Nearly $1.5 million in provincial funding for HPPH won’t impact last year’s shortfall
The nearly $1.5 million announced by the provincial government this month will not affect the previously announced funding shortfall Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH) had last year.
“Huron Perth Public Health appreciates the province’s support for public health,” Katherine Horst, communications coordinator for HPPH, wrote in an emailed statement. “The provincial information provided is what we have used to plan our 2024 budget.
“As this provincial funding was expected and was accounted for in 2024 budget planning, it will not impact the funding shortfall that HPPH announced in November 2023.”
HPPH announced in November that a $1.5 million deficit accumulated over the past five years meant staffing cuts had to be made, including four full-time nurses.
A total of 13.5 positions, roughly 10 per cent of its workforce, were eliminated across the region and across departments. Some of the eliminations were done naturally through retirement and early leave incentives, but temporary contracts were ended and layoffs occurred.
On May 7, Matthew Rae, MPP for Perth-Wellington, announced $1,482,300 for HPPH along with $469,700 for Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health.
The combined $1.95 million was part of a larger $91.7 million investment in additional, one-time base funding for public health units across Ontario, according to a media release.
It restores the provincial base funding to the level previously provided under the 2020 cost-share formula and provides one per-cent growth base funding for the 2024 calendar year.
“Our public health units help ensure we have healthy and vibrant communities,” Rae said in that same release. “This additional funding will ensure our public health units can continue to provide valuable services for our rural communities.”
Connor Luczka, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Stratford Times
