NEWMARKET – The McGuinty government today announced that it is improving health care services for people throughout the Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) by giving the go ahead for the development of a new cancer centre at the Southlake Regional Health Centre, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Minister George Smitherman announced today.

"Our government is ensuring that people in all areas of the province have access to the health care they need, and that includes first-class cancer services," said Smitherman. "Thanks to this investment, the people in Central LHIN will soon have exactly that."

The commitment will allow the hospital to move ahead with the development of a new cancer centre for radiation treatment. This means that cancer patients will have greater access to care closer to home in the future.

"Cancer Care Ontario welcomes the construction of a new cancer centre at Southlake General Hospital," said Terry Sullivan, President and CEO of Cancer Care Ontario. "This new centre will provide people in Newmarket and throughout York region with high quality cancer care as close to home as possible."

The Southlake cancer centre project is being cost-shared between the government and the hospital. It is one of several hospital projects approved under ReNew Ontario, the government's five-year, $30-billion infrastructure investment plan, which commits $5 billion to health care infrastructure.

"This cancer centre project is part of our government's plan to help ensure Ontarians have the high quality services they need and deserve," said David Caplan, the Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal. "For the first time, this province has a long-term plan for building and developing our hospitals that will bring much needed stability to hospitals and better health care for Ontarians."

Construction of Southlake Regional Health Centre's project is slated to begin in 2006/2007.

"This funding announcement is tremendous news," said Daniel Carriere, President and CEO, Southlake Regional Health Centre. "It supports Southlake's plans to build a state-of-the-art facility that will provide the more than one million people who reside in the province's newly designated Central LHIN with access to advanced cancer care services closer to home."

"The ReNew Ontario plan will make it possible for many hospitals to undertake much-needed capital improvements to facilities that, across Ontario, average 43 years old," said Hilary Short, President and CEO of the Ontario Hospital Association. "We welcome today's important investment in Southlake Regional Health Centre, and we look forward to further investments like these in the months and years ahead."

This initiative is part of the McGuinty government's plan to build a health care system that delivers on three priorities-keeping Ontarians healthy, reducing wait times and providing better access to doctors and nurses.

For further information :

Members of the general public : (416) 327-4327, or (800) 268-1154

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