(March 28, 2016 )<\/p>\n
By: Jeffrey Ougler, Sault Star<\/p>\n
SAULT STE. MARIE\u00a0–\u00a0<\/span>Consider it the $60-million question.<\/p>\n Sault Area Hospital is unsure as to how provisions in the recent provincial budget for increased hospital dollars will affect 2016\/17 funding assumptions.<\/p>\n “Any recognition is good,\u201d SAH president and CEO Ron Gagnon told the Sault Star this week.<\/p>\n “At this point for us, it’s finding out what the specifics are, so we can act accordingly.”<\/p>\n Last week, the province announced a $60-million increase for hospital global budgets for the upcoming year. This upgrade, along with targeted funding, will mean that some hospitals will see up to a 1% funding increase. Small and rural hospitals will see a modest change and specialty hospitals, such as childrens’ and mental-health facilities, will receive an additional $175 million.<\/p>\n This is the first increase in five years.<\/p>\n In February, the hospital reported that at the end of January, it had an operating deficit of $480,000, an improvement of more than $670,000 from the previous year at that time. Based on “anticipated actions” in the balance of the fiscal year, the year-end forecast continues to be a $1-million surplus, as budgeted.<\/p>\n Gagnon said health-care inflation generally runs from 3% to 6%.<\/p>\n “You can’t make definitive plans to change what you’ve already (decided),\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Health-care provisions in the Ontario budget were not applauded by all.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we are pleased to see (the Ontario government has) loosened the stranglehold on community hospitals by providing a minimum increase, it is nowhere near enough to stop the erosion of patient care and services across Ontario,\u201d the Ontario Health Coalition said at the time.<\/p>\n \u201c(The budget) announcement is one small step, but there is still a long way to go to restore the services that have been cut and privatized over the last eight years. Ontario has plummeted to the bottom of Canada in hospital funding.\u201d<\/p>\n At SAH, specifically, departments across the facility have been cut in recent years, including operating rooms, ICU, oncology, surgery, hemodialysis, infection control, patient care co-ordination, nursing and personal support.<\/p>\n In January, health-care funding was front and centre during the provincial government\u2019s pre-budget consultations in Sault Ste. Marie, with many presenters contending a continued freeze to base operating funding would yield a dire diagnoses, particularly in Northern Ontario<\/p>\n SAH branded the four-year funding freeze as a chief factor in its fall decision to hike visitor parking rates. Effective Dec. 30, the gate rate increased to $6 per visit and monthly parking passes are now $66.67. Daily rates were $5 and monthly rates stood at $40. Parking fees also increased for staff and physicians.<\/p>\n