Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2001-05-30, Page 9_HEALTH ON THE HILL A Review of activities at SEAFORTH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL To clarify any undue alarm., the Seaforth Medical Clinic is not "closing". Our local physicians are addressing ways to meet the demand for medical services in our community. The Hospital has an active recruitment team to attract new physicians to the community. AUXILIARY NEWS Annual Penny Sale is upcoming May 28 - June 8/01 at former Pete's Paper Clip Store @ 19 Main Street, Seaforth. Draw date•. Saturday, June 9th. WELCOME to Juanita Smith, RN; Erin McColl, RPN; Diane Hamilton, RPN who have recently joined the Nursing-Staff. Welcome also to Karl Schuster, UWO Rural Health student who is doing a 6 week co-operative placement at St. Marys' Memorial Hospital and Seaforth Community APPRECIATION is extended to Joan Chesney, Denise & Anita Kreutzwiser, Pam Kaufman, Erin Flanagan & Jason Von Eau for the vital roles they carried out in the recent Trauma Nursing Centre. Congratulations to registrants who successfully completed certification. Many thanks to Hospital Board members, Foundation, staff and volunteers who capably flipped pancakes and served breakfast at Rona Cashway Mother's Day weekend. Our appreciation to all who supported the Breakfast with proceeds of $510.85 to the Foundation. Your support to Dr. Kenneth Rodney's 25th Anniversary of medical & surgical practice to Seaforth and surrounding communities is overwhelming. A commemorative plaque will be displayed on wall entrance to the Operating Suite. NATIONAL OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY WEEK was celebrated May 14 - 19th, appreciation to Linda Bailey for organizing the educational displays on Back Care, Prevention of Needlestick Injuries and Chemical Spills. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2001. PAGE 9. Increasing cost of health care generates concern By Jim Brown Wingham Advance-Times Site Administrator Margret Comack told the May meeting of the Wingham and District Hospital Board of Governors that the Ontario Hospital Association is very con- cerned about a projected shortfall when it comes to funding for hospi- tals. She indicated many hospitals, including Wingham's, have submitted their operating budgets to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care with a projected deficit. The hos- pitals find out if their budgets have been approved by the ministry the end of May or in early June. The OHA has continually told the government that hospitals are under- funded this year. According to Comack, there has been a five per cent increase in the cost of health care this year, which is out of the control of hospitals. She indicated the government has provided over $100 million to help hospitals cover shortfalls. However, the OHA insists another $600 million is needed. Comack said the OHA insists provincial hospitals are under-funded by $750 million. The Wingham and District Hospital did not receive any funding from the performance-based grants as the fig- ures the government used were from 1999-2000. "This was not a good year for us," she stated. "The cost per weighted case was very high and new doctors were coming on board." The hospital can expect very little over the next year, she added. Comack noted the government is bringing in a Long Term Accountability Act under which hos- pitals and other public institutions have to show how they spend the tax- payers' money. She suggested each institution will have to adopt a business plan as well as an operating plan. During the next three years, the hospital will have to try and recoup its deficit projections. The ministry is going to initiate major penalties to those who do not comply and in the worst-case sce- nario, the ministry has threatened to take over the operation of the hospi- tal. Although the government has infused additional funding into health care, it is concerned about its increas- ing portion of the total provincial budget. Comack said that according to gov- ernment statements, 30 per cent of its global budget goes to health care. Within three years, that will be 60 per cent. And, if nothing is done, by 2011, the province's entire budget will be for health care. Comack said there currently is a lot of political lobbying going on by the OHA, as the impact of the budget affects everyone in Ontario. Board member Verna Steffler said the problem has been created by the large hospital conglomerates. She added the Owen Sound Grey Bruce Health Centre and the University Hospital in London have not been totally opened, but have a "hotel-like exterior and lobby area". Comack said the partnership administration is working closely with physician groups in order to maintain a level of care service. Over the next two years, the hospi- tals will be looking for an efficient way to do everything at the health facility, Comack said. Wingham to get kinesiologist, speech pathologist By Jim Brown Wingham Advance-Times While the Wingham and District Hospital was successful recruiting staff for the kinesiology locum and the speech-language pathology position, they continue to experience difficulty in the skilled medical professions such as diagnostic imaging technologists. Rehabilitation leader Pat Pietrek reported to the May meeting of the Wingham and District Hospital Board last Thursday the hospital looks for- ward to resuming a full complement of in-patient and out-patient rehabilita- tion services in the fall. She indicated a person will be start- ing in kinesiology in late June and another in speech-language pathology in mid-August. However, she stated they were short- staffed in other skilled medical profes- sions like health record technician and clinical information specialist. "It is not getting any