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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, December 6, 2013 | 10 Dollars being saved and wait times reduced continued from p.1 Matthews argued making these tough choices has resulted in better healthcare across the province. She noted Ontario now has the most comprehensive newborn screening program in Canada with doctors checking newborns for 29 diseases. Ten years ago, Matthews said, doctors checked for two conditions only. The change is saving lives, she said. Matthews said in 2003 there were only eight publiclyfunded vaccines for children. "Today, there are 21, including a vaccination that prevents cancer, the HPV vaccine," she said. "Not only is this expansion of free vaccines great prevention, it saves parents about $2,500 per child." Matthews said the Province is working to protect teenagers from cancer by passing legislation to ban the use of tanning beds by those under the age of 18. The minister said the government is also striving to help those with diabetes by committing that everyone with the disease who wants access to a family doctor or a nurse practitioner would have that access. Matthews said the Mississauga-Halton Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)'s Home First program, which provides supports for seniors, has helped more than 3,000 stay in their homes. "It's great for the seniors, but it is great for the system, too. It has saved almost $17 million over the last three years," she said. "This program Home First, pioneered here, has exploded. We are getting the results we hoped for. Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews takes in the progress being made on the new Oakville hospital. Here, Matthews checks things out with Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn. Carpet Cleaning Specialists Since 1952 On The Spot! RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL WALL TO WALL FURNITURE & UPHOLSTERY AREA RUGS PERSIAN & ORIENTAL Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews toured the new Oakville hospital site, after speaking at the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. Here, Matthews gets the rundown from Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) President and CEO John Oliver. | photos by Eric Riehl ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) or www.facebook.com/HaltonPhotog It's great for the seniors, but it is great for the system, too. It has saved almost $17 million over the last three years. This program, Home First, has exploded. We are getting the results we hoped for. Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews Scooter's 2013 Holiday Specials: All our regular sessions are still open except those that are noted cancelled below. Sat. Dec. 14, 2013 10am-12:30pm 10am-12:30pm 1-5pm 8pm-1am 1-5pm 8-11pm 1-5pm 6-9pm Skate with Santa! Skate with Santa! 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Matthews said Ontario has gone from having the worst surgical wait times in Canada to the best. She singled out Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) for reducing the wait time for hip replacements by three months. Across the Mississauga-Halton LHIN, she said, wait times for hip replacements had reduced from 246 days to 120 days. In Oakville, she said, the emergency room wait time for low acuity patients has gone from six hours to 3.4 hours. Following her presentation, Matthews took a tour of the new Oakville hospital site on Dundas Street at Third Line. The facility, which is now just more than 50 per cent complete, has changed considerably over the past year and is now largely enclosed. The various levels, which once appeared as empty warehouses, now feature interior walls as individual patient rooms begin to take shape. In one future patient room, HHS President and CEO John Oliver directed Matthews' attention to the massive window. The room design is intended to let in a large amount of natural light and provide patients with a pleasant view. The structure under construction remains a beehive of activity with Oliver stating at least 900 construction workers are present every day. The size of the new Oakville hospital project was not lost on Matthews. "It is fantastic and really wonderful to see what is happening here," she said. "It's wonderful to see so many people working on site. This is about jobs, too -- jobs as they build and then about 1,000 more people who will be working here when the new place is open. It's fantastic all around."