Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital (OSMH) is restructuring its dialysis program, impacting 17 employees as demand for dialysis services declines. OSMH says fewer patients are requiring both hemodialysis and home dialysis, mirroring a broader trend across Ontario. It also points to advances in care, including more transplant opportunities, as one reason fewer patients require dialysis. The hospital says it is adjusting staffing to “align resources with current patient volumes and available funding.” That includes moving home dialysis from an all-RN staffing model to a mix of registered nurses and registered practical nurses. OSMH says all affected employees were notified this week and may have options like transferring into vacant roles, early retirement or other voluntary measures. “We are working directly with impacted team members and their union representatives as we move through this process,” OSMH told CTV News. The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) says the changes will cut the equivalent of 4.8 full-time registered nurses from the hospital’s dialysis programs and reduce hours for another five part-time RNs. “Cutting RN care hurts patients and is a direct result of the Ford government’s decision to severely underfund public hospitals as it pushes ahead with its plan to privatize our health-care system,” ONA Provincial President Erin Ariss said. OSMH says it will make every effort to retain affected employees’ experience within the hospital. “These changes are being made with careful consideration for our people, our patients and the long-term needs of our hospital,” said OSMH.
