Ontario Connecting More People to Community Stroke Rehabilitation Care in Northeastern Ontario
September 12, 2024Over $4.7 million will help more people connect to critical post-stroke therapy closer to home
NORTH BAY – Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing announced that the Ontario government is investing an additional $1.5 million in base funding this year, increasing to nearly $3.2 million in annualized base funding next year to expand Community Stroke Rehabilitation (CSR) services in Northeastern Ontario to connect more people to the care and treatment they need. Locally, the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) has received $266,100 in base funding for this year increasing to $532,200 in annualized base funding next year.
“This investment will enhance the delivery of specialized services and coordinated care that health facilities can provide to individuals in our communities that have suffered from a stroke,” said MPP Vic Fedeli. “By improving recovery outcomes and supporting families, the Ontario government is building a stronger, more resilient health care system.”
“This funding will allow NBRHC to expand specialized stroke rehabilitation services right across the Nipissing-Timiskaming District,” says Paul Heinrich, North Bay Regional Health Centre President and CEO. “We are thrilled to be able to offer these vital rehab therapies closer to home, improving outcomes and quality of life for all stroke patients within our district.”
“Our government is making record investments in our health care system to expand access to vital health services”, said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “This investment in the expansion of post-stroke rehabilitation is one more way we are connecting people to the care they need, to get more people back to doing what matters most to them.”
This funding is part of an additional $15 million the Ontario government is investing to help health service providers across the province expand their CSR services and connect an additional 1,400 people to the care they need.
Community stroke rehabilitative care connects people who have experienced a stroke with occupational therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy, and other professional services to aid in their recovery, all provided in a hospital outpatient clinic, community or home setting. Appropriate and timely rehabilitation can significantly improve outcomes for people who experience a stroke, increasing their level of independence and overall quality of life.
Through Your Health: A Plan For Connected and Convenient Care, the province is taking action to expand Ontario’s hospitals and access to services in home or community to ensure patients and their families receive the right care, in the right place, for years to come.
QUICK FACTS
- A stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when blood stops flowing to any part of a person’s brain and damages brain cells. Common signs of a stroke include sudden drooping in a person’s face, an inability to raise both arms and slurred speech.
- CSR services include a combination of occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy, and social work in a hospital outpatient clinic, community or home setting. Last year over 6,000 people received CSR services in Ontario.
- These services follow the Community Stroke Rehabilitation Model of Care, developed in close partnership with clinical experts across the province to outline best practices for how health care services are delivered to stroke patients.
- As part of Ontario’s 2024 Budget, the province is investing a record more than $85 billion into the health care system. This includes a record four per cent increase in investments to the hospital sector and investing in the home and community care sector.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES