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WHAT'S NEW

OHC Calls For Coroner’s Inquest in the Death of Reilly Anzovino
The Ontario Health Coalition is requesting a coroner’s inquest into the death of Reilly Anzovino after a Boxing Day car accident. Ms. Anzovino was taken by ambulance to Welland because the closest emergency department in Fort Erie was recently closed due to budget cuts. She passed away prior to arriving at the hospital. This is the second death since the emergency department closures in Fort Erie and Port Colborne that has raised questions about whether the closures have contributed to avoidable fatality. Prior to the closure of the Emergency Departments in Niagara, the Ontario Health Coalition conducted in-depth interviews with 50 paramedics across Ontario. For more information on that report see the next item on this page. MEDIA RELEASE LETTER TO CORONER (January 25, 2010)
Putting Patients at Risk: Interviews with Ontario Paramedics on the Consequences of Closing Local Emergency Departments
A new report, based on interviews with 50 paramedics across Ontario, on what the provincial government’s planned emergency room closures would mean for patient care in communities across the province. The report will address the following questions:
What do paramedics think of the Ontario government’s plan to close small and rural hospital emergency rooms?
Can paramedics really replace hospital emergency rooms?
What are the implications for patients and customers of ambulance services? MEDIA RELEASE SUMMARY FULL REPORT (June 18, 2009)
”Avoiding Zero” website makes it easy to contact your MPP regarding funding for Ontario hospitals
Already struggling to cope with increased demand and inadequate funding, hospitals have been told to plan for a funding freeze for 2010/11. This will be the first time Ontario has frozen funding for hospitals since the Harris government did so in the mid-1990s. Ontario Hospitals are among the most lean in Canada. There is no room to cut further without impacting on patient care. Send a message to your MPP at this fast and easy-to-use web site hosted by the 30,000 health care professionals and support staff represented by OPSEU. Go to www.avoidingzero.ca and send your message now.
OHC’s Response to 2nd Set of Draft Regulations under Bill 140 the Long-Term Care Homes Act
Our analysis and response to the second set of draft regulations put out by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Once these regulations are completed, the new Long Term Care Homes Act (Bill 140) will come into effect. The regulations, under the Act, provide detail about the provisions in the Act. Notable is that there is no minimum care standard. The new draft regulations contain very few required program standards and criteria and no outcomes. At the same time, the Ministry is undertaking a "Compliance Transformation" process. It is not clear how inspectors will be able to provide evidence of breaches of requirements if there are no clear requirements. SUBMISSION (October 15, 2009)
What's Wrong with Ontario's Health Ministry and How to Fix
Natalie Mehra on the resignation of Health Minister David Caplan and the deeper problems of lack of transparency and democratic accountability that plague the ministry. OP/ED (October 13, 2009)
Documents Revealed Through Freedom of Information Request Show Increasing Privatization and Consolidation of Ontario's Medical Laboratory Services
Documents released after a two year Freedom of Information battle reveal almost complete control of Ontario's community medical laboratory services by three multinational corporations. Three multinational corporations are the big winners while local communities are losing lab services. MEDIA RELEASE (October 8, 2009)
Video Player
The OHC has a new YouTube video player featuring presentations from the OHC’s Emergency Summit on Hospital Cuts and Restructuring in January, Save Our Hospital Town Hall meetings and more. VIDEO PLAYER
Thousands Join Rally at Ontario Legislature to Stop Hospital Cuts

More than 3,000 people came by bus, car pool and public transit to the front lawn of Queen’s Park on April 29, 2009 to demand that Premier Dalton McGuinty stop the cuts and closures of local hospitals across Ontario. Small and rural communities were particularly visible with people carrying messages from Wallaceburg, Fort Erie, Port Colborne, Welland, Niagara Falls, Strathroy, Petrolia, Burk’s Falls, Kincardine, Quinte West, Picton and other towns. Larger communities also facing cuts such as Hamilton, Guelph, Cambridge and Toronto were also well represented.

Mayors from small and rural communities across Ontario convened a press conference at Queen’s Park during the protest to announce the formation of an alliance of municipalities working to protect their local hospitals. Liberal MPP Kim Craitor from Niagara Falls, where birthing is slated to be cut, sponsored the media studio. Opposition MPPs from the Conservative and NDP parties peppered the Health Minister with questions during Question Period, then joined protesters outside where leaders and health critics from both parties spoke to the assembled crowd.

