CEO says More Beds, Better Care Act good for Windsor Regional Hospital

Officials say Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) is set to benefit from Ontario’s More Beds, Better Care act, which goes into effect next Wednesday.

According to CEO David Musyj, the hospital currently has 33 patients in beds waiting for a spot in long-term care.

In the emergency room, Musyj said Wednesday, 30 patients are waiting for acute care beds. He added this shows that the problem the Ontario Government has said pushed this bill forward is felt within WRH.

“Just since Monday, Windsor Regional has had to cancel or postpone 11 surgeries due to the fact that we don’t have an acute care bed available,” Musyj told reporters. “This is not the result of Windsor Regional Hospital not increasing or trying to increase acute care beds. We have.”

At Queen’s Park earlier in the day, Ontario’s Health Minister spelled out the details of the law — again pointing to the problem of bed supply and demand.

“The bottom line is acute care hospital beds need to be for acute care patients,” said Sylvia Jones.

The More Beds, Better Care act will mean patients in southern Ontario taking up acute care beds who are better suited for long-term care could be moved to an available spot up to 70 kilometres away.

In Northern Ontario, that distance increases to 150 kilometres away.

Patients who refuse to be moved will be charged up to $400 a day for every day they remain in an acute care bed.