Local MPP Todd Smith visited the Gazette offices to talk all things energy earlier this month. But the widest smiles on the generous mug of the Quinte MPP were for the new Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital build, as well as for memories of his time at Loyalist College. 

The Minister is over-the-moon excited about a trip to Picton he has scheduled for fall 2024 — to turn  the official sod on a new, state-of-the-art hospital. The new build will be the first hospital in Ontario outfitted with geothermal heating.

 PECMH Foundation Executive Director Shannon Coull reports the Back the Build campaign has raised $21 million to date, including pledges and gifts. The Foundation’s goal is $27 million by 2027.

“We are looking at a bright future for healthcare delivery in our community,” she said. “Because of our donors, volunteers and strong partnerships with Quinte Health, Infrastructure Ontario, the Municipality of PEC and the Ministry of Health, we are positioned to build a hospital we never imagined would be possible, demonstrating that we are a community united.”

Top of mind, though, are concerns about the shortage of human health resources. By the time the Foundation reaches its goal, one in four Ontarians will be without a family doctor.

A 2022 survey conducted by the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario indicates 75 per cent of RNs feel burnt out after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Another 2023 survey by the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario indicates more than 60 per cent are considering leaving the profession. 

The Minister detailed the big plans underway at the college level to  grow its healthcare education offerings for both nurses and PSAs. His government plans to bolster Ontario’s critical mass of healthcare professionals. The province has lifted caps on admissions at Ontario’s schools of medicine, including at Queen’s University. An additional 450 medical students will eventually graduate every year.

ON THE FAST TRACK

It has also made changes to fast-track approving doctors who earned their credentials in other jurisdictions so they can practice medicine in Ontario. It continues to work with the Government of Canada and Ontario’s College of Physicians and Surgeons to recruit new graduates from medical schools outside Canada and the United States

Mr. Smith noted Quinte-area medical students, who studied in places such as
Edinburgh and Melbourne, found themselves unable to return to the region to practice.

“We’re very hopeful these folks will soon be able to come home and fill roles within Quinte Health, our Family Health Teams, and our Long term Care Homes.”

STAYING CLOSE TO HOME

On the nursing front, the MPP noted an initiative to expand the nursing degree program at Loyalist College. The program has been re-developed to enable candidates to complete all four years of training in Belleville

“Previously, students were completing two years at Loyalist and finishing their degrees at places like Brock University — and then they weren’t coming back to the area,” he said. “Now, they can study here for four years, take a placement at Quinte Health and hopefully stay here.”

Accelerated Personal Support Worker courses are also beginning to pay dividends at such a rate that Mr. Smith predicts Loyalist College could eventually become a hub for healthcare studies. “It will take some time to see the fruits of this labour,” he added.

CLOSING IN ON A GOAL

He recalled the days of advocacy groups such as Patrons Of Our County Hospital travelling to Queen’s Park by the busload to protest potential cuts and services reductions that would have hamstrung Prince Edward County health services. 

While in opposition, Mr. Smith amplified the need for a hospital that served the needs of this island community and, eventually, his colleagues across the aisle took note. 

“This has been a long time coming,” said the MPP. “From the days of POOCH and bus loads of people at Queen’s Park — to be at the stage where the tender is about to be awarded and shovels will soon be in the ground is incredibly exciting for everyone in Prince Edward County.”