Renfrew County Health Coalition

03/24/2026

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“It’s absurd and quite frankly shocking that when we have the lowest number of registered nurses (RNs) per population in the country, that you would be eliminating these positions further.” - Erin Ariss, RN and ONA President, comments on University Health Network cutting 28 RN positions from a specialized kidney department.

This just adds to the 700 nurse and health-care worker positions that we noted have been cut since January 2025.

“This government is doing nothing to improve the situation,” said Ariss. “Instead, they’re trying to balance their books on the backs of registered nurses (RNs) in this province.”

Read the full story at the link in bio: https://sprout.link/ontario.nurses/

03/24/2026

Ontario Health Coalition Fast Facts 2025
Now that the Premier is finally going back to work and he has repeatedly said how much money he has spent on healthcare perhaps he can explain why our Province has spent the least per person across Canada?

03/23/2026

Nurse practitioners (NPs) have long been qualified, ready and able to provide publicly-funded, primary care to Ontarians in need of it.

But Doug Ford’s Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, has been saying for years that she needed the federal government to clarify legislation before the Ford government could publicly fund NPs.

Well the federal government has followed through and given her the clarity she needs, but she and the Ford government are still going to miss the April 1st deadline for publicly funding nurse practitioners.

Thousands of Ontarians still can’t access primary care, and yet the Ford government is dragging its feet on passing legislation that it spent years petitioning the federal government for. SHAME!

Read the full story at our link in bio: https://sprout.link/ontario.nurses/

03/23/2026

Please take the time to understand some challenges our doctors face. More importantly will Billy Denault, MPP, assist them with addressing recommended solutions? If he did, would it be enough to keep them in Ontario and in a publicly funded system? Is Premier Ford willing to abandon what ever is motivating him to privatize healthcare?

Growing OHIP red tape slows care, creates uncertainty for doctors, stalls innovation and ultimately puts patients at risk of falling through the cracks. Learn how we’re fighting for a modernized billing system in Ontario.

03/22/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VdzuS2Q0uk

Health Care is in crisis. Mark Carney is silent.Follow the fight to protect public health care -Ottawa Health Coalition - on Facebook@OttawaHealthCo - on Twi...

03/22/2026

Say hello to Ricardo Viltakis, the latest physician joining the ranks of Renfrew Victoria Hospital.

The uOttawa graduate will be providing additional support in the emergency department, as well as maintaining a roster of 800 patients as a family physician.

The addition of Viltakis is another key piece in improving healthcare accessibility in the Ottawa Valley.

Full story on 👉RENFREWTODAY [DOT] CA

03/22/2026

Welcome to the Renfrew Victoria Hospital Dr. Ricardo Viltakis! The hospital's emergency response team are sure to be grateful for your assistance!

ICYMI: Staff at Renfrew Victoria Hospital welcomed Dr. Ricardo Viltakis, the newest physician joining the hospital's emergency response team.

FULL STORY 👉 RENFREWTODAY [DOT] CA

03/21/2026

Who agrees that this would be a great fundraiser for healthcare? We would be salvaging items destined to our waste sites while raising money for healthcare!

03/20/2026

Nurses' reasons for leaving the profession.

Maddy talks truth about the rate at which experienced health-care professionals are leaving Ontario hospitals.Hear more nurses talk truth about the state of ...

03/20/2026

https://youtu.be/3jqT4rFGiCI?list=PLlFqq2GNWUI2M0rXNrOIjQkCi9ZoiiHVu

03/20/2026

"Alberta needs to be put on notice that the federal government is willing to withhold nearly one-third of Alberta’s health care budget through the Canada Health Transfer."

"It’s up to the federal government to protect everyone in Canada from the Alberta government’s outright attack on public health care." That is why we asked MP Cheryl Gallant to stand up for us in Parliament when we met with her on February 6. Her response was to have residents sign a petition that she would submit. Not only is that tedious, it was known three years ago when we conducted a referendum in Renfrew County as part of the Ontario Health Coalition provincial referendum. It was unanimous (98% of the 3000 responses in Renfrew County) that we do not want private health care.

"Silence and inaction from the federal government only bolsters the corporate interests that seek to end public health care as we know it."
The same can be said of our MP and Billy Denault MPP.

“Alberta’s Bill 11 opens the door to private health insurance for medically necessary care, which is already covered under the Canada Health Act.

That will allow a for-profit health care industry to flourish. This for-profit industry is the largest cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States, and this would be terrible for all Canadians. Imagine losing your house because you can’t afford private health insurance premiums. Nurses in the United States are actively fighting for the Medicare we already have in Canada, to protect their patients and themselves from this dire reality.

As nurses, we know this inequality isn’t good for patients—and it doesn’t reflect Canadian values.”

Read CFNU President Linda Silas’ new opinion piece about why PM Mark Carney needs to stand up against two-tier health care in Alberta for the sake of everyone in Canada.

Find the full article on CFNU’s linktree here: https://linktr.ee/CFNU