HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2009-01-29, Page 1The Huron Perth Healthcare
Alliance (HPHA) has advised the
South West Local Health Integration
Network (LHIN) and the Ministry of
Health and Long Term Care that after
exhausting all available staffing
options, the Seaforth Community
Hospital site’s emergency department
will move forward with an interim
adjustment to its hours of operation
effective Feb. 7.
“Given our current staffing reality,
this is the most responsible decision
we can make,” stated HPHA CEO
Andrew Williams. “The fact that we
have been able to maintain
uninterrupted service for as long as
we have is a testament to the
dedication and commitment of the
entire HPHA team, most notably the
nursing staff in Seaforth.”
“We are working toward a long-
term sustainable solution, but in the
interim it’s just not feasible, nor fair
to our staff or the community, to
continue the way we have been.”
According to Mary Cardinal, site
administrator, the Seaforth site has
been challenged for the last two and a
half years to meet baseline nursing
needs, specifically with respect to RN
coverage; this is largely a reflection
of retirements and departures
outpacing recruitment. Nursing staff
have demonstrated extraordinary
commitment to sustaining staffing
levels, working considerable
overtime, and foregoing vacations.
“The Seaforth physicians
understand the need to adjust ER
hours at this time and, although not
preferred, support the decision,"
stated Seaforth site chief Jason
Datema. "We will continue to work
closely with the hospital to do all that
we can to help address the staffing
challenge over the coming weeks.”
The South West LHIN, Dr. Lisa
Shepherd, South West LHIN
emergency department lead and the
HPHA are notifying the affected
communities and providing alternate
emergency services options.
Over the next week, the HPHA will
work to confirm exact hours and will
ensure that the department remains
open during those times of the day
when it is used most often.
Emergency departments across the
province are facing similar and
significant staffing challenges. The
lack of available personnel is putting
incredible pressure on existing staff,
increasing patient wait times and
driving the need to make difficult
decisions about service delivery.
Time for change
With too many crashes to count, including two that resulted in fatalities in the past five years,
North Huron councillor Greg McClinchey and his colleagues feel that time for action to address
the issue at the intersection of London and Blyth Roads is past due. They are calling on the
county to help find a solution, before another tragedy, rather than after. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
The third public mandated
meeting of the Accommodation
Review Committee for five schools
along the Hwy. 4 corridor,
considered the North East Central
Huron group, was held at Wingham
Public School on Thursday, Jan. 22.
The schools in question are Hullett
Central in Londesborough, Blyth
Public, East Wawanosh Public in
Belgrave, Wingham Public and
Turnberry Central.
This meeting proved to be an
exciting change from the previous
two.
School groups had been
encouraged to ‘think outside the
box’ when presenting scenarios.
Since the last meeting the
community support persons from all
five schools had been burning the
midnight oil and the scenario they
presented to everyone gathered in
the Wingham school auditorium was
just that kind.
Members of all the ARC groups
recognized that these reviews can
become quite territorial. Although
each school area is a separate entity,
in a rural area as small as the one
under review, the people involved
now have and will continue to have
contact through business, social
activities, sports, etc. A community
support member from each school
took part in their scenario, the North
Maitland Educational Centre of
Exellence. David Sparling, Mark
Beaven, Robert Hunking, Sue
Underwood and Connie Goodall
presented a concept paper for the
construction of ‘a super school’.
They proposed that in 2010
construction begin on a ‘state of the
art’ educational facility to
accommodate all pupils from Blyth,
East Wawanosh, Wingham and
Turnberry.
They suggested everyone affected
should have input into how this
school should be rather than
accepting an engineer’s concept.
They talked about the latest in
classrooms and teaching areas, a
cafeteria, a computer lab and library,
expanded arts programs, etc. Their
united front was to impress upon the
trustees that the children’s future is
what is important and their desire to
keep Grades 7 and 8 out of area high
schools.
