Local hospitals get $13M from province for revenue lost during pandemic

St. Mary's General Hospital, Grand River Hospital and Cambridge Memorial Hospital will receive more than $13 million combined from the province to cover lost revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Mike Harris made the announcement Friday, sayingthe money will come from a $1.2 billion fund created to help hospitals with financial pressures caused by, or worsened, during the pandemic.

The hospitals will receive:

• Cambridge Memorial Hospital $2,957,500.
• St Mary's General Hospital $2,539,638.
• Grand River Hospital $8,155,752.

Harris said lost revenue may have been from things like parking, retail or cafeteria sales, orfewer co-payments for rooms. People may be asked to pay or have insurance cover a co-paymentif they're staying in the hospital while waiting for a bed in another facility.

The funding, he said, "will help ensure financial stability and support to continue the high quality patient care that people need and deserve."

Trevor Clark, vice president of finance and corporate services at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, said the funding will support the resumption of services.

Lee Fairclough, president of St. Mary's General Hospital, said the hospitals had set up testing clinics, vaccine clinics and supportedlong-term care homes during waves of the pandemic, which did cost them money.

She noted the hospital is increasing surgery availability and is currently at more than 70 per cent capacity.

Ron Gagnon, president and CEO of Grand River Hospital, said they will use the $8 million will go toward"much needed investments in capital equipment and the continuation of high quality care."