Still no word on long-term funds for Rainy River hospital

With patients set to be transferred to the long-term care program in the new Rainy River hospital next week, there’s still no word on the extra funding needed from the provincial government.
The cost for running the new hospital with its 21 long-term care beds and three acute care beds is about $1.5 million–about $350,000 more than Riverside Health Care Facilities Inc. has in its budget for the facility.
Riverside CEO Wayne Woods said the hospital may have to run on a deficit situation for a little while but hopefully not too long.
“We’ll get it resolved within the next couple of weeks,” he said. “We’re not worried about it. We will get there.”
Meanwhile, hospital administrator Norma Elliott said everything is planned to transfer six patients already in Rainy River hospital to the long-term care program June 17.
“And then we’ll get four admissions in the following week, either from Rainycrest or from the community,” she noted, adding this will continue until the hospital is running at capacity.
Although Riverside claims to have good documentation concerning the extra funding, the delay appears to be caused by some red tape between the Institutional and Long-Term Care divisions of the Ministry of Health.
When contacting the health ministry’s regional office, the Times was told all media calls would be handled by the Ministry of Long-Term Care, headed by Cam Jackson.
But no one from that ministry could be reached as of press time this morning.