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Storewide Floor Model Sale FINAL WEEK HOME 265 GUELPH ST., GEORGETOWN 905-873-2753 DECORHOME International Flavours 905-873-4970 or www.downtowngeorgetown.com A TASTE OF HISTORIC DOWNTOWN GEORGETOWN Saturday, October 4, 2008 12:30 to 5:30 pm - $15 per passport Your Passport into the culinary world of Downtown Georgetown includes food samples at any fi ve (5) of these participating venues. To purchase your passport visit one of these participating food venues. A Moveable Feast (hosted by Foodstuffs) - 905-877-6569 Canterbury Gourmet Foods - 905-877-0454 Capina Family Eatery - 905-702-9855 Georgetown Thai - 905-873-2754 Get the Scoop Creamery and Confectionery - 289-344-0755 Heathers Bakery - 905-873-6569 Little India - 905-873-3300 McMasters Meats & Deli - 905-702-1274 The Cellar - 905-873-7402 Main Street Inn - 905-702-5411 Shepherds Crook - 905-702-0456 Yongs Restaurant - 905-877-5106 Net proceeds to Georgetown Hospital & Georgetown Bread Basket Passports are Limited - so buy now to avoid disappointment. Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, October 1, 2008 7 Among my activities over the last month was a meeting with Tariq Asmi, Executive Director of the Growing Communit ies Healthcare Alliance, a network of 20 hospi- tals located in the GTA/905 and other fast- growing regions of Ontario. Included in the All iance is the Georgetown Hospital. The Alliances information, based on gov- ernment population and funding data, reaf- f irmed not only the enormous need in healthcare services, but also the funding challenges given the growing and aging pop- ulation. While this is true across Ontario, it would appear that the McGuinty government is shortchanging high-growth hospitals, which includes the hospitals in the Mississauga Halton Local Health Integration Network (LHIN). Hospitals in the Mississauga-Halton LHIN receive $282 less per resident com- pared to other Ontarians and the hospital funding gap has widened over the last sever- al years. The Mississauga Halton LHIN receives just $964 per capita in total health care fund- ingwell below the Ontario average of $1,440, and the Toronto Central LHINs $3,178. This is an inequity, and its unac- ceptable. Mississauga Halton is again shortchanged when it comes to long-term care funding. Across Ontario, the LHIN is second-to-last in provincial funding at $2,789 per resident aged 75 or older-again, well below the provincial average of $3,178. The Growing Communities Healthcare Alliances makes three recommendations to achieve better care, closer to home: First, it advocates expedited hospital growth funding and adequate; second, it calls for immediate implementation of the Health Based Allocation Model, or popula- tion-needs-based funding for health; third, it advocates a health care growth plan to com- plement the provincial governments Places to Grow plan. All of these recommendations merit seri- ous consideration. One of Premier McGuintys many election promises was a pledge of $100 million in growth funding for hospitals in Ontarios fastest-growing communities. So far, only $30 million has been allocated. For the sake of our local health services, I hope the McGuinty Liberals move quickly to keep their promises to high-growth areas, to fulfill their funding commitments and to ensure that the money goes where it is sup- posed to go. Residents and patients deserve nothing less. The Ontario Legislature finally resumed its session on September 22. If you have ideas or concerns about the issues facing the province, please dont hesi- tate to contact me at 1-800-265-2366, or by e-mail at ted.arnott@pc.ola.org. My website is www.tedarnottmpp.com. Ted Arnott is the MPP for Wellington-Halton Hills High-growth hospitals shortchanged Ted Arnott