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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-07-16, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2015. PAGE 11. Stay Connected The Citizen wherever you are in the world with an Electronic Subscription • Easy access • Read on your phone, tablet or computer • Perfect for travellers, students or snowbirds • Timely reading (no waiting for mail delivery) $3600 per year Go to our website and pay by Pay Pal or come into the office and pay by cheque or cash The Citizen www.northhuron.on.ca 413 Queen St., Blyth 519-523-4792 541 Turnberry St., Brussels 519-887-9114 to To better baseball Clinton Minor Baseball was the beneficiary of a special barbecue meal held at the Clinton Raceway on Sunday. This, ahead of the third annual baseball camp in the small town which was scheduled to feature Toronto Blue Jays great Jesse Barfield. When teamed with George Bell and Lloyd Mosby, the three comprised likely the best outfield in franchise history. Due to a scheduling conflict, however, Barfield was unable to sign autographs at the barbecue, but the food was served without him. (Vicky Bremner photo) County assured that local hospitals are modernizing In the ever-changing world of healthcare in Ontario, the South West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) has assured Huron County Council that area hospitals are changing with the times and remaining relevant. Kelly Gillis, senior director of system design and integration with the LHIN, spoke to council at its July 8 meeting, saying that the shuffling of beds and services throughout the LHIN’s catchment is ongoing. Changes are being made to how the hospitals carry out vision care, endoscopy services, stroke care and complex continuing care and rehabilitation services, Gillis said. In March, she said, the LHIN accepted “directional recommendations” for the future state of the delivery of stroke care. The acute stroke care being offered at 27 hospitals throughout the LHIN’s coverage area will soon be streamlined at just four hospitals, she said. Stroke care is offered at seven sites across Huron and Perth Counties, which will be reduced to just one, in Stratford. She said that teleservice through the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich will continue. With the larger population in Stratford, Gillis says the care and facilities in Stratford, at its Designated Stroke Centre (DSC), makes the most sense for bringing the right care to the right people. In terms of complex continuing care and rehabilitation, Gillis said that while nine rehabilitation beds were allocated to Seaforth, there is an overall decrease of six beds across Huron and Perth Counties. The Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance’s Vision 2013 states that complex continuing care beds will be reduced from 76 to between 43 and 50 beds, while rehabilitation beds will increase slightly from 23 beds to 24 or 25 beds. Gillis said that there are financial implications that need to be understood when it comes to changes across the LHIN and that the change needs to happen at a rate that hospitals, as well as patients, find to be reasonable. “We want a pace of change that providers can adapt to – but we need to keep moving in the right direction to ensure high quality care and best use of health care resources,” Gillis’ report states. She told council that the process of engagement will continue as changes continue to be implemented. Councillors were encouraged by the presentation, but did have some concerns. South Huron Deputy-Mayor David Frayne said he was concerned about the harsh winter weather Huron County sees every year. If a patient were to walk into the Goderich hospital, for instance, and roads were closed due to heavy snow, would that patient be able to be treated until transportation to Stratford could be arranged, he asked. Gillis said that all emergency room staffs are trained to deal with such situations and emergencies and that patients could certainly be stabilized at local hospitals until transportation could be arranged to Stratford. In case of a stroke, however, she said that time is of the utmost importance, so the situation would have to be dire to keep the patient from Stratford. By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen Medical partnerships considered Huron County Council is hoping to explore partnerships and potential efficiencies with its numerous healthcare partners in the face of an uncertain future. Council asked staff to prepare a report on the topic and report back at a future meeting after a presentation from Karen Davis, president and CEO of Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich, asking council to consider a partnership with the hospital. Davis told council that her hospital has a serious commitment to working together with other hospitals, as well as with municipal and county partners. She says she wants to ensure that healthcare services can continue to be provided closer to home, so that residents won’t have to travel to larger city centres when they’re sick and in need of help. Positive changes have been made, she told council, including a 40 per cent reduction in staff sick time, a 41 per cent reduction in staff overtime, a 90 per cent staff and physician flu immunization rate, 82 per cent staff satisfaction and 98 per cent overall patient satisfaction when it comes to both emergency services and inpatient experience. Davis also cited the fact that the Goderich hospital appears to be far ahead of the Ontario average on a number of crucial issues. The average wait time to see a doctor, she said, is 48 minutes in Goderich, compared to the Ontario average of 63 minutes. In Goderich, the average length of stay for complex issues is three hours, compared to eight across Ontario and for minor issues, it’s 90 minutes in Goderich, compared to four hours in Ontario. Wait times for ultrasounds, mammograms, x-rays and CT scans are also far lower in Goderich than they are around the province, she says. With challenging times ahead for the healthcare sector, Davis said a partnership with Huron County would mean a lot to the hospital. Goderich Mayor Kevin Morrison agreed, saying that the province is in flux right now and bodies like the Alexandra Marine and General Hospital are going to need allies to which they can turn. He encouraged council to approve a partnership with the hospital right away, rather than prepare a report, which he said he felt would end up on a shelf, never again to be discussed. Several other councillors, however, felt that if a healthcare partnership was to be explored, it should include all of the county’s healthcare partners, such as the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance and the South West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) as well. Chief Administrative Officer Brenda Orchard said the issue could perhaps be discussed as part of the county’s internal service review, which is scheduled for September. Council carried a motion to that effect. Shade Trees • Fruit Trees • Spruce, Pine, Cedar • Shrubs MARTIN’S NURSERY EMANUEL E.M. MARTIN 42661 Orangehill Road, RR #1 Wroxeter, ON N0G 2X0 1 Concession North of Wroxeter on Belmore Line Container and Field Grown Trees and Shrubs Shade Trees 3 feet to 12 feet in pots Choose for specimen and windbreaks • Maples • Oaks • Elderberry • Sycamore • Honey Locust • Apples • Pears • Cherries • Plums • Ginkgo Biloba • Blue Spruce • Green Spruce • Cedars • HedgingAND many, many more varieties! Read Rhea Hamilton Seeger’s Gardening column on the Huron Home and Garden Guide section of our website www.northhuron.on.ca BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED