ROMA Report Calls on Province to Strengthen Rural Health Care

A new report from the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) is urging the province to take immediate action to address growing gaps in health care access in rural Ontario.

The report, titled Fill the Gaps Closer to Home, was released at the 2024 ROMA Conference in Toronto and outlines 22 recommendations aimed at improving primary care and mental health services for residents outside urban centres.

ROMA argues that while rural municipalities are developing local and regional solutions, they continue to face unequal access to health services and need greater provincial support to meet demand. Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson highlighted regional collaboration efforts, including Health PULSE, a partnership bringing together municipalities, health-care providers, and post-secondary institutions to tackle shared challenges.

According to the report, rural communities contribute more than $480 million annually toward health and social services, despite experiencing frequent emergency department closures, shortages of health-care workers, and long travel times to access care.

Key Recommendations

Among ROMA’s proposed solutions:

• New and integrated primary care models tailored to rural communities

• Shifting a greater share of health-care costs back to the province

• Expanding scopes of practice for nurses, nurse practitioners, and paramedics

• Ensuring municipalities have a seat at the table within Ontario Health Teams

ROMA Chair Robin Jones emphasized that rural communities face unique and urgent challenges, with the health-care crisis impacting residents’ quality of life and placing increasing financial strain on municipalities.

The report notes that some communities have already begun implementing collaborative approaches, showing that meaningful improvements can start now with the right support.