OHA Congratulates Progressive Conservatives and Premier Doug Ford

TORONTO, June 3, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) congratulates Premier Doug Ford and the Progressive Conservatives on being re-elected in the 2022 Ontario General Election last evening.

"The Government of Ontario, led by Doug Ford, has been a strong funding partner with hospitals through the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial stability has allowed them to concentrate on meeting the health service needs of the people of Ontario during the extraordinarily testing 2020-2022 period," said Anthony Dale, President and CEO of the OHA. "Looking forward, as COVID-19 shifts into an endemic state, we must ensure that hospitals and the wider health care system are supported with the financial resources to meet the needs of Ontario's rapidly growing and aging population and that Ontario has enough health care professionals and workers to provide care in hospitals and other settings."  

Over the past two years, Ontario's hospitals have demonstrated extraordinary dedication, innovation and resilience, even under the most punishing conditions. However, the pandemic demonstrated that after years of operating at very high occupancy levels, often 100% and higher, Ontario hospitals do not yet have the stand-by surge capacity that exists in many other similar jurisdictions. The consequence during the pandemic of operating hospitals at such high efficiency levels over so many years was significant disruption to "scheduled" surgical and diagnostic activity.  

"Ontario hospitals will continue to work to meet the needs of the people of Ontario no matter the circumstance ? as they have done over the past two years," Dale said. "However, strategic investments to build additional capacity while also implementing long-term health services capacity planning is needed now more than ever. We are grateful for the strong support of the government over the past several years and must continue to work together to build an even stronger health system to meet the rapidly changing needs of the people of Ontario, in the challenging years still to come."

Established in 1924, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) serves as the voice of the province's public hospitals, supporting them through advocacy, knowledge translation and member engagement, labour relations, and data and analytics with the goal of helping hospitals build a better health system. The OHA is also attuned to the broader strategic questions facing the future of the province's health care system and we work to ensure Ontario's hospitals have a voice in shaping this longer-term vision.

SOURCE Ontario Hospital Association