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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-06-05, Page 18.1111. .116110. 50th Wedding Anniversary The family of Pearl and Harold McCallum invite you to share with them in celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary at an OPEN HOUSE Saturday, June 8 1 - 3 p.m. at the home of Pearl and Harold Your presence is your greatest gift. 1952 2002 Fr floppy 40tivinniversary Neil & Marie McGavin June 2, 2002 Love from your family STOMPIN' TOM Special GuestVJ P- Cornuer SATURDAY JUNE 29, 2002 - 8pm North Huron Wescast Community Complex - Wingham Tickets available at: Blyth General Store; Dixie Lee in Clinton; Ernie King's in Wingham & Goderich. Credit Card Orders: 1-800-465-7829 www.StompinTorn.com PAGE 18. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2002. Cab driver displeased over transit subsidization By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor A Wingham cab owner attended the Monday night meeting of North Huron council to express his displeasure with the municipality's subsidization of Wheels Away. Charles Dowell, owner of Triple T Cab, said that though Wheels Away is meant for people in wheelchairs, By Mark Nonkes Wingham Advance-Times Fear of a new recommended governance plan had members of the Wingham and Listowel joint hospital board worried about the possibility of amalgamation. Concerns were raised in a presentation of a new governance plan for Joint Executive Committee (JEC) at last Thursday's meeting in the Wingham and District Hospital's gymnasium. "This looks like a merger," said Dr. Marie Gear, Wingham hospital's chief of staff. Gear said that time and time again hospital boards have told the JEC they do not want to amalgamate but they are not listening. "I thought we gave a very clear message," Gear By Mark Nonkes Wingham Advance-Times Wingham and Listowel physicians were up in arms after a presentation about new medical standards that will be recommended to the Huron-Perth Joint Executive Committee (JEC). "This represents a complete betrayal of trust in this hospital," said Wingham's Dr. Sanford Clare. Dr. Stan Brown, vice president of medicine for the Huron Perth Hospitals Partnership, presented the new plan to the Wingham .and Listowel hospital joint board meeting, last Thursday. Accoroing to Clare, Dr. Marie Gear and Dr. Barry Neable, Brown had promised to let the doctors see a final copy of the recommendations before they went to the JEC. However, at the meeting it was revealed the recommendations will be sent to the JEC before doctors had a chance to see the final draft of the recommendations. "I think this is a potential catastrophe," solo Dr. Neable, chief of medicine at Listowel Memorial Hospital. If the recommendations are made into policy, Neable said he thinks entire hospitals or services could be shut down if they are not ready to implement the programs. "I think many physicians will be they now have a car on the road. "I have yet to see a wheelchair in that car," he said adding that he doesn't feel it's right council subsidizes this for $3 a ride when he also transports handicapped people and receives nothing from the municipality. "There are many people I pick up who need to be helped in and out of the cab. And I run at night. Wheels Away won't pick anyone up at said. However according to Marget Comack, Wingham and Listowel hospitals' vice-president and site administrator, the proposed system would reduce a lot of redundancy, streamline decision making and speed up the information exchange. Comack explained that in the eight-hospital Huron Perth Partnership there are more than 500 meetings a year. Under the new recommended system, the current ystem of hospital governing would be transferred from four levels of governance to three. Comack explained the system would only be a recommendation, not something hospital boards would have to accept if they didn't want to. In a phone interview after the meeting, Comack said it was asked angry. I think you are sitting on the tip of an iceberg," Neable said. The program is looking at setting uniform standards for all eight hospitals in surgery, emergency care and maternal child care. Throughout the process", doctors, nurses and other medical staff were asked for input. According to Dr. Gear, chief of staff at Wingham and District Hospital, Brown assured her that medical staff at her hospital would get a chance to look over a final draft before it was submitted. "This is absolutely unacceptable. And I am pointing at you Stan, you know how angry I am," Gear said. Gear confronted Brown and said he lied and had no credibility. "My credibility in my position is on the line. It's not zero," Brown responded. • According to Brown, he was told to give the recommendations to the JEC. Although he said he voiced his concerns about making an agreement with medical staff to see a final draft of the recommendations, the JEC demanded them. "I would just like to say Stan and I are messengers of information," said Margret Comack, vice president and site administrator for both Wingham and Listowel hospitals. Gear is concerned with some of the implications the standards could have for rural applications. She said she is in favour of working with standards, night." Maintaining . that Wheels Away makes more money than his company, Dowell stated that both cab companies in Wingham run cheaper than Wheels Away. Adding that Wheels Away does serve a good purpose, Dowell noted that a car is not in their mandate. He spoke of the advantages the organization has, saying, "When I that the recommendations be reviewed so that the boards might be able to use the new system in the new board year in September. Dr. Barry Neable, Listowel hospital's chief of medicine, said the current system is working well and the hospital staff is happy with the way things are going. "Why does it have to be changed at all?" Neable questioned. Other board members agreed with Neable's sentiments. "The more we concede to the JEC, the worse off we'll be," said Dr. Sanford Clare, a Wingham hospital physician. "I'm sick of the empire building. I thought we got rid of empire buildings and this one seems like one that is harder to blow up," Wingham board representative Verna Steffler said. but wanted to be consulted before the recommendations were sent to the JEC. "What is the roaring emergency to do this?" Gear asked. One of the problems with standards is that there are so many different situations for individual hospitals that the governing bodies cannot take into account when creating one standard for all hospitals. "One standard can shut down an entire service," Neable said. Judith Gaunt, chairperson of the board, suggested the boards ask the JEC not review the material until physicians, medical staff and local boards have a chance to look at the recommendations. "It's very important that our voice is made very loud and clear," Gaunt said. "We have to take a stand," said Verna Steffler, a Wingham representative on the board. At the end of the meeting the boards created a motion to be sent to the JEC asking the recommendations be removed from the next JEC meeting until the final draft has been reviewed. However, Gear said she is skeptical. She said she thinks the JEC will not listen to the suggestion and will go ahead with turning the recommendations to standards without any doctors looking at them. "Would I trust? Not after this nonsense," Gear said. need a new cab I can't get a grant." In a discussion later, Councillor Archie MacGowan also expressed concern. Saying it was his understanding that when Wheels Away began it was to assist the wheelchair bound, MacGowan added that it seemswhat they are doing now is in competition with the cab company. "It was for people with no other means. It think it's evolving into something different." Reeve Doug Layton felt the municipality should have been By Bonnie Gropp Citizen editor North Huron will not pay for the refurbished Blyth signs. Presented with a bill for the work at the Monday night meeting, councillors stated that while they agreed the signs did need repairs, they . had also stated when first approached that the municipality could not pay for it at this time. However, a bill for $1,800 for the signs and $400 for brickwork was submitted. When Councillor Jeff Howson said he thought that position had been made clear, Councillor Murray notified about the purchase of a car, . while Councillor Jeff Howson said guidelines are needed. MacGowan stated that guidelines explaining the criteria for qualifying for rides were outlined at the beginning. Council asked Administrator John Stewart to see if he could get a copy of the guidelines for council to review, as well as information on what other urban areas do regarding private and funded transit. Nesbitt concurred, saying, "I think if we make a decision that we've thought out, as I feel we did this -time, then that decision should stand." LAWN QUESTIONS? iteofr 100% Organic Programs! WecilVflag 524-2424 - Trust the Professionals - Hosp. bd. fears amalgamation Hosp. standards create uproar N. Huron won't pay for sign repairs