easier," she stated. Pietrek reported Rural Medicine Week will be held June 4-8, and two first-year students from the University of Western Ontario in London will be in Wingham to gain knowledge, skills and interest in rural practice as a career choice. Accreditation She said the accreditation teams are in place, with the finance and informa- tion management input having been completed. Environmental services and leader- ship and governance input has been started. - According to Pietrek, the in-patient teams have been identified and orien- tation and training for those members requesting education has been done. Two days have been set aside to complete the first draft of standards for the care teams. "We are on schedule for having the first draft completed by the end of June," she said. Health Day Pietrek reported a successful Canada Health Day was held May 12 at the North Huron-Wescast Community Complex. Over 100 people visited the various displays, enjoyed the demonstrations and reviewed the many entries in the poster contest. She indicated the greatest number entries were received from the Huron- Perth Separate Schools. Nurses Week was held at the hospi- tal from May 7-12 and was marked with a number of events. A luncheon to celebrate Nursing Profession Practice was held in Seaforth. A bake sale and pot luck.sup- per for all nursing staff was well attended. She said the renovations to the switchboard working area have been completed. A major improvement is the elimina- tion of a `step-up' area at the front. Pietrek reported staff who work there are quite pleased with the new surroundings. Steffler says no to strategic planning committee By Jim Brown Wingham Advance-Times Verna Steffler informed the May meeting of the Wingham and District Hospital Board she does not intend to sit on the Strategic Planning Committee of the Huron Perth Hospitals Partnership. The committee was put in charge of forming a clinical plan for the hospi- tals partnership, but Steffler feels the committee only "rubber-stamped" what was already prepared by the Joint Executive Committee (JEC). She said the administration did the plan then gave it to the strategic plan- ning committee for approval, with no opportunity for members to voice their opinions. If members of the committee did not like what was presented it was too bad, Steffler said. "The strategic planning committee is a farce of a committee," she stated. Wingham and District Hospital Chief of Staff Dr. Marie Gear, who echoed Steffler's sentiments, said three-quarters of the committee mem- bers didn't know what the clinical plan is for. Dr. Gear, who took Sterner's place at a meeting, said the administration was hostile to a disagreement she had. "They just wanted us to rubber-stamp the plan," she said. "As far as I'm concerned we did no strategic planning," added Sterner. Site Administrator Margret Comack indicated Board Chairman Bob Pike and Vice Chairman Judith Gaunt are part of the Joint Executive Committee. Going to the JEC is part of the process. Steffler indicated there have been no strategic goals established during the past two years. She added that goals for the Wingham and District Hospital are decided elsewhere. "Why do we even have board meetings?" she asked. "There is no purpose to the boards." According to Steffler, the board agrees with any motions from the JEC. "We just tell the JEC it is doing a good job," she claimed. "The local boards have no power whatsoever." Comack indicated that what happens at Wingham and District Hospital is part of a bigger plan of the partnership. Steffler asked if the annual report will reflect what the board actually has done for the local hospital. "The entire community wants to know what's hap- pening at the hospital," she said. "There is nothing more important to the people than their health care facili- ty." - While Comack said integration con- tinues at all eight sites of the partner- ship, Board Member Norm Fairies of Howick Twp. indicated there is a lot of "stuff' out in the community that is not factual. "If the JEC did not exist, how many of the eight hospitals in Huron and Perth Counties would still be around?" he wondered. Board Chairman Bob Pike said there are many complex issues being faced by the JEC. One of these issues is tech- nology; if there is more the hospital can do better. He indicated the mes- sage being received at hospitals today is different than it was two years ago. Board members are in a difficult spot as the amount of future funding is unsure so hospitals don't have the abil- ity to take certain steps. "We better get ourselves back on track," said Pike. He indicated at the annual meeting people are going to have to decide if they want to be elected as board mem- bers or just come for lunch and sit around the table for two or three years. He added a session for board mem- bers only should be held in September to determine the path of the board. Gaunt said the JEC has been focused on the framework of the partnership for the past three years. Now it will be getting back to the community hospitals, but that will require independent boards, said Gaunt. Municipality of Huron East Police Services Board Appointments The Municipality of Huron East is accepting applica- tions from interested citizens of Huron East to serve on the Huron East Police Services Board. The appointments to the Board will be for the balance of this term of Council. For additional information concerning responsibilities, etc., please contact the Municipal Office. Applications, clearly marked, outlining background and interest in the position should be addressed to the undersigned prior to Monday, June 11th, 2001 at 5:00 p.m. Mayor (L. Steffler) Clerk-Administrator (J.R. McLachlan), Municipality of Huron East, 72 Main Street South, Seaforth, Ontario. NOK IWO