Nearly $1.1 million in additional funding is expanding pediatric health services in North Bay and Muskoka.
One Kids Place (OKP) Children’s Treatment Centre receives the bulk of the money, just over $1 million.
“All of the funding that we get usually goes towards reducing the wait times through this intake process,” says Corina Moore, OKP Board Chair. “It’s about labour resources and administration around getting kids through the system faster so they can get diagnosed and they can get the treatment that they deserve.”
She also says there’s more work to do.
“We’re going to continue to advocate for the correct amount of funding to make sure that we can reduce the wait times to give access to these children at a younger age so that they can get ahead of some of the things that they’re dealing with,” Moore says.
Dawn Gallagher Murphy, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health, says the local money is part of a province-wide $330 million announcement of additional annual funding made in July.
“Of course, as the future needs are required, we will look at future needs,” she says. “But right now, we’re very proud of this $330 million in additional funding.”
Along with the funding for One Kids Place, the North Bay Regional Health Centre is receiving nearly $73,000 while nearly $12,000 is going to Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare.