This article was first published by OrilliaMatters.com, a Village Media publication.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones was at Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital (OSMH) this morning to announce the provincial government is investing an additional $10 million to support emergency department training for nurses.
Jones said the funding will build a "stronger, more resilient" health-care workforce by providing 1,000 nurses with virtual training modules, immersion programs to support hands-on education, and access to a specialty training fund.
"Our investment will bolster, stabilize, and maintain a nursing workforce in emergency departments across Ontario," she said. "Especially in rural and remote hospitals, to connect more people to critical care close to home."
Wednesday's announcement is part of the provincial government's $743-million investment over three years originally unveiled in the 2023 budget to continue to address immediate health-care needs.
"It is one more way our government is supporting innovative solutions to support patients receiving connected and community care close to home," Jones said.
Jill Colin, the vice president of patient care and chief nursing executive at OSMH, says more than 300 nurses are trained at the Orillia hospital each year.
"Maintaining and upgrading skills in nursing is critically important," she said. "It not only enhances quality of care and access to care for patients and families, but it also supports a high functioning health care team by increasing morale, improving teamwork, reducing scheduling gaps, and building a reputation for excellence that helps to drive both recruitment and retention."
Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop said today's announcement marks a "pivotal" moment for the community and for all hospital emergency departments in Ontario.
"Our government is helping to build a stronger, more resilient health-care workforce in the communities that need it most," she said. "We are here today to highlight just how important our emergency rooms are, and of course, where would they be without our nurses who are so often the first point of contact for those in need of critical care."
