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| TODAY'S NEWS | SEARCH THE NEWSROOM | NEWS BY MINISTRY |
SCARBOROUGH, ON, Nov. 28 /CNW/ - At the Grand Opening of the Yee Hong
Scarborough Finch Centre Long-Term Care Home, Health and Long-Term Care
Minister highlighted initiatives to enhance physician services for Ontario's
seniors.
"With an aging population, our government is committed to improving the
health and quality of life of seniors," said Health and Long-Term Care
Minister George Smitherman. "Building on our revolution in long-term care,
we're making targeted investments in physician services to spend more time
caring for seniors, managing chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease,
and enhancing services in long-term care homes, home care and palliative
care," said Smitherman.
Specific benefits for seniors include:
- Long-Term Care Homes and Chronic Care Hospitals - $10 million will
be invested annually in a special on-call, after hours coverage in
long-term care homes and chronic care hospitals. In addition,
physicians will receive a monthly management fee of $83.60 for
each patient they see in long-term homes and chronic care
hospitals. This will include reviewing each patient's medication
regularly to ensure safe and optimal patient care.
- Palliative Care - Incentives for physicians to provide enhanced
palliative care services for seniors. For example, physicians will
receive $17.30 for providing telephone counselling and $62.55 for
providing special house-call visits for palliative care patients.
- Enhanced Access to Family Physicians - Family physicians will
receive a 15% premium to see more senior patients. Family
physicians will also receive a management fee to provide care to
seniors on an ongoing basis to manage chronic diseases such as
diabetes and heart disease.
- Chronic Disease Management for Elderly Patients - Geriatricians
will receive a 30-50% premium for seeing patients with chronic
diseases. Geriatricians will also see an overall increase of 30%
in their incomes over the next four years.
"Our plan for improved access to quality health care is about breaking
with the status quo by encouraging physicians to work in new and better ways,"
said Smitherman. "The result is better access to health services for all
Ontarians."
This news release, along with other media materials, such as matte
stories and audio clips, on other subjects, are available on our website at:
http://www.health.gov.on.ca under the News Media section.
NOTES FOR REMARKS BY
THE HONOURABLE GEORGE SMITHERMAN
MINISTER OF HEALTH AND LONG-TERM CARE
AT THE GRAND OPENING OF YEE HONG CENTRE'S NEW SCARBOROUGH
FINCH HOME
NOVEMBER 28, 2004
Good afternoon.
My thanks to Edcon Yau and Jennifer Wu for that bilingual introduction.
I'd just like to quickly acknowledge a couple of other people: Councillor
Olivia Chow and Dr. Joseph Wong, Chair of the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric
Care and the Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation.
Also my colleagues Alvin Curling, Speaker of the Legislature, and Derek
Lee from the federal scene.
And thanks to everyone else for being here today at the grand opening of
the Scarborough Finch Yee Hong Centre.
It's an absolute delight to be here today for the grand opening of
another of your well-run and fine long-term care homes.
The Yee Hong Centre has set the standard for long-term care homes in this
province...for creating a culturally rich community, and top-notch programs
and care.
Yee Hong Centre has an excellent compliance record and I can say nothing
but positive things about an organization like that.
The McGuinty government believes all of our citizens have every right to
live with dignity and respect. And we are strongly committed to building a
long-term care system that guarantees this.
And as you may know, I've promised a 'revolution' in long-term care in
this province. I made the promise a few weeks after being sworn-in as Minister
just over a year ago.
We know that our population is growing and aging and we want to be sure
that people have comfortable and caring places available to them in their
communities, when they need them.
That's why our plan for long-term care is not only to invest in new long-
term care beds in communities that need them, but making sure that all homes
provide residents with the highest quality of care.
We don't call them 'facilities' or any other such name any more - they're
homes where some of our elderly live, and their families should be encouraged
to be part of the life of the home.
The revolution in long-term care that I have spoken about on many
occasions is exactly what has taken place these last few months.
We invested additional funding of $191 million beginning this year to
hire 2000 new staff, including 600 nurses.
And we introduced a host of initiatives designed to improve the care
standards, comfort and accountability of long-term care homes.
Today, I am happy to say that we are building on these accomplishments by
investing in expanded physician services for Ontario seniors.
We are making targeted investments to support doctors to spend more time
caring for seniors, managing chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease
and enhancing services in long-term care homes, home care and palliative care.
I'd like to speak about each of these initiatives.
First, we are investing $10 million annually to support physicians to
provide special on-call, after-hours services in long-term care homes and
chronic care hospitals. In addition, doctors will receive a monthly management
fee of $83.60 for each patient they see in long-term care homes and chronic
care hospitals. This will include reviewing each patient's medication
regularly to ensure they are getting the best from their medications.
Second, we will provide incentives for physicians who provide palliative
care services to seniors. For example, a physician will receive $17.50 for
providing telephone counseling to patients and their loved ones and $62.55 for
providing house calls to palliative care patients.
Third, family doctors who see more senior patients will receive a 15%
top up on their regular visit fee.
Geriatricians will receive a 30% to 50% premium for seeing patients with
chronic diseases. Geriatricians will see their incomes increase by 30% so that
we can attract and increase the number of their much sought-after doctors to
care for our aging population.
These initiatives are contained in the tentative agreement that we
reached with the Ontario Medical Association.
Most of you have probably heard through the news that the agreement was
not ratified by this province's doctors when it was put to a vote.
Our government was obviously disappointed and, to be very honest,
somewhat surprised at the outcome.
But, we want to assure you that we remain wholeheartedly committed to
moving forward with our plan to improve access to health care in this
province, including our investments in physician services for seniors.
Ontarians expect us to act now to improve their health care.
Seniors deserve nothing less than the very best.
I wish everyone here best of luck in their new home, or work environment.
And thank you for having me.
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For further information: Members of the media: Eva Lannon, Minister's Office, (416) 327-4320; Dan Strasbourg, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, (416) 314-6197; Members of the general public: (416) 327-4327, (800) 268-1154
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