January 17th Weekly update

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Dear Constituents,

This is an exciting time for Ontario’s healthcare system. Our government has been committed to improving healthcare in Ontario since we were first elected, and we continue to make strides towards ensuring that all Ontarians can access the care they deserve when they need it.

Last week, I had the honour of joining His Worship John Tory, Mayor of Toronto; The Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario; The Honourable Sylvia Jones, Ontario Deputy Premier and Minister of Health; and Wolf Klassen, the President and interim CEO of the Michael Garron Hospital to celebrate the opening of the new Ken and Marilyn Thomson Patient Care Center. During the ceremony, Mayor Tory, Premier Ford, and others spoke about the power of what we can accomplish when all levels of government work together with our healthcare providers. The Ken and Marylin Thomson Patient Care Center is an excellent example of this, and of our government’s commitment to supporting healthcare in Ontario.

The following day I joined Hastings-Lennox and Addington MPP Ric Bresee for an announcement in his riding: funding for the operation of a new MRI Machine, the first ever, at the Lennox and Addington General Hospital. You may recall the section on MRI Machines from my December 13th newsletter – our government continues to deploy these and other life-saving technologies to communities and hospitals across Ontario.

This edition of the Weekly Update provides details about our government’s three-step program to eliminate Ontario’s surgical backlog and reduce surgery wait times, and provides news on our recent provincial trade mission to the United States.

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Ontario Reducing Wait Times for Surgeries and Procedures

The Ontario government is making it easier and faster for people to access the publicly-funded surgeries and procedures they need by further leveraging community surgical and diagnostic centres to eliminate surgical backlogs and reduce wait times. As the government significantly expands the number of surgeries being done through community surgical and diagnostic centres, it will do so with measures in place to protect the stability of health human resources at public hospitals, including requiring new facilities to provide detailed staffing plans as part of their application and requiring a number of physicians at these centres to have active privileges at their local hospital.

“When it comes to your health, the status quo is no longer acceptable,” said Premier Doug Ford. “Our government is taking bold action to reduce wait times for surgeries, all while ensuring Ontarians use their OHIP card to get the care they need, never their credit card.”

Community surgical and diagnostic centres have been valuable partners in Ontario for many decades, and more recently, in responding to the pandemic and addressing the pandemic-related backlog in surgeries. Increasing community delivery of surgeries has proven to increase patient and provider satisfaction and reduces the risk of a rescheduled appointment. Surgeries performed at these centres will be publicly-funded.

Ontario has a three-step plan that better integrates and uses these state-of-the-art facilities to speed up how quickly people are able to get surgeries and procedures using their health card. More information about the three-step plan can be found on the Ontario Newsroom.

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Ontario Innovation Takes Centre Stage During Trade Mission to the United States

The Ontario government has concluded a successful trade mission to the United States to promote the province’s flourishing automotive, technology and life sciences sectors and attract new investment opportunities. Two delegations of more than 29 Ontario companies, led by Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, represented the province at two of the world’s largest technology and innovation conferences – the Consumer Electronics Show and the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference and Biotech Showcase.

“Ontario is the second largest IT cluster in North America, making it a hub for global innovation,” said Minister Fedeli. “We’re building a stronger Ontario and are proud to be leading major advancements across the technology, automotive and life sciences sectors. By connecting Ontario innovators with global leaders in these key sectors, we’re able to create new opportunities for families and businesses here in Ontario.”

Building on the success at the Consumer Electronics Show, 13 Ontario companies participated in the Biotech Showcase (January 9 – 11) in San Francisco, the largest healthcare investment symposium in the industry. The delegation, which included companies in biotech research and development, pharmaceutical technology and medical technology, promoted the province’s growing life and health sciences sector to global industry leaders and innovators.

Additional highlights included meetings with Gatik AI, Magna International, Linamar Corporation, Valeo, Meta Materials, Blackberry, Resilience, Rivian and Uber. These meetings were opportunities to showcase the province as a global hub for innovation and an ideal place for companies to invest.

Ontario continues to adopt innovative and forward-thinking approaches to secure and grow the province’s competitive advantages. With a talented workforce, state-of-the-art research and development facilities, award-winning manufacturing and access to an abundance of critical materials, the province is a prime location for businesses to invest and grow.

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My constituency office is open Monday to Friday from 10AM to 4PM. If you have any questions or concerns we’re readily available to assist you. You can also reach us by phone at (416) 781-2395 or by email at robin.martin@pc.ola.org.

Warmest Wishes,

Robin Martin, MPP
Eglinton-Lawrence

For the most up-to-date COVID-19 information from the Government of Ontario visit ontario.ca/coronavirus

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Authorized by the CFO for the Eglinton-Lawrence PC Association