Page 24 - HumberHappenings | Spring 2023

COMMUNITY News
EVERYONE IN ETOBICOKE-
LAKESHORE HAS THE RIGHT
TO QUALITY HEALTH CARE
FROM THE DESK OF CHRISTINE HOGARTH, MPP
You don’t need me to tell you that Ontario is changing. Our province is growing rapidly. We are a magnet for jobs and immigration. As a popula- tion, we are all aging too.
SOMETHING’S GOT TO CHANGE
Our medical professionals — from physi- cians and nurses to health care workers across the system — are doing their best, and for that, they deserve to be called heroes. But they need our help to strengthen the system they work within, and Ontario is doing just that. We are boldly breaking from the status quo, making it easier and faster for Ontarians to connect to convenient care closer to home. Whether it’s an unplanned 3:00 a.m. trip to the emergency room with your child or a routine check-up with your family doctor, we are making inno- vative and creative changes that will mean a better experience for you and your family when you need care.
WHAT WE’RE DOING
The Government of Ontario is pulling out all the stops for both short and long-term solutions to the struggles our health care system faces today. It’s long past time to “think out of the box” when it comes to ensuring Ontarians remain healthy. And that if crisis strikes, our health care system is there for you — where and when you need it. Our approach is based on three key pillars.
PILLAR ONE: THE RIGHT CARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE — Expanding the role of pharmacies to prescribe for minor ail- ments; making it easier for young people to access mental health and substance abuse support; and expanding team- based care through Health Teams to better connect and coordinate people’s care within their own communities.
PILLAR TWO: FASTER ACCESS TO CARE — Leveraging community surgical and diagnostic centres to eliminate backlogs and reduce wait times; giving paramedics more flexibility to treat people on-scene to reduce pressure on emergency rooms; and building 60,000 new and upgraded long-term care beds by 2028 to address wait times.
PILLAR THREE: HIRING MORE HEALTH CARE WORKERS — Investing in the largest medical school education expan- sion in a decade; expanding the “Learn and Stay” program helping growing and underserved communities with incen- tives for health care workers to stay for two years; and helping out-of-province health care workers begin working and caring for people here in Ontario faster.
On the opposite page, you’ll see a sam- pling of other things we’re doing to reach this goal. The people of Etobicoke- Lakeshore deserve nothing less.
As always, I appreciate hearing from you. Drop us a line at christine.hog- arth@pc.ola.org or call 416-259-2249 to share your thoughts. HH
Christine Hogarth is the MPP for the Ontario Riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore.
24 HUMBER HAPPENINGS | SPRING 2023
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