The provincial government and the Ontario Medical Association have a new four-year Physician Services Agreement.
It’s the result of a mediated arbitration award.
It will not only increase funding for doctors, but there will also be a couple of new programs for expanded medical services in rural and northern Ontario.
That includes a new compensation model for doctors with the All Nations Health Partners Ontario Health Team in Kenora and increased funding for an existing physician services agreement for the Sioux Lookout region that will increase a doctor’s compensation for travel and working in northern communities.
Kimberly Moran is CEO of the Ontario Medical Association and says it should help improve the health care system in the province.
“This is a crucial step toward stabilizing health services across the province,” says Moran.
“Communities, both large and small, deserve access to timely and high-quality emergency care. This new award lays the foundation for long-term recruitment and retention strategies, while addressing urgent issues like income stabilization for early-career physicians and support for underserviced areas.
The deal has improvements to physician funding for emergency departments and a new Rural Emergency Medicine Coverage Investment Fund, which provides a permanent source of funding to ensure emergency departments remain staffed and able to care for Ontarians when they need it most.
