Ontario is making targeted investments to help stabilize emergency departments and support physicians working in rural and northern communities.
The funding is part of the Year 1 physician compensation investments under the 2024-2028 Physician Services Agreement. It includes enhancements to emergency department funding, a new Rural Emergency Medicine Coverage Investment Fund, and measures to standardize physician compensation to improve recruitment and retention in underserved areas.
“This is a crucial step toward stabilizing health services across the province,” said Kimberly Moran, CEO of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA). “Communities, both large and small, deserve access to timely and high-quality emergency care.”
The initiative also introduces the Northern Ontario Coordination Centre, a long-standing priority of the OMA, which will focus on locum coverage, physician recruitment, and long-term planning in the north. Unique geographic and staffing challenges have made access to health care in northern Ontario difficult, and this new approach will help tailor solutions to those needs.
OMA President Dr. Dominik Nowak said emergency departments have been relying on short-term, pandemic-era supports for too long. “This permanent investment will ensure physicians are supported as they provide essential care to Ontarians in need,” he said.
The OMA thanked Health Minister Sylvia Jones for her continued support, noting that collaboration will remain key to strengthening the province’s health care system.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
