A donation of $30,000 to Hospice Muskoka from the Dr. William Monk Community Health Care Development Fund was announced today by Muskoka Community Foundation executive director Lynn DeCaro.
The Dr. William Monk Community Health Care Development Fund was established in October 2023 as a community-centric tool to attract, retain and develop primary health care professionals across Muskoka. The donation to Hospice Muskoka is the first initiative supported by the fund, and monies will go towards immediate operational needs while Hospice Muskoka seeks provincial government funding, and also towards the organization’s efforts to hire an additional Nurse Practitioner to assist with the growing demand for services at Andy’s House and for in-home programs.
Hospice Muskoka is the only Nurse Practitioner-lead hospice in Ontario. Currently on staff are a Nurse Practitioner who serves as Medical Director and a Nurse Practitioner who is also the Executive Director. The Nurse Practitioners provide 24/7 call for the residents of Andy’s House and clinical oversight 5 days-a-week. With an aging population and a growing demand for services, the hiring of an additional Nurse Practitioner will allow current staff to be supported at Andy’s House, and will also allow for the expansion of additional programs offered by Hospice Muskoka, including assisting with in-home pain and symptom management needs for palliative community members.
“Before learning about the funding challenges for Hospice Muskoka, I was not aware that their Nurse Practitioners’ wages are absorbed in the operating budget and not automatically covered by the province; the organization relies on donations and grants to cover them,” said Kathryn Monk. “Recognizing the need to not only retain the exceptional and dedicated Nurse Practitioners currently on staff who are working full tilt, but to also attract an additional primary care professional to help with their current and expanded services, I hope that this donation will assist in some small way in achieving this important short-term goal.”
“The Muskoka Community Foundation is honoured to support the work of Hospice Muskoka through the first grant made from the Dr. William S. Monk Community Health Care Development Fund” noted Lynn DeCaro, Executive Director of the Muskoka Community Foundation. She went on to add “Supporting community service organizations like Hospice Muskoka is crucial to ensure innovative and community centric programs can continue to be offered across Muskoka’s vast geography.”