HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1997-02-12, Page 1Sports Government Hospital
Bulls lose 3 straight to
end season.
Crusaders playoffs begin
Landfill discussion goes
on .... and on....
and on
Ministry of Health cuts
funding by over 7% to
local hospitals
See page 8 See page 13 See page 18
CitizenTheNorthHuron CPH meeting stresses
co-operation on issue
Downloading could cost residents big
The provincial government billed
it as an even swap, but Huron
County officials calculate county
taxpayers got 40 per cent more
expenses from the "mega-week"
announcements of funding shifts
than they saved.
The result, County Treasurer Ken
Nix told county council Thursday,
is that property taxpayers will have
to pay $12,163,000 more to the
municipal and county levels than
they do now, even with the educa
tion taxes. Nix said it had been hard
to get information from the
province on the effect of the
changes so his projections were
based on the best information avail
able.
The megaweek announcements
started off well when the province
announced it would be removing
education taxes from residential
property, a saving of $27,319,000
in Huron. After that, however, the
additional expenses just kept piling
up for the county and local munici
palities. They lost $9.9 million in
the general support levy, the so
called block-funding. This had
already been reduced from $12.2
by earlier cuts. Municipalities will
have to pick up 50 per cent of the
family benefits allowance portion
of welfare, a cost of $7 million.
General welfare will cost another
$1.2 million and the county must
take over social housing, at a cost
of another $1.1 million.
Municipalities that don't current
ly have police forces, will have to
pick up an estimated $4.3 million
in policing costs. Nix estimated the
cost at $250 per household,
Continued on page 13
By David Emslie
Clinton News-Record
Co-operation between the eight
hospitals in Huron and Perth, along
with continued public support will
be important for the future of
Clinton Public Hospital (CPH).
These were two major themes
when a public meeting was held
last Thursday to discuss the
hospital restructuring option
released by the task force of the
Huron Perth District Health
Council (DHC).
CPH Board Chair Harry Lear
told about 300 people at St. Anne’s
Catholic Secondary School that
while there have been many tense
moments on the road to the point
now reached, the support of the
community "kept each one of us
going."
He traced some of the history
leading up to the eight hospitals
signing an option to submit to the
task force, noting many hours of
work were put in by the hospital's
CEOs and financial directors, while
the chairs and vice-chairs of
hospital boards also met to discuss
planning for the eight hospitals. "I
can’t say enough about the CEOs
and financial officers of the eight
hospitals. Without them, the work
would not have been done," he
said.
Marg Makins, a member of the
task force, as well as being a
member of the board for CPH, gave
a brief perspective of the work
carried out by die task force, noting
that they had their first formal
meeting in April of 1996, and were
asked to wrap up their deliberations
within a year.
Makins said the task force was
"incredibly pleased" when the
hospitals came up with a plan that
saved 13.4 per cent, and kept all
hospitals open.
The task force used the
information to build their preferred
option. Makins noted that some
changes to the hospitals' proposal,
were made regarding the number of
beds. The hospitals came in with
135 beds,while the task force's
utilization committee suggested
there be 114 medical beds.
However, while the task force
removed beds in some areas of
care, they added in others. The task
force option, Makins said, calls for
26 obstetrical beds, while the
hospitals listed 19. Similarly, the
task force has 15 pediatric beds,
compared to six in the hospitals
proposal.
While the 15 pediatric beds have
been placed in Stratford, Makins
said, "It does not mean if you have
a sick child, you can't go to a local
hospital."
Also, while extra obstetrical beds
were placed in Stratford and
Listowel, figures show that two-
thirds of the counties' babies are
bom in Perth.
A chart on hospital access
showed figures for the number of
beds per 1,000 population. Clinton
has 1.24 beds per 1,000 population.
The highest number was for
Goderich, with 2.61, while
Stratford was second with 2.39.
The lowest was Exeter with .67
beds. Others were: Listowel, 1.67;
St. Marys, .80; Seaforth, 1.49 and
Wingham, 1.64.
As the option is a collaborative
effort of the eight hospitals, Makins
said the provincial restructuring
commission might take a "kindly
look" at the provincially unique
proposal.
She said the communities gain
24-hour emergency care at all eight
sites, chronic beds at all eight sites,
obstetrics in six sites instead of
three or four, and a stronger chance
for doctor retention
Plans to put the option in place
must proceed quickly, Makins said,
to show the province the plan will
work. "We need public support for
a single administration and
streamlined governance."
"The task force did listen to you,
the public," she said adding that the
hospitals worked extra hard to
come up with the plan.
LOCAL EFFECTS
CPH Director of Nursing Antje
Troyan, acting CEO of the hospital,
said CPH will continue to have
patient services with 24-hour
emergency care and diagnostic
services, along with services from
visiting specialists. CPH, which
currently has 41 beds, is running at
50 per cent occupancy. Under the
new option, she said, this number
will drop to 16 beds, two of which
are obstetrical.
The hospital will also have
cardiac monitoring, and therefore
will be able to look after a person
who has had a heart attack.
"We're not happy with the bed
numbers, but to us it is a
beginning," Troyan said. The
hospital will have to work towards,
higher efficiency, she said. Part of
working towards change is
"accenting the challenge of
change."
She commented on the loss of in
patient surgical beds, saying that 75
per cent of surgery performed is
day surgery.
One of the strengths of CPH, she
said, is its willingness to co-operate
with others. "This option does
provide a future for our hospital."
She urged all to voice their
support for this option to the DHC
"Where there is a will, there is a
way."
Dr. Salsbury stated that while it
would be false to state the medical
staff in Clinton are thrilled with the
cuts proposed for the hospital, "I
think on the other hand, we are
quite satisfied a compromise has
been reached."
Adding that everyone knows that
reductions are necessary, Dr.
Salsbury stated, "The current
proposal seems reasonable."
There was much concern on the
part of the medical staff, he said,
that CPH might end up becoming a
clinic, but with the option, bed
assignments appear reasonable, and
Continued on page 7