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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2002-08-14, Page 242C62 BUD Thermal Imaging Cam Ta Campaign ti80.00 170.-ou.;..,-;-1-,:d One & Eighty Receiving the cheque Blyth and District Fire Chief Paul Josling, right, gratefully accepted the $4,180 cheque from Dave Sparling, left, and Jack Gillespie, general manager of CKNX/FM 102, which will be used to pay for the new thermal-imaging camera purchased by the department. The money was raised when Sparling's Propane donated Toronto Maple Leaf tickets to be auctioned off by the radio station. Fundraising efforts, including those during Blyth's 125th anniversary celebration have netted approximately $15,000 with almost $10,000 left to be raised. (Janice Becker photo) Circle of trust Members of the Blyth Festival Young Company rehearse some of the maneuvers for the upcoming performance of Free/Quincy which opens at The Garage Theatre in Blyth Aug. 16 and runs through Aug. 24. (Janice Becker photo) BLYTH FIGURE SKATING & POWER SKATING REGISTRATION Blyth Public School Saturday, August 24th 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, August 28th 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. 10 or 20 week sessions offered 20 week 10 week Skating Time CanSkate (1-3) $130.00 $75.00 Friday 4:00 p.m. CanFigure (4-7) $165.00 $90.00 Friday 4:45 p.m. Power Skating $130.00 $75.00 Friday 5.45 p.m. Junior and Senior $130.00 n/a Tuesday of Friday Junior and Senior $220.00 n/a Tuesday nab Friday ('JEVW Synchro $120.00 n/a Tuesday Payment plan available for 20 week session. All skating times listed are tentative. Please call Glenda at 523-9139 for more info PAGE 24. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2002. Wingham tries new approach to recruit doctors By Mark Nonkes Wingham Advance-Times In a market that is getting more intense the Wingham and District Hospital is hoping a new tactic - a CD-ROM - will hopefully give them the edge and attract more physicians. The debut of the CD-ROM was presented to a boardroom of doctors, administrators and committee members from various hospital boards, last Thursday, Aug. 8. The eight minute pocket-size CD- ROM was presented by producer John Schedler who shot and edited the entire video that shows what life is like in Wingham and the hospital. Noreen Gnay, chair of the physician recruitment committee hailed the video an "excellent" tool to attract doctors. Even though not entirely complete, the demand for the CD- ROM was already obvious. Dr. Marie Gear, who is interviewed in the video, said she needed a copy immediately to send to a doctor to try to. capture her attention. Dr. Shawn Marshall, his wife Dr. Bonnie Marshall and Gear all tell of the different things that attracted them to Wingham in the CD-ROM. "I practise all the things I was trained to do that I couldn't do in the big city," Dr. Shawn Marshall said. Dr. Bonnie Marshall said being a mother of two, she had to think of her children when she chose Wingham. She said the complex, parks, trails and proximity to Lake Huron were all drawing factors. "They could potentially be busy every night of the week," she said. Dr. Gear admitted that when she came to Wingham her original intention was to only stay for a year. "That was 22 years ago and I'm still here," Gear said. "I've never been bored." The debut of the new CD-ROM comes only two days after the recruitment committee made a presentation to North Huron Twp. council appealing for assistance. Spokesperson Verna Steffler told council the search for doctors is becoming more and more fierce with some hospitals offering doctors large signing bonuses or paying for eduCation to attract them to their hospital. "It's become a terrible competition," Steffler said. Steffler asked council to consider a financial contribution and pleaded for a councillor to sit on the recruitment committee. The council in the municipality of Saugeen Shores in Bruce County designated $100,000 in their budget to attract more doctors for their community. The plan worked. This year alone the committee has attracted five new doctors. "What you really need is co- operation from the health board, council and hospital," said John VanBastelarr, chair of the Saugeen Shore recruitment team. "That's the biggest thing." In North Huron. the physician recruitment committee is funded by fundraising events and the hospital. The CD-ROM, which cost $2,500, was funded by the hospital foundation. "What we need is the municipality to be more involved in physician recruitment," Steffler said. The economic development committee of North Huron has asked to view the CD-ROM and it has been suggested that it be used to promote the town. The committee tours university campuses that have medical programs in fairs to try to attract more doctors. At the end of September committee members and Wingham and District hospital doctors will travel to McMaster University in Hamilton, the University of Western Ontario in London, Queens University in Kingston, the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa. Steffler said with the departure of Dr. Kysela the other doctors are starting to feel the crunch. "They've By all accounts, the celebration marking Blyth's 125th anniversary, Aug 2-4 was a wonderful success. Bev Blair, a member of the organizing committee said the events were well attended. The parade was a particular success, lasting more than an hour with a variety of floats from residents, business owners and organizations. The church service was perfect, she said. Don Vair spoke of peace friends and fellowship then a rain immediately following the service further enticed attendees to stop in for a spot of coffee and comradery. The meals provided by the Blyth Lions, Blyth Legion, Londesboro Lions and Blyth firefighters were sold out or had full houses. The craft and spinners and weavers displays at the school had a lot of visitors as did the school history exhibit. The photo contest had 22 entries in four categories. The Saturday evening dance drew over 400 people and the karaoke night was great fun, said Blair. Though the final numbers are not yet in, the weekend was definitely a hit with those who participated. discovered that this is pretty serious now," Steffler said. Steffler reported that the public will have to get used to locum doctors, who only practise medicine in one place for a short period of time. Using these doctors is the only way to ease the shortage, Steffler said. "We don't want to see a different face every three months or six months but we have to or we'll get left behind," Steffler said. The recruitment committee will still have to attract those locums. Steffler said the committee is hoping that these locums will like the area and will want to stay. "We're looking for doctors who will come, put down roots and, yes, stay," Steffler said. Steffler said the problem is bigger than just the hospitals looking for doctors. Not having proper health care will lead people away from a community, Steffler said. Councillor Archie MacGowan said he worried that if a new hospital is built combining Goderich and Clinton a lot of the patients will travel there. However, both Goderich and Clinton are also looking for more doctors and are both designated as underserviced areas. Happy Birthday Graham! Money Tips (NC) — If you're older, your children have grown and you have already built up substantial equity in your home, you may want to free up capital by downsizing. Moving into a smaller, less expensive home will provide additional cash for investment or retirement living expenses. For financial tips and investment information visit the Investors Group web site at http:/wwl. investorsgroup.com Organizers say 125th a big success