Renfrew County Health Coalition

05/02/2026

Thank you Robbie Dean Counselling for all you and your volunteers do! Good luck on your upcoming fundraiser🥳

As we prepare for our second Sparkle event, I want to take a moment during Volunteer Week to recognize and thank the incredible women who make it all possible.

Fundraising is no small task—it takes time, energy, and a whole lot of heart. From reaching out across the community for prizes and sponsorships, to organizing, decorating, running the event, and staying late to clean up—there are countless hours of work that happen behind the scenes.

Your dedication, compassion, and willingness to give so much of yourselves does not go unnoticed. Because of you, this event continues to shine and make a meaningful impact in our community.

Thank you for everything you do. 💖

05/02/2026

05/02/2026

That is dedication to fundraising for healthcare and there is a lot of this dedication throughout Renfrew County! Will we be able to maintain it as for-profit private clinics and hospitals are favourably funded over our public system?😩

You might have seen Cheryl Reid this morning, decked out in the cookie costume and bringing smiles to everyone passing by at Barry’s Bay Tim Hortons.

As Chair of our Board, Cheryl leads with heart, energy, and a deep commitment to our community. Her willingness to jump in, have a little fun, and support initiatives like Smile Cookie Week is just one of the many reasons we’re so grateful for her leadership. Cheryl truly embodies what it means to give back, and we’re lucky to have her helping guide our Foundation.

Thank you, Cheryl, for everything you do - and for reminding us all that sometimes making a difference starts with a smile (and a cookie!) 🍪

Remember, cookie sales run until Sunday, May 3 and 100% of proceeds from Smile Cookies at the Barry's Bay Tim Hortons will go toward the St. Francis Valley Healthcare Foundation for local healthcare needs.

Tim Hortons

05/02/2026

Build it and they will come. It is not a surprise that such a clinic would be successful when physician led clinics are in short supply. Luckily we have RCVTAC and NP in team based facilities in Renfrew County. It is frustrating to know it would be avoided with adequate funding to the public system instead of arranging for corporations to make profits from healthcare in Ontario.

Ottawa's first nurse practitioner-led clinic is already having a positive impact, giving thousands access to primary care for the first time in years. This is a shining example of the critical role nurse practitioners can play in addressing the primary care crisis in Canada.

05/01/2026

“Everyone has a million problems until they lose their health.Then they have only one. Health is a real luxury.
Stay grateful.🪻

On this National Doctor’s Day, we want to share our gratitude for our wonderful rural doctors. Thank you for being there when our health is in trouble. Hopefully we can work together to ensure people of all income levels will be able to access your services as we fight the provincial government’s funding towards for-profit private healthcare.

05/01/2026

“Please join me today in thanking doctors across Canada for their dedication and professionalism and for taking care of Canadians and their loved ones in some of the most important moments of their lives.” Dr. Margot Burnell, CMA President
We add a request to our local doctors. Tell us how we may be able to assist you at lobbying decision makers to support you effectively. Healthcare is not a political issue to fight over. It is a right that we all need to protect.

Today is National Physicians’ Day, a day to recognize the vital role doctors play in communities across Canada.

Every day, physicians provide care on the front lines of a health system under strain, while also advancing research, supporting public health and training the next generation.
Join us in thanking doctors for their dedication, professionalism and the care they provide to Canadians and their loved ones.

Our statement: https://bit.ly/4cFduNl

04/30/2026

It is clear that the underfunding is having a serious impact on hiring adequate nursing staff.

“Ontario’s Health Minister Sylvia Jones should know that nurses in Ontario are working against the odds to provide timely and high-quality care, too often being tasked to do more with fewer resources.

Across the health-care system, 71 per cent of nurses who responded to a national survey conducted in early 2026 by Viewpoints Research on behalf of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions report regularly working overcapacity – working conditions that compromise the safety of both patients and nurses.

This is the context in which the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is planning to cut 288 registered nurses, reducing care from RNs by more than 560,000 hours each year. At the same time, hospital officials say they plan to hire 108 registered practical nurses. It should go without saying that health-care professionals are not interchangeable.”

Read the full opinion article by CFNU President Linda Silas published in the London Free Press here: https://nursesunions.ca/opinion-we-need-more-nurses-not-fewer-working-at-lhsc/

04/30/2026

We have been forewarned. We risk losing our publicly funded healthcare simply so corporations can make money.

Making a private health insurance market: the risks of the Canadian and U.S. industry to public medicare

04/30/2026

Here is another remarkable physician from Renfrew County! We are very fortunate to have him practicing here. Let's work together to keep him and attract more like him!

We’re proud to celebrate Dr. Jason Malinowski on this incredible achievement!
Receiving multiple honours from the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada is a testament to his long standing commitment to rural medicine and mentorship. Congratulations, and thank you for the lasting impact you make in our community every day.
To view all SRPC award recipients, visit: https://srpc.ca/awards-winners-2026

04/30/2026

Please take 5 minutes to listen to this rural physician explain the barriers to communicating essential patient information. This same inefficiency is happening in Renfrew County.

04/28/2026

This is what we have been asking for! The Alberta government’s plan to create a two tier health system contravenes the Canada Health Act. This is the first signal from the federal government that the plan is unacceptable. Can we get a firm stance on the privatization of health care in Ontario please?

04/28/2026

If you are without a family doctor you will want to attend this information session. RCVTAC is helping to fill the void.

Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (RCVTAC) will be here on May 13th at 10:30am. If you are interested about their services or have never heard of them - this is a fantastic opportunity to learn about all they do. Such an amazing service to have in Renfrew County. All are welcome.

Please register for this presentation by calling our office at 613-628-2354 or emailing info@eganvilleseniors.com