Check out our updated and revamped Gallery for pictures of OHC events from over the years.
Is Health Spending Out of Control?
Dr. Gordon Guyatt of McMaster University busts myths about health spending and uses facts to prove that Canadian health spending is stable and that privatization costs more and generates worse health outcomes. POWERPOINT PRESENTATION (June 24, 2009)
Garlic Fundraiser
For the second year in a row the OHC is selling organic, locally grown, gourmet garlic. By ordering garlic with us, you are supporting our vital work and you are also supporting your good health and local farmers by purchasing fresh, organic and Ontario grown garlic. This year you have three garlic options to choose from. Please download both sheets below and send us your order form and payment by July 15, 2009. GARLIC DESCRIPTIONS ORDER FORM (June-July 2009)
Long Term Care: Final Response to Draft Regulations
Updated June 5
For those of you who are particularly concerned about long term care homes, please find attached the draft OHC response to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care draft regulations under the new Long Term Care Homes Act. The draft regulations will replace the current regulations under the Acts governing for-profit, non-profit and municipal long term care homes, and the Facility Program Manual. Please feel free to copy, distribute, or use the attached materials for your own submissions. The deadline for submissions or comments to the Ministry regarding the draft regulations is June 5. Click here for our action alert containing information on how to send your input to the government and click below for our detailed response to the government’s proposal. OHC FINAL RESPONSE TO DRAFT REGULATIONS (June 5, 2009)
Long Term Care: Letter to David Caplan
The following letter has been sent to the Minister of Health regarding his decision to move towards finalizing the draft regulations before the results of the Ontario Ombudsman's investigation into long term care homes sector is released. Please send in your letters as soon as possible. The Minister has set the deadline for submissions regarding the regulations for Friday, June 5. LETTER (May 29, 2009)
OHC Newsletter – May 2009
This issue of our newsletter “THE PULSE” includes a report on our Queen’s Park Rally to save rural hospitals and news about the new long term care draft regulations from the government. PART 1 PART 2 (May 2009)
Long Term Care Homes: High Level Briefing and One Day Conference
This March the Ontario Health Coalition and the Alliance of Seniors/Older Canadians Network hosted a conference on regulating Long Term Care Homes to improve care which reviewed the recent history of LTC in Ontario, critical issues, best and worst practices, and prospects for the future. Below is a presentation on the US nursing home sector by Toby Edelman M.Ed., JD, Senior Policy Attorney, Centre for Medicare Advocacy, Washington D.C., and an overview of the situation in Ontario by OHC Director Natalie Mehra. PRESENTATION BY TOBY EDELMAN (PowerPoint) OVERVIEW BY NATALIE MEHRA (PowerPoint) (March 31, 2009)
Students for Medicare Conference
Students for Medicare held a one day conference in March 2008. If you’re interested in joining the group contact studentsformedicare@gmail.com. CLOSING ADDRESS (March 28, 2009)
OHC Newsletter – March 2009
This issue of our newsletter “THE PULSE” includes news about the cross-province fightback to save our hospitals. PART 1 PART 2 (March 2009)
Budget Will Not Help Save Hospitals From Closures, Cuts
“This budget does not provide even what is needed to maintain existing services, or save our local hospitals from major cuts,” noted Dora Jeffries, coalition co chair. “In hard economic times hospital closures, cuts to services and lay offs are the worst possible option. In many communities, the local hospital is vital to economic development. McGuinty is risking important hospital capacity for the long term by underfunding the hospital system. ” MEDIA RELEASE (March 26, 2009)
Brampton P3 Audit: Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in ‘Mistakes’ in Brampton P3 Finances
The Auditor-General has revealed cost overruns at Brampton’s privatized P3 hospital. The Ontario Health Coalition is providing an analysis of the AG’s findings, our submission to the Auditor-General made in March and a link to the AG’s report itself. The auditor’s findings show that the Brampton P3 hospital costs increased from a projected $357 million at the outset of the P3 project to $614 million at the end of construction. MEDIA RELEASE ANALYSIS OHC SUBMISSION TO THE AG
AUDITOR’S REPORT (December 8-9, 2008)
Briefing Note on Ontario’s Hospital Cuts and Restructuring 2008
A major round of hospital restructuring and cuts is underway in every health region in the province causing major layoffs, privatization and threaten local Emergency Rooms, birthing facilities and hospital beds. This new briefing note by the Ontario Health Coalition examines the cuts region by region. This year and next, provincial budget levels for hospital global budgets are insufficient to meet hospital rates of inflation and population growth. Cabinet-appointed Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) are reviewing services in hospitals with deficits, and at the behest of the provincial government, are forcing hospitals to eliminate their deficits through drastic cuts. MEDIA RELEASE BRIEFING NOTE (December 2, 2008)
Home Care Report: The Change We Need
A new independent report on Ontario’s home care sector by Patricia Baranek, Carol Kushner and the late Marion Dewar. An non-partisan independent review of the current research along with input received through 78 presentations and 69 written submissions to five public hearings held across Ontario in June 2008. The report makes 20 recommendations to reform home care and provide urgently needed change. MEDIA RELEASE MEDIA BACKGROUNDER FULL REPORT (November 17, 2008)
Private Clinics Report: Eroding Public Medicare – Costs and Consequences
Groundbreaking report on the growth and practices of for-profit surgical, MRI and boutique physician clinics across Canada. Where are they? How are they making their profits? How are they promoting two-tier medicare? Where do they get their staff from? What does this mean for public health care in Canada. MEDIA RELEASE FULL REPORT
FRANÇAIS (en bref) (October 6, 2008)
Last year the OHC obtained a legal opinion on the Copeman clinic which found the proposed Ontario clinic to be in contravention of the law.