The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) has released their stage one report on rural and northern health care. The report, called “Health and health care needs in rural and northern Ontario: a holistic nursing perspective” has 13 recommendations for addressing population needs in these parts of the province.
Recommendation number five details the services that should be found in every hospital, regardless of size. Mental health services are included on that list, along with emergency departments and special care units or monitored beds; blood services; laboratory and x-ray; diabetes programs; palliative care; rehabilitation; chemotherapy/oncology program in larger small hospitals; dialysis for stable patients in larger small hospitals, remote hospitals, and coordinated between small hospitals in close proximity; minor surgeries; simple geriatrics; and internal medicine coordinated between small hospitals in close proximity.
Based on information gathered through interviews and focus group discussions of ONA nurses working on the front lines in Northern and rural Ontario, and information drawn from government, other policy reports and academic studies, the report is organized along the following themes:
- The Socio-Environmental Context of Health
- Infant Mortality and Maternal Care
- Transportation, Patient Transfers and Planning Standards
- Health Labour Shortages and Labour Force Development
- Planning Process of Rural and Northern Health Care Framework
For more information go to www.ona.org.