Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is located at 1 Hospital Drive in Peterborough. (Photo: PRHC) The Ontario government is granting nearly $8.2 million to Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) to support its operations and help minimize wait times. Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith met with PRHC president and CEO Dr. Lynn Mikula at the hospital on Friday morning (August 28) to reveal the $8,193,000 investment. This funding is part of a broader $1.1-billion commitment to Ontario’s hospital sector outlined in the 2026 provincial budget. The province states that this funding marks a four percent increase in annual hospital financing for the fourth year in a row. – content continues below The release indicates that this funding will aid PRHC’s core clinical services as the regional hospital addresses increasing patient needs. This financial support will not only help maintain around-the-clock emergency department operations but also manage inflationary and wage challenges, all while aiming to decrease wait times for surgical and diagnostic procedures such as MRI and CT scans, cardiac and stroke care, neurological services, orthopedic surgeries, and cataract operations. – content continues below “In recent years, Peterborough Regional Health Centre has been strategically investing into how we deliver care,” Dr. Mikula shared. “Provincial investments like this one are vital for advancing our work in key areas at PRHC, including further developing our cutting-edge data and analytics program and setting up a command centre to assist with real-time decision-making and improve access to care throughout the hospital.” Dr. Mikula expressed her gratitude towards MPP Smith, Ontario Health, and the Ministry of Health for this funding which she believes acknowledges the efforts of PRHC staff over the past year to facilitate patient access to local care. – content continues below “We remain strongly committed to achieving our ambitious goals while ensuring we continue providing top-notch care and service to the 600,000 individuals we serve across this region,” Dr. Mikula added. The deputy premier and health minister Sylvia Jones mentioned that this funding will enable PRHC to keep delivering care while cutting down wait lists and waiting periods. “Our government is making historic investments to protect Ontario’s healthcare system so that more people in the Peterborough region can connect with the care they need when they need it,” Jones noted. – content continues below The announcement about PRHC’s funding comes after an August 11 announcement regarding over $7.6 million in provincial support for Ross Memorial Hospital in Lindsay. This earlier funding included $3,765,800 from the same $1.1-billion provincial initiative aimed at supporting hospital operations and reducing wait times along with an additional $3,866,243 designated for infrastructure enhancements and repairs. The infrastructure funds allocated for Ross Memorial Hospital will assist with replacing parts of its aging roof along with improvements made to its chilled-water distribution system, heat exchangers, HVAC pumps, flooring repairs, as well as sanitary waste piping upgrades. The province anticipates investing approximately $64 billion into major health infrastructure over the next decade; this includes more than 50 significant hospital projects expected to add around 3,000 beds throughout Ontario.
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