines for those 24 and under first step to national pharmacare plan: Sousa

(April 27, 2017) By: Rob Ferguson, Queen’s Park Bureau Prescription medicines will be free for Ontario residents 24 and under starting in January as the provincial budget extends the same drug coverage given to 3.9 million seniors and people on social assistance. The groundbreaking measure, the first of its kind in Canada, is called OHIP+ […]

Hoskins wrong about hospital closures

(April 28, 2017) By: Sue-Ann Levy, Toronto Sun Health Minister Eric Hoskins got rather miffed with me Tuesday when I suggested his government was simply reinventing the wheel by closing hospitals on the one hand and offering $9 billion in this year’s budget to construct new ones. In their nice glossy 2017 budget book, the […]

Des attentes élevées pour le budget provincial

PUBLIÉ LE JEUDI 27 AVRIL 2017 À 5 H 54 On sait que la santé sera au coeur de ce budget. C’est la préoccupation principale des Ontariens et le gouvernement a l’intention d’investir massivement dans ce secteur. La Coalition de la santé de l’Ontario s’attend à voir le financement des hôpitaux augmenter de façon significative […]

Ontario set to begin shifting home care responsibilities

(April 25, 2017) By: Kate Porter, CBC News Ontario begins dissolving its 14 community care access centres next week, but critics insist the move won’t cut red tape, free up money or improve home care for patients. Every year more than 700,000 people in Ontario count on the personal support workers, nurses and therapists who […]

Ontario NDP’s policy initiative for Universal PharmaCare applauded by Ontario Health Coalition

(April 25, 2017) By: Lynne Brown NDP Leader Andrea Horwath announced Saturday at the NDP’s 2017 Convention that an NDP provincial government would create Ontario’s first universal Pharmacare plan. The convention took place at the Metro Convention Centre in downtown Toronto from April 21st to 23rd. “You shouldn’t have to empty your wallet to get […]

Can anything be done to prevent hospital misdiagnoses?

(April 19, 2017) By: CBC RADIO In just three months, there has been a spate of misdiagnoses in Canadian emergency rooms, some with tragic results. A three-year old girl in Abbotsford, B.C.,died after her pneumonia went untreated, despite repeated visits to the hospital. In Mississauga, Ont, after being sent home twice with a diagnosis of […]

Special Report, Part two: Five-year-old Sam Shalley died suddenly in the Woodstock ER after being wrongly diagnosed with croup

(March 29, 2017) By: Heather Rivers, Woodstock Sentinel-Review One of the last memories Melanie Carter has of her youngest grandson Sam Shalley is that of an excited five-year-old who was handed his very first Woodstock library card. Carter, who Sam affectionately called Gam, will never forget that day and giant smile on her grandson’s face. […]

Boutique clinics are turning Canada’s health care into a two-tiered system, critics say

(March 19, 2017) By: Jayson Maclean How much private influence can we have in Canada’s health care system before the dreaded ‘two-tier’ label becomes the more appropriate one? In Ontario, the line has already started to blur, say health care advocates, who see both a public system operating chronically underfunded hospitals and a suite of […]

Health Care Advocates Dismayed with Ottawa’s Divide and Conquer Tactics

(March 11, 2017) By: Lynne Brown Hopes for a Canadian Health Accord Dashed as Provinces Signs Deal Toronto/Ottawa/Edmonton: In a joint statement, The Ontario Health Coalition, Canadian Health Coalition and Friends of Medicare have released the following: The Ontario, Quebec and Alberta governments, which had initially held out for better, were compelled to sign onto […]

Ontario Health Coalition makes Public Health care front and centre in upcoming Bi-Election

(March 4, 2017) By: Lynne Brown On Thursday evening, March 2nd, 2017, the hall at Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 25 held a good sized turn-out of citizens from Sault Ste. Marie & area united in one cause – Public Healthcare. Public Healthcare accessible to all Ontario residents – not mired in a system where privatization […]

Ontario hospital bed crunch ‘extreme’

(February 11, 2017) By: Antonella Artuso, Toronto Sun Ontario has 2.3 hospital beds per 1,000 residents — barely ahead of countries with rock bottom bed counts like Mexico and Chile, the Ontario Health Coalition says. Executive Director Natalie Mehra said the average across Canada is 3.5 per 1,000 patients. “The hospital bed crunch is extreme […]

Canada’s Health Coalitions Warn Cuts Coming to Health Care

(February 10, 2017) By: Content Team Canada’s Health Coalitions signed a joint statement and held a media conference Thursday on the recent bilateral health care deals and called for a united health accord. Since late December the federal government has abandoned a national health accord negotiation and is now signing bilateral health deals with the […]

More hospital beds needed in Durham: health coalition

(January 12, 2017) By: Keith Gilligan, Oshawa This Week On the same day the province’s financial accountability office warned billions will need to be cut from health care so the government can balance its books, the Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) said the system is already strained due to funding cuts. In a news conference at […]

Hospitals in Ontario, Sudbury, overcrowded: group

(January 10, 2017) By: Sudbury Star Staff Hospitals in the province, including Health Sciences North in Sudbury, are bursting at the seams, the Ontario Health Coalition warned Tuesday. In a release, the coalition said there are bed shortages across the province and blames lack of provincial funding for the problem. “In Sudbury, Hamilton, and across […]

Sudbury’s hospital overflowing

(January 11, 2017) By: Jim Moodie, The Sudbury Star As white stuff accumulated outside Tuesday, the number of patients within the Ramsey Lake Health Centre was simultaneously snowballing. “At this moment we’re at 116 per cent occupancy,” said David McNeil, vice-president of patient services at Health Sciences North. “We’ve surged up into areas of the […]

Long-term Care: Seeking solutions on seniors’ issues

(November 3, 2016) By: Heather Rivers, Woodstock Sentinel-Review In Sweden, long-term care residents are cared for in a very different manner than those residing in Canadian homes. According to Dr. Margaret McGregor, who was part of the Re-imagining Long-term Residential Care: An International Study in Promising Practices project that included researchers from Canada, the U.S., […]

Seniors Calling. Public or Private Pursuit in Long-Term Care

(October 25, 2016) By: Lynne Brown A research paper published earlier this year in the journal PLOS Medicine, found that, ‘For-profit nursing homes provide “inferior” care to seniors, and though the evidence isn’t perfect it’s strong enough to suggest that policy makers should pay attention.’ The authors draw on years of research, in the U.S., […]

Health Alliance needs to get in cash queue

(October 24, 2016) Representatives from the Chatham-Kent Health Coalition, the Wallaceburg-Walpole Island Health Coalition, along with the executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, Natalie Mehra, recently met with Rob DeVitt, Supervisor for Chatham Kent Health Alliance and Ken Deane, interim CEO for CKHA. Many issues were discussed, but there is one issue that is […]