Last Friday, Ontario's Long-Term Care Covid-19 Commission released their Interim Report to the Minister of Long-Term Care highlighting a number of different recommendations for the government to improve
resident care. We were pleased to see these recommendations include many of the action items WeRPN had put forward in our submission including:
Ensuring appropriate staffing levels and mix to meet the needs of residents
Creating more full time positions to address retention
Establishing a minimum daily average of 4hrs of direct resident care
Ensuring every facility has an IPAC lead
Creating a robust health human resource strategy.
We will continue to engage with the Commission and other stakeholders to encourage the government to move forward with implementing these recommendations.
WeRPN's AGM is just two days away! Don't forget to register for our AGM taking place on October 29th, from 6:00PM-9:30PM. This event will feature keynote addresses from Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser and motivator Orlando Bowen. Learn more.
Key Provincial Updates and Resources for Health Professionals
This afternoon, Premier Ford and Minister Elliott announced an investment of $116.5 million to further increase capacity at 32 hospitals and alternate health facilities across the province. In total, 766 beds will be added in order to reduce surgical backlogs from the first wave of the pandemic, while continuing to build surge capacity. The additional beds will be critical to adding capacity for hospitals in COVID-19 hotspots, including Toronto, Ottawa, Peel and York region.
Yesterday, Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Finance, Rod Phillips, announced that Ontario will release its 2020 Budget next Thursday, November 5th. The 2020 Budget will build on Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19, and will provide a three-year economic outlook based on three plausible economic scenarios.
Last Friday, Premier Ford and Minister Elliott announced an investment of $8.7 million to support the planning and design of the new Quinte Health Care Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital in Picton. This new hospital will replace the existing aged facility, and expand capacity and access to health care in the region.
The new facility will include six additional in-patient beds, a 24/7 emergency department, modern surgical suites, dialysis treatments and diagnostic imaging, and outpatient care services.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an investment of up to $173 million through the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) in Quebec City-based Medicago to support Canada’s
response to COVID-19 and future preparedness
For more information, we encourage you to visit the Government of Canada website.
Daily Reports
As of 10:30AM today, Ontario reported 72,051 confirmed cases (increase of 827), 61,530 resolved cases, 3,103 deaths and 22,636 currently under investigation with lab results pending.
The Ministry is also reporting that 312 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19, 75 are in ICU and 52 are vented. To view these additional details: click here
Click Hereto read the latest Ministry of Health Daily Report **Please note, these reports are intended for health professionals only and we request that you not share this with the public.
World Health Organization Situation Reports are also available here
In the News For an interactive map tracking all cases across Canada and internationally, click here
Below are some key stories from today that may be of
interest to our members
We encourage RPNs looking for employment opportunities to sign up on all the platforms noted above.
We will continue to monitor this situation and keep you updated as more information becomes available. Thank you for the important work that you're doing and the sacrifices you're making to keep Ontarians safe. We appreciate everything that you're doing each and every day.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Tiff Blair at tblair@werpn.com
Sincerely,
WeRPN Team
WeRPN 5025 Orbitor Drive Building 5, Suite 200 Mississauga, Ontario L4W 4Y5
