County reneges on hospital funding

Private discussions led to shift $375,000 from hospital to Port Hope clinic

Northumberland Hills Hospital in Cobourg.

Northumberland County has reneged on a promise to donate $375,000 to Northumberland Hills Hospital’s capital requirements over the next two years.

The county wrote to the hospital on March 20 to inform it that council had decided to redirect that money to primary care by funding the Port Hope Drop-In Clinic.

Interestingly, the same day, March 20, the county wrote to Campbellford Memorial Hospital to say that it would keep its promise to donate $62,500 a year to the hospital for its capital needs. The province does not provide money for equipment which means hospitals and their foundations need to fundraise from the public and other levels of government.

I watched the March 19 council meeting where this decision was apparently made but had no idea this happened since the moves were made in private. As I reported, council went behind closed doors and for some reason rejected a committee recommendation that it spend $125,000 on the Port Hope Drop-In Clinic and instead increased it to $187,500. The minutes of the meeting say they discussed this in private because of “confidential negotiations (Diverting Funding from 2025 Budget).”

There is no explanation in the minutes and I didn’t get one when I asked about why diverting public money from a public budget couldn’t be discussed in public.

The minutes say that after the private talks it passed a motion that says: “County Council, having considered Report 2025-033, Health & Human Services 'Port Hope Walk-in Medical Clinic Update’, approve utilizing $187,500 from the 2025 budget to fund the Port Hope Walk-in Clinic, and that the Director of Finance / Treasurer be directed to report back at a future Committee / Council meeting (open session) to provide an update on adjustments made to the allocations in the approved 2025 budget to accommodate Council’s direction.”

To me that made it sounds like the finance director was going to suggest where that money might be taken from, which is what the committee report had recommended, but I was wrong.

Council had decided to take the money from what it had promised Northumberland Hills Hospital. In fact, the increase in the amount given to the clinic meant it was giving it the full $187,500 that had been promised the clinic.

Not surprisingly, Northumberland Hills Hospital and its affiliates are not happy. Below I’ll quote most of a letter to county council that was in the agenda of its Wednesday, April 16 meeting from: Cyndi Gilmer, Chair, NHH Board of Directors; Gavin Ivory, Chair, NHH Foundation Board of Directors; Susan Walsh, NHH President and CEO; Rhonda Cunningham, NHH Foundation CEO; Dr. Pavel (Paul Ketov), NHH, President of General Medical Staff; Selena Forsyth, President, NHH Auxiliary; Bonnie McKee, Chair, NHH Patient and Family Advisory Council.

“Since 2022, Northumberland County has provided critical capital funding for both NHH and Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH), reflecting a shared commitment to healthcare excellence. This multi-year pledge was foundational in NHH’s capital planning and service growth, ensuring essential investments aligned with community needs. The County’s unexpected decision to discontinue this support is deeply concerning, both financially and in terms of our longstanding collaborative relationship.

“We recognize the urgency of improving access to primary care and remain active partners in the Ontario Health Team’s county-wide physician recruitment and retention efforts. However, reallocating previously committed capital funds to a pilot walk-in clinic—without prior discussion or transition planning—presents significant challenges. The decision to not only redirect $125,000 as initially recommended but to fully withdraw $375,000 in funding exacerbates these difficulties, potentially undermining patient care and hospital services.

“The lack of prior discussion with NHH contradicts the County’s stated commitment to collaboration, communication, transparency, and engagement. Had there been an opportunity for dialogue, alternative solutions—such as adjusting the funding timeline or exploring collaborative urgent care models—could have been considered to meet both the County’s immediate objectives and long-term healthcare commitments.

“The abrupt withdrawal of support, particularly in the final two years of the County’s five-year agreement, creates a substantial funding gap. Given the impact, we strongly urge Council to reconsider this decision.

“One potential path forward could be an adjusted payment schedule that accommodates the Walk-In Clinic funding while still fulfilling the County’s original commitment, extending support into 2027 rather than ending it prematurely. We respectfully request an opportunity to engage in dialogue to explore solutions that uphold our shared commitment to a strong, sustainable healthcare system. We welcome the chance to discuss a viable path forward and appreciate your time and consideration.”

The county also received a complaint letter from MPP David Piccini. “This decision, made without consultation with NHH and the broader Ontario Health Team-Northumberland (OHT-N) is disappointing.

“I recognize primary health care needs in Northumberland County and beyond: but submit that these needs will only be meaningfully addressed through collaborative engagement with the primary care community, hospital and broader OHT-N community.”

Piccini also criticized “the abrupt withdrawal of support and lack of prior discussion with NHH.”

He urged the county to reconsider or at least hold in-person discussions with the hospital’s leadership.

The county’s plan was simply to read the letters and not respond, but Trent Hills Mayor Bob Crate urged a written reply to explain the county’s position.

“We had a fulsome discussion on this,” Crate said. That’s news to all of us who weren’t permitted into the closed session where the discussion took place.

Warden Brian Ostrander agreed with Crate and council decided to have staff draft a letter to the hospital, no mention of discussions.

It was ironic that Piccini wrote to the county to complain since the move was shifting money to finance primary health care, which is a provincial responsibility. It was doubly ironic that council also received a staff report on Wednesday that said in 2025 the county will spend $37.7 million on services that were downloaded from the province to the county, primarily between 1997 and 2002 under Conservative Premier Mike Harris.

“This amount represents 47.3% of the total 2025 levy of $79,700,209,” says the report by Matthew Nitsch, director of finance.

The biggest chunk is $10.3 million for social housing and local housing, followed by $10.1 million for paramedic services, and $9.3 million for highways and bridges. It includes $250,000 for the hospitals, this year.

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