Although this presentation still
needs fine tuning they proposed a
120,000 to 150,000-square foot
school to house 1,000 students. Such
a school would cost in t he area of
$175 a square foot or $21 to $26
million.
The presenters encouraged the
trustees to consider the prospect
from a positive outlook, rather than
looking for negatives.
Following the presentation,
AMDSB superintendent Mike Ash
noted that the board is currently
lobbying the governments for money
for North Huron schools. This was
in contrast to the previous meeting
when trustees seemed to suggest that
no money was likely to be
forthcoming for new schools in a
rural area of declining enrollment.
A funding model was included in
the presentation. Some, they
suggested, would come from three
areas of government. The municipal
representative from Morris-
Turnberry, Jim Nelemans, however
remarked that the group was
presumptuous in assuming that the
rest of the ratepayers in his
constituency would be willing to
fund this school.
Other monies would be found
from the sale of the properties of the
closed schools, operational savings,
private donations and grants. For
example, they see the school
incorporating all modern
environmental aspects which would
qualify them for “green” grants.
The community-support persons
also proposed that teachers be
allowed to be a part of the
SCH cuts ER hours
Tired of no action, North Huron
councillors have decided to take
their problem straight to their upper-
tier counterparts.
A decision was made at the Jan. 19
meeting, to send a delegation to the
county to try and get a response to
concerns about the need for traffic
lights, and/or a crosswalk on Hwy. 4
in Blyth. At particular issue is the
intersection at County Road 25
where a number of crashes have
occured over the years.
Blyth fire chief Paul Josling
agrees that the corner is a serious
concern. “There have been two
fatalities there in the last five years,”
he said, in an interview, “and
numerous crashes ranging from
simple fender benders to totalled
vehicles.”
And something that isn’t taken
into consideration, he added, are the
near misses he has observed.
“The big problem is visibility
from either direction,” said Josling,
noting that the corner is plagued by
blind spots and obstructions.
The solution is simple, he added.
“We need a stoplight. That would
solve the problem.”
Discussions have taken place with
county staff for some time, and
support for resolutions requesting
action has been received from
Morris-Turnberry.
However, there has been no
response from the county.
“What else can we do?” asked
councillor Greg McClinchey. “We
have the backing of our
neighbouring community and our
local emergency services. I don’t
want to see something happen
before this gets done.”
“Why is it that we, as a lower-tier
legislative body can’t get any
response?” he added.
Clerk/administrator Kriss Snell
said that staff can’t take the matter
much further. “There’s not much left
we can do with the traffic light. The
county would probably let us put the
crosswalk in if we paid for it. The
signalization of an intersection
carries a high price tag.”.
McClinchey said, “Well, I favour
doing something. What’s been done
so far is nothing. The county has just
stalled us out.”
Councillor Archie MacGowan
expressed frustration with the
“mixed signals” being sent from the
county. “Clearly this is a dangerous
corner and we are getting no
response. Yet, they are stopping the
development of Canadian Tire
because they won’t allow a turn lane
presumably because of risk. The
intersection of County Road 25 and
Hwy. 4 is a pretty clear risk. I don’t
know why they aren’t responding.”
Snell suggested a delegation
attend the county council meeting.
“Our message is that when issues
arise, we need to deal with them,”
said McClinchey.ARC suggests super school
CitizenTh
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$1.25 GST included Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Thursday, Jan. 29, 2009
Volume 25 No. 4AGRICULTURE- Pg. 11Buchanan grilled by porkproducers THEATRE - Pg. 19 Coates leads ‘Wild Guys’through the woodsEDUCATION- Pg. 7Student gets top marks ingeography challengePublications Mail Agreement No. 40050141 PAP Registration No. 09244 Return Undeliverable Items to North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, ON N0G 1H0INSIDE THIS WEEK:
Chief says corner
needs stoplight
By Bonnie Gropp
The Citizen
By Brenda Radford
Special to The Citizen
Continued on page 6