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Halton Healthcare Services to receive $1M funding boost STEPHANIE THIESSEN Special to The IFP Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) is receiving a much-needed boost from the Province in the form of more than $1 million in funding. The Ontario Ministry of Health and LongTerm Care announced the funding recently as part of $30 million announced for additional base operating funding for high growth hospitals in Ontario. The funding is to help sustain services including emergency care. It's not yet known how the money will be divided between HHS's three hospitals-- Milton District Hospital, Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital and Georgetown Hospital. The $30 million for high-growth hospitals is a portion of more than $142 million announced by the Province in new resources through a threepoint Emergency Department Action Plan. "Pressures on our hospitals and emergency rooms have been ongoing challenges for some time," said Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman recntly. "The strategy I am announcing will put our health-care system on a better path to provide timely and responsive services to Ontarians." HHS will receive $1,153,400 for being a high population growth area hospital, as well as $279,700 for emergency room improvement. A press release issued by the GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance-- the collective voice of acute care and mental health hospitals across the GTA region, including HHS-- concurred there's a huge gap between what's needed and the funding received by hospitals in high growth regions including Halton. "This (announcement) is a clear acknowledgement for the Province that our hospitals are in need of funding," said Tariq Asmi, executive director of the GTA/905 Healthcare Alliance, of the announcement. "It's a good start, but more needs to be done." GCS gets grant Georgetown Choral Society president Laurent Thibault (left) and music director Dale Wood (centre) recently accepted a cheque for $30,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, presented by MPP Ted Chudleigh at a recent choir practice. The grant will be used to replace the choirs' formal garments worn at concerts and also upgrade the storage and tracking facilities of their large and growing music library. Photo by Ted Brown