Ontario Nurses' Association Supports Health Care Coordination by Province's CCACs

TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2012 /CNW/ - The Ontario Nurses' Association (ONA) is rejecting a report released yesterday that calls for the wholesale closure of Ontario's 14 Community Care Access Centres (CCACs) that coordinate Ontarians' home care.

"The government's focus on moving care out of hospitals and into the community makes this the ideal time to expand and enhance the role of the dedicated registered nurses and allied health professionals in CCACs who continue to be best positioned to coordinate the care for Ontarians," says ONA President Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN.

"The CCAC system is not broken, and the wholesale closure of the CCACs would be tantamount to throwing the baby out with the bathwater," says Haslam-Stroud. "Ontarians already have an invaluable resource in our incredibly knowledgeable and experienced RNs and allied health professionals."

Rather than close the CCACs, ONA believes the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care should conduct a critical review of the size and cost of management staff of these agencies. Despite the amalgamation of 42 CCACs to align with the LHINs, CCAC administration costs remain extensive.

"RNs and allied health professionals are absolutely integral to the care of the patients, clients and residents trying to navigate their way through the health care system," notes Haslam-Stroud. "Our health care professionals work to ensure that Ontarians receive consistent, quality care and equal access to care across Ontario."

Haslam-Stroud believes that CCAC case managers should assume total responsibility for coordination of care and internal service delivery for patients, residents and clients requiring community or home care to ensure Ontarians smoothly navigate through the system. "Maximizing the resources we have in RNs and allied health professionals and minimizing the costs of administration will ensure that our health care dollars flow to where they are most beneficial - our patients."

ONA is the union representing 59,000 registered nurses and allied health professionals as well as more than 13,000 nursing student affiliates providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

SOURCE: Ontario Nurses' Association

Ontario Nurses' Association 

Sheree Bond
[phone], ext. 2430/cell: [phone], [email protected] 

Katherine Russo   
[phone], ext. 2214, [email protected]

Visit us at: www.ona.org; www.Facebook.com/OntarioNurses; www.Twitter.com/OntarioNurses