Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced money for a number of projects during a visit to Sudbury on Tuesday.
The day began at the Ornge Air facility at the Greater Sudbury Airport, where $108 million in new money will allow Ornge to add four planes to its existing aircraft for a total of 12.
By 2026, Ornge will be able to expand its staff to two additional full-time crews.
"We recognize the important role Ornge plays in providing patients with timely access to care, and today's announcement will ensure better connected care for the region now and in the future," Jones said during her news conference.
The province will also spend $10 million to move from its existing base in Sudbury to a newer, larger hangar.
Homer Tien, CEO of Ornge, said the announcement will offer residents in rural, northern communities improved access to health care.
"The distances they have to travel to get care are vast, so I think the announcement we heard, the average fixed-wing round trip is 1,067 kilometres," Tien said.
"The more fixed-wing we have, we can more rapidly access emergency care for these patients and I think that’s what health equity means."
In the afternoon, Jones was at Health Science's North as the hospital celebrated opening a 52-bed facility aimed at helping older patients.
"This is beautiful. Sudbury has needed a reactivation unit in our hospital for a long time," said Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas.
"It'll change people’s lives for the better."
Called the Acute Care and Reactivation Centre, the $12 million facility has been in the works for four years. It's designed to support patients with acute or specialized needs, offering rehabilitation and recreation services.
"It's going to enhance the care we can provide for seniors, providing them the rehabilitation care that they need to recover their function as they're transitioning from an acute care episode to their home," said David McNeil, hospital president and CEO.
"We're hoping as we discharge patients they will have better function and be able to cope better within the community and have a better trajectory of recovery."
FACILITY WAS NEEDED
Dr. Jo-Ann Clarke, medical director for the North East Specialized Geriatric Centre and now medical director of the new centre, said the facility was needed in Sudbury.
"We have the second oldest population in people ages 65-75," Clarke said.
"A third of older adults when they present to hospital have already lost function and a third never recover … What we want to focus on is all the things we can do to someone in hospital, inadvertently, that might worsen their recovery or slow their recovery. So right from the beginning, we're focusing on mobility, on hydration, on orientation, on keeping active, on setting goals."
During her speech, Jones congratulated HSN and announced $1.1 million in funding for pediatric care.
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"Today I'm pleased to announce our government is taking further action to ensure Health Sciences North has the capacity they need to serve the community now and for years to come," she said.
"Our government is investing an additional $5 million to support early capital planning for the hospital's future expansion."
