Ontario Nurses Association Local 67 Providence Care Hospital

02/04/2026

ONA is raising serious concerns about staffing decisions being made by Southeast Public Health (SEPH), particularly around the layoff of the public health unit’s sole nurse practitioner.

“It is a dangerous decision to lay off the only nurse practitioner, who provides specialized, essential care to the most vulnerable and underserved members of the community,” said ONA President Erin Ariss, RN. “Given the ongoing instability within SEPH, this layoff reflects the troubling nature of recent decision making. We are demanding that the employer immediately reverse this decision.”

ONA is also calling for clear and consistent communication for both staff and residents within the SEPH catchment area regarding the availability of services at six locations beyond March 1.

In November 2025, staff were advised that some would be reassigned to different worksites by March 1, 2026, and were instructed not to schedule services at six offices after that date. The affected locations include Almonte, Gananoque, Kemptville, Napanee, Perth, and Trenton.

At a SEPH Board of Health meeting on Wednesday, January 28, concerns were raised about how service levels for residents would be maintained after March 1.

Following the meeting, some SEPH staff were told they could resume booking certain consultations at the identified offices after March 1. However, this guidance has not been communicated clearly or consistently to all staff.

ONA is urging the employer to release a comprehensive plan well in advance of March 1 that clearly outlines which programs and services will continue at the satellite offices. “We are concerned that reassigning staff to other locations will increase travel time, reduce time available for direct patient care, and ultimately result in fewer services for residents,” said Ariss.

“Given the employer’s past failure to keep its Board of Health fully informed, I question whether the Board is even aware that SEPH’s only nurse practitioner is being laid off,” Ariss added.

See the full release: https://ona.org/news/20260204-seph-np-layoff/

02/04/2026

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02/03/2026

Rally in Ottawa next Tuesday, Feb 10.
KHC will be car-pooling. Let us know if you would like to join and we will see if we can arrange a ride to Ottawa.
kingstonhealthcoalition@gmail.com

02/03/2026

February is Black History Month!

Each February, ONA celebrates Black History/Black Futures Month and honours Black Canadians whose achievements have shaped who we are today.

Check the ONA website for more information on the vital role Black health-care workers have played in the history of health care in Canada, as well as a listing of upcoming Black History/Black Futures Month events.

https://ona.org/news/black-history-black-futures-month/

02/03/2026

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The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) warns in its pre-budget submission that unless the Ford government delivers a significant and stable funding infusion to the province’s public health-care system, Ontarians will pay the price through longer wait times, overcrowded facilities, and diminished quality of care.

Today, ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss, RN, will present ONA’s submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs for pre-budget consultations virtually in Thunder Bay.

“All of our public health-care sectors – hospitals, long-term care, public health, community services and clinics – are underfunded and need stable, predictable funding to plan and deliver safe quality care,” says Ariss. “With funding must also come transparency. Too many health-care employers are not upfront about how public dollars are being spent, or whether funding is actually going toward front-line clinical hours.”

See the full release: https://ona.org/news/20260128-pre-budget-submission/

02/03/2026

BE HEARD as part of an important, Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions commissioned national nurse survey on the impacts of the nursing shortage. Members should check their inbox to see if they have been selected to participate. The survey will help the CFNU advocate for better working conditions and patient care.

If you are selected, please add your voice and be heard! The survey deadline is February 6.

01/28/2026

In this piece Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) President Linda Silas shares CFNU findings on the increasing rates of violence in Canadian health care settings, and what must be done to address them.

Read the full piece: https://onamag.org/fuel/code-blue/violence-unchecked/