$15 million in new provincial funding is headed to the North Bay Regional Health Centre, as officials say they look to ease system pressures and enhance service delivery

The Ontario government is providing an additional $15 million in funding to the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) to support hospital operations and patient care.

The funding, announced by Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli, is intended to help the hospital maintain services, support beds for patients who no longer require acute care, and manage ongoing pressure across the system.

The new funding is on top of $2 million previously announced for NBRHC through the Health Infrastructure Renewal Funding and Community Infrastructure Renewal Funding programs.

Together, officials say, the investments are aimed at ensuring continued access to hospital services for patients and families in North Bay and the surrounding region.

“The Ontario government is working to deliver care in our community and ease pressure at our North Bay Regional Health Centre,” Fedeli said in a release.

“We recognize the vital role our hospital plays in providing access to connected, high-quality healthcare services.”

See: Hospital layoffs to impact 40 positions

And: LETTER: Hospital cuts in North Bay could worsen care, says former worker

Hospital officials say the funding will help support long-term stability as the organization works to improve patient flow and care delivery.

“We have been working continuously on improving service delivery models to help improve patient flow and care throughout our organization,” said Paul Heinrich, president and CEO of NBRHC.

“We welcome this investment from the province to help us ensure long-term stability and ensure our hospital facilities and services are available for patients requiring care across the district and region.”

See: Layoffs will have no impact on services says hospital president

According to the release, the funding includes $4.6 million in top-up funding to support hospital operations, representing a 1.9 per cent increase over last year, in addition to previously announced base funding of $9.1 million.

Nearly $8 million will be added as base funding to support 40 beds at the NBRHC’s Cartier Facility.

The province is also providing $1.5 million in new funding to support seven Alternate Level of Care beds, along with $697,500 in base funding for 15 additional ALC beds that were previously funded on a one-time basis.