From left: Cholly Boland, Chief Executive Officer of Winchester District Memorial Hospital, Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MPP Nolan Quinn, Jeanette Despatie, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cornwall Community Hospital, and Cornwall Community Hospital Board Chair Alice Wilson-Haramis. Courtesy Photo

CORNWALL – The Ontario government is investing more than $1.8 million in local hospital care, with new funding aimed at expanding diagnostic imaging and surgical capacity across Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry, including a boost for Winchester District Memorial Hospital.

The funding is part of broader provincial efforts to reduce wait times and improve access to care. Locally, Winchester District Memorial Hospital (WDMH) will receive $59,250 to increase CT scan capacity and an additional $134,900 to support more surgical procedures in the coming year.

While the largest share of funding will go to Cornwall Community Hospital, the investment in Winchester is expected to help the rural hospital address surgical backlogs and provide faster access to diagnostic imaging closer to home.

“Every day, our hospitals provide life-saving and compassionate care when it matters most,” said Nolan Quinn, MPP for Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. “Through this investment, our government is ensuring that families in our community have faster, more reliable access to the care they need to live healthy, happy lives.”

The CT funding will allow WDMH to expand imaging hours, giving patients quicker access to scans that are often critical for diagnosing serious conditions. Province-wide, the government is investing $81 million to add 324,000 CT scan hours at 86 hospitals in 2025-26.

In addition to imaging, the surgical funding will support an increase in procedures at WDMH. Across Ontario, $100 million is being directed to hospitals to complete additional surgeries, including orthopaedic, gynaecologic, cataract, hernia and paediatric procedures.

For a small community hospital like Winchester, even modest increases in funding can translate into meaningful improvements for patients who might otherwise face longer waits or travel outside the region for care.

“Thank you to the government for the funding to enable WDMH to provide more services to our patients,” said Cholly Boland, Chief Executive Officer of Winchester District Memorial Hospital.

Cornwall Community Hospital will receive $701,500 for CT expansion and $961,200 to increase surgical volumes.

“This funding directly supports Cornwall Community Hospital’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, particularly our focus on Recovery by enhancing access to care, strengthening operational excellence, and expanding our diagnostic capacity,” said Jeanette Despatie, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cornwall Community Hospital. “By increasing surgical activity and CT imaging hours, we are improving timely access to care for local patients while supporting a more integrated and sustainable health system. We are grateful to the Ontario government and MPP Nolan Quinn for this important investment in our community.”

The province says the funding will help ensure patients in Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry receive more timely diagnostic tests and surgeries without leaving the region, a move local officials hope will ease pressure on the system and improve outcomes across eastern Ontario.