This past week, the Chesley Restorative Care Unit got the go ahead to keep its doors open for another six months. This stems from a meeting earlier this month among Ministry staff and MPP Lisa Thompson (Huron-Bruce), MPP Bill Walker (Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound), CEO and President of South Bruce Grey Health Services (SBGHS) Paul Rosebush, where the three fought to continue to deliver this vital program to the community.

"SBGHC is delighted to receive the support of so many people to give the RCU additional time to develop a sustainability plan. The Minister deserves recognition for his support as do MPPs Lisa Thompson and Bill Walker who early on became champions for the program and who kept this issue at the forefront of the healthcare agenda. SBGHC is committed to working with our regional health stakeholders to develop a regional plan that will meet the interests and healthcare needs of so many people in Grey and Bruce Counties," said Rosebush.

"First of all I would like to thank the people who chose to make a difference by drawing proper attention ‎to the undeniable value of Chesley's RCU in terms of the province's goal of seeing more seniors confidently stay in their homes longer," said Thompson. "We still have work to do but I'm glad we have more time to properly collaborate with stakeholders and cost out how we can sustain this program for years to come," added Thompson. "I'm pleased to see the Ministers commitment to this project. This pilot project has exceeded everyone's expectations, and in terms of return on investment, it is a great example that could be rolled out province wide," explained Thompson.

"I'm pleased the Minister and his staff listened to CEO Paul Rosebush and my colleague Lisa Thompson and I, and that we were able to convince them to provide funding to ensure the program will continue for the rest of the year while they look at all available alternatives," said Walker. "I look forward to the potential options that may be available; however, I remain firm in my stance that the Ministry and/or the LHIN will have to provide permanent operational funding if this valuable program is to be sustainable in future. The funds cannot be taken from existing funding envelopes or negatively impact existing programs or services."
Source: Media Release MPP Bill Walker