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Home My WebLink AboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1993-09-01, Page 3Lucknow - 528-3000 Lucknow Sentinel', Wednesday, September I, 1993 - Page 3 • Wingham District Hospital braces for .budget impact an overall reduction of 3.8 per cent based on the elimination of $323,900 funding by the Ministry of Health. hospital CEO Lloyd Koch explained the hospital has tried to build an accurate budget to show the effect on operations. Part of this includes a savings of bed closures in the summer -- which normally shows up as a surplus in the year end review. Another measure to reduce costs involves an early retirement pack- age to employees who are age 60 by Sept. 1, 1993. The package would allow . an extension of medical/dental benefits and semi- private hospital care to age 65. However, to take advantage those employees must retire before Jan. 1, 1994. Mr. Koch said nine employees were eligible but did not expect all would take advantage of the package, He added the retirements could decrease the chance of layoffs and may give room for destructuring to take place. Added savings (by retirements) would be gained as employees on the top end of the wage grid would be replaced by junior enfployees. Overall, Mr. Koch noted, the deadline for the Social Contract has passed and we are now into the by Mike Robinson With details of the sectoral framework not yet published, the Wingham and District Hospital board of governors had to do a number of estimates to determine the impact to this year's budget. Usually the hospital budget is deterntined by March or April, but this year the budget had to be revised in August due to the Social contract thanges in funding. The revised budget was based on Hospital pay equity is temporarily delayed by Mike Robinson Wingham and District Hospital's hope to settle the pay equity issue for its staff will have to wait a bit longer. Delays by the pay equity officer have stretched the issue out longer than the hospital's board of governors had wanted. Wingham and District 'Hospital hassnade repeated calls for its Pay Equity Officer, Carrie Gallant, to make a decision on the hospital's plan that would enable management to post the plan and pay out what is owning to employees. Hospital CEO Lloyd Koch explained he was scheduled to meet with the Ontario Nursing, As- sociation on Aug. 31 to discuss a pay equity plan for Wingham nur- ses. He said, Ms. Gallant advised the hospital that she will await the results of that meeting before making an overall decision. That decision concerning her approval or rejection of the plan delays any payment to those sectors within the hospital which have already settled a pay equity agreement. Ambulance Communication The issue of hospital com- munications is apparently resolved for now. Last month the ongoing concern "A °"loot Psychic" 'Ai.nt4, A Ctlrr,t Nye& t pick w low Anoint. you. ain't H.., 1 +tile help you vdock dti ,.oublei wadi, end b.I.,ppI +ppMvolI wl putt d !wt COW( dw,urk. J, W r•lo. fid Lannon Ont. 673 , 70) was brought to the attention of the board. It was stated that since radio communication with the ambulance drivers was through the Owen Sound dispatch, the ambulance attendant could not directly com- municate to the hospital to brief staff of incoming patients. Mr. Koch said "We have since reviewed our system with the Manager for the Central Ambulance Control Centre in Owen Sound. We were able to confirm that we have appropriate communications equip- ment and the capability is present for direct communications upon request by the ambulance crew." In order to notify the WDH emer- gency department as early as pos- sible of any patients requiring unusual resources and staff, the hospital has altered its protocol to require the ambulance crew to assess the patient and request a radio patch to the Emergency Department to notify them in all cases of severe trauma, or any other situations where extra staff may be required. If a patient condition does not permit time for a direct radio patch, the Ambulance Dispatch staff will be asked to relay the appropriate information to the emergency department. Purchasing a vehicle is a big decision! Let us help you make the right one! GARRY WOODCOCK Quality Cars & Trucks We Can Save You Money Drive A Little - Save A Lot MONTGtIIERYI Nomas KN t. 528-2813 ®,/�Ilaa,....'`., Statement From Lucknow Feed Mill inc. '4.0.,,,, tion and feed in this rebuild • wg ; e reviewing our Situa milling is to reb After reviewer options for our best plan bell St., in • ave concluded at 457 Came this discussingtired in sent location ill is stiU'req n and this area atits pure w is that a m o the tow this in the know. Our view be a los not build- X118, this tuc mu(�ct`to-and_-- `-if W.e_d d August mill if Com commune Y . ctors met -on.. --wilding the farming board m dire to pursue reloading-the-mill eb from the mipolicy 993, mind, our unanimously forthcoming . lrisuralic and voted was d zurichh Insurance bit settlement Mutual an a us to a sulfa, cDon g to allow held with p°rte have Coverage enhave sub- mitted Company ui sa ltd. wUmbe have milllro Lt companies reponse Veav o this a n son the have received ecei ch a settle- ment and their bid m we mitre hat all r;E5 oreun �ssible with reciate'all point with o as .soon as p1994• We.�apu mer ape construction on he sup y rtthe wespring hae�ecus ed twit continue to. . expected phe support l we with as ue/lb Maknoweveea Mi111nC hope you he`situation F w ger Luc N4.4.s2: iz --- M01111) AuthotIted Dealer UdWOW: FEED MILL•INC Police quell rumors Rumors circulating in the vicinity about a connection bet- ween the missing Lois Hanna and Paul Bernardo/Teale are false. According to a press release, the OPP have been "inundated with numerous inquiries regar- ding a connection between Lois Hanna and Paul Bernar- Jo/Teale," Detective Sergeant John White ,f the Niagara Regional Police rorce states there is no connec- tion between Lois Hanna or any other area person and the Ber- nard/reale investigation. Lois Hanna disappeared from her Kincardine home more than five years ago. OPP and Kincar- dine police still investigate failsafe mode. He said the hospital had posted a plan calling for volun- tary wage reductions from all staff and this appeared to have general acceptance at the time. However, Floyd Laughren, in his ultimate wisdom, chose to declare a sectoral framework plan for hospitals, even though he knew hospitals had unanimously rejected it earlier, due to its unacceptable features of giving up financial control to unions and province -wide committees, said Mr. Koch. He added the plan also Iacked a mechanism for achieving the tar- geted savings that was as good as the failsafe mechanism. Accor- dingly, the posted plan by the hospital was removed the next day to ensure it would not be swept into the Sectoral Framework provisions during the 10 days which followed, he said. No regulations to the Act have been published, however they have been promised for the end ofd August. Mr. Koch said current plans are to post a plan next week even if the regulations do not ar- rive. ortfaiimir PERFECT ATTENDANCE - D'onald MacKinnon (left) and Al Hamilton, two of the charter (members of the Lucknow and District Lions Club, recently received pins in recognition of their dedication to Clonism, in having perfect attendance for 35 years. (Pat Livingston photo) ONTARIO H •ME WEEK A '1I'It Vlh It 'n n1 ftaa4117I 2 .nri JUST ICOR. KIDS, .WIN CASH PRIZES!!! ESSAY AND DRAWING CONTEST The Grey -Bruce Real Estate Board in conjunction with Ontario Houle Week is sponsoring an f:ssay and Drawing Contest for kids of all ages! Contest Details: There will be 5 divisions with.2 categories in each division. DIVISIONS Kindergarten to Grade 2 -- Gr-ades-3-a.ttrt 4 Grades 5 and ( , Grades 7 and 8 tligh School students , CATEGORIES Draw a picture of your own home Write an essay of no more than 500 wo'rds t0 "What makes your house a hone?" ('ASI1PRIZES will be awarded as follows for each category. Kindergarten to (:rade 2.....$25.00 Grades 3 and 4 SIC 00, Grades 5 and 6-, Grades 7 and 8 'iligh School students Entries most he postmarked no Tater than September I5, I971 aril regtlirc your Name, Address, Phone number, Division and ('alegorry. Plenstvl;tirward to: Grey,- deuce Real !=state Board, 501 I Oth Street, I hinovcr, Ontario N,I N IR ! PLEASE PLACE YOUR EN'T'RY IN ONE CATEGORY ONLY. The winners %sill have their name and picture printed in 1he local newspaper during Ontario home Week, September 26111 - October 2nd. $50,00 $75.00 $100.00 c) N.T.AR 10 1I0MI \XIP F k