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Home My WebLink AboutThe Huron Expositor, 1996-11-27, Page 1Feature Baby air -lifted from hospital returns home. See, page 5 Health How Alzheimer Disease affects the lives of many. See pages 10 & 11 Entertainment Seaforth woman plays with piano mentor. See page 20 Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth, Ontario Briefly Scouts collecting food at parade First Scaforth scouting members will he collecting - non-perishable food along the. LionsSanta Claus Parade route on Main St., Seaforth this Friday evening at 7 p.m. All food donated is going to the Huron County Christmas Bureau, as is all food dona- tions to the Scaforth Food Ba^k from now -until Chr ,turas. r Drop, -off boxes for the, Christmas Bureau arc located at Deloitte & Touche at 64 Main Si. South. Bank ,of Commerce. 44 Main St. -South and Stedmans at 43 Main Si.. South. Donations for the Huron County Christmas Bureau, can also be dropped off at First Presbyterian -Church in Seaforth from IO a.m. to 3 p.m. on the week- of December 9th. 1 , , ' Those in need of assistance from the bureau can setup an appoihtment for the follow- ing week by caltin4 1-800- . 265-5198. Director of Clinton hospital to resign in 1997 The executive director of Clinton Public Hospital (CPU) has.suhmitted his res-' ignation to the hgard. effec- tive next Jan. 31. Allan Halls. who had been at Clinton -for almost six years', has acL•cptcd the .posi- tion of chief executive officer at Milton District Hospital. - He will stay on the job at Clinton until after the current Huron -Perth District Health Council hospital study is complete. , "Our board recognized that this is a progressive step in his career and we accepted - Allan's resignation with much regret." said CPH board Chair Harry Lear. "No decisions have yet been taken. but I suspect we'll keep tun' future options open by looking to hire a temporary administrator on a contract basis. That way. we'll he Netter able to deal with the changes that may he coming." Workfare in Huron almost approved Huron County's workfare program is close to being approved. a provincial Social Services Ministry official said last Thursday in Toronto when Oxford's mandatory work -for -welfare projects got the go-ahead to commence immediately. Oxford is the 10th of the 20 test communities. Huron among them. selected last June to run pilot projects that have been so far approved under the Ontario Works pro- gram before the Ontario gov- ernment attempts to extend workfare province wide. Under provincial rules. able-bodied welfare recipi- ents given community place- ments work a maximum of 70 hours. a • month in exchange for their benefits. Clinton, Exeter and St. Marys left out November 27, 1996 - $1.00 includes GST Three still critical Seaforth in all three health options Three killed in tragic accident BY GREGOR CAMPBELL Expositor Staff - • A continuing important role in arca health oars for Scaforth's Community Hospital seems assured after it was deemed a "primary" hospital in all three options outlined by the Huron -Perth District Health Council (DHC) at Mitchell last Friday afternoon. , The future role of tither hospitals in the two counties, in particular Clinton and St. Marys. looks far -less rosy if "beds" are how you define them. Exeter's hospital was not designated as a primary or secondary facility in the options -.'as they currently stand, either. ' A 19 -member DHC task force previously made, clear the status quo_was not an option in light of funding cut - hacks assumed ,about 18 per cent across the hoard.•That task force continues to study. restructuring and health ser - vines in Huron -Perth. There are eight hospitals in the two counties getting about 575 - million annually in funding from the Ontario -govern- ment. representing 346 keds with an approximate 55 per cent occupancy rate.. This would he reduced to a total of about 215 beds under the options unveiled Friday. The eight hospitals would be reduced• to a maximum'of eight. Task force Chair Janet Hook and DHC executive 'director Fraser Bell both emphasized ,"bed -based ser-, vices is no longer what hos- pitals do.''- They say beds are now a poor criteria for analyzing /health service. given such developments as technology and outpatient services.‘and far shorter hos-r pital stays. in general. for care such as maternity. •"At a minimum. all'restruc- turing,options for Huron - Perth should plan for a reduc- tion in operating funds by at PRESS CONFERENCE IN MITCHELL - The Huron -Perth District Health Council task force studying health service and hospital restructuring in the two counties presented three options at a packed press conference in its offices in Mitchell Friday. Task force Chair Janet Hook (left) and DHC executive director Fraser Bell presented the options. . leak 20 per cent (net)." the D!IC's Friday press release states. NOT THE END Throughout the hour-long packed press conference - which was preceded by a meeting with chief executive officers from all eight hospi- tals - Hook and Bell repoat- edly stated the three options were a starting point for future input from communi- ties in .ach district., "This is the beginning of the consultation process...not an end point." Bell said. Stratford General will remain the main hospital. in Perth and Alexandra & Marine General at Goderich in Huron under all three options. The task force calls these "secondary hospital t." Two "primary" hospitals were also designated under 'each option - Listowel and Seaforth- in option one. Wingham and Seaforth in. option two. and Listowel and Seaforth again under option three, which also includes Wingham as another primary facility. but with a chronic and rehabilitation focus. