Nursing, allied health workers and patient service
associates are projected to be among occupations
with the most growth through 2031.
14
Over
the same period, shortages are projected for
registered nurses and psychiatric nurses,
along with overall staffing, bed, facility and
equipment shortages.
15
Providers across our catchment are exploring
solutions, all of which require more Georgian-
trained professionals. Here are some examples:
• Across Bruce and Grey, investments being made
to strengthen health-care capacity, including
nearly $4 million in provincial funding for
infrastructure upgrades and repairs,
16
and
additional $7 million in additional base funding
to expand primary-care capacity, with a target of
connecting another 9,000 residents to a primary-
care provider.
17
• Muskoka closing aging facilities and planning
two new, specialized hospitals: specialized
ambulatory and surgical centre in Bracebridge to
focus on day surgeries, non-urgent surgeries,
non-urgent diagnostics, and another in
Huntsville to centralize overnight acute in-patient
care, increasing beds with specialized stroke care
and expanded intensive care units.
18
• Dufferin pursuing much-needed $20-million
expansion of emergency department. Current
facility, originally designed to handle 23,000
annual visits, struggles to handle 37,000 annual
visits – 60% beyond initial capacity. Annual visits
expected to surge to 50,000 – more than double
capacity – by 2035.
19
• Simcoe County Hospital Alliance planning to add
hundreds of acute and post-acute care beds in
the next 10 years.
20
health care
Ensuring access
to high-quality
04 / HEALTH CARE
As demand for health-care services continues to grow, ensuring we have the
skilled people and capacity to meet the needs of patients and communities in
our region and beyond is increasingly critical.
16 GeorgianCollege.ca
