For immediate release: 03 August 2006

BETTER ACCESS TO COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE SERVICES
IN CHATHAM-KENT
McGuinty Government Invests To Attract And Retain Health Care Professionals

CHATHAM - The McGuinty government is helping the Municipality of Chatham-Kent develop a plan to attract and retain health care professionals, Pat Hoy, MPP for Chatham-Kent-Essex, announced today on behalf of Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

"The McGuinty government is supporting access to community health care services for the people of Chatham-Kent and helping to build a stronger more prosperous economy for local residents," said Hoy. "This initiative will encourage further attraction and retention of health care professionals and shows that we are on the side of families in rural Ontario who want the best health care."

The government will contribute over $132,000 to help the municipality develop a plan to further attract and retain health care professionals. The project will be dedicated to attracting medical graduates, developing nurse recruitment and retention strategies, and assisting with youth initiatives and mentorship programs across the municipality.

"We are pleased that the government has helped secure RED funding for this initiative," said Kristen Williams, project manager of the Chatham-Kent Medical Recruitment Division. "This medical recruitment and education project will go a long way in helping to expand our plan to attract and retain health care professionals for our community."

Other government initiatives that support a strong, rural economy include:

• Investing in rural health care, including 17 new community health centres and seven satellite CHC's that serve rural communities.
  
• Exempted farmers from fees for water-taking permits.
  
• Investing over $22 million in rural communities through the Rural Economic Development Program.

Today's investment was made through the Rural Economic Development (RED) Program, which invests in projects that support sustainable rural economies and community partnerships - a key part of the government's plan for rural Ontario.

Through the RED program, the Ontario government and its rural partners are building stronger communities that work better for the people who live in them.

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Contacts:
Christopher Flavelle
Minister's Office
416-326-3072

Brian Cardy
Rural Investments Branch
519-826-3787