Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the province is beginning three packages geared toward bolstering staffing within the health-care sector.

A $40-million fund to encourage health-care suppliers to raised join sufferers to providers, a program to permit internationally skilled physicians to work extra shortly, and a nursing mentor program have been all beforehand introduced however at the moment are launching.

The announcement comes as hospitals throughout the province grapple with a scarcity of nurses that has led to dozens of short-term ER closures — the arbitrator who set hospital nurses’ new contract says there are 9,000 registered nurse vacancies.

The Models of Care Innovation Fund will give funding to hospitals, household well being groups and different well being organizations for initiatives to permit quicker entry to care and increase health-care employee capability, corresponding to a staffing pool between hospitals and digital peer assist for ER docs in rural areas.

A Clinical Scholar Program will pair an skilled front-line nurse as a mentor with newly graduated or internationally skilled nurses, which Jones says will each assist these nurses and can assist retain skilled nurses.

As effectively, the province says a “practice ready” program for internationally skilled physicians removes limitations for them and can see 50 new docs working in Ontario by 2024.

This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed July 24, 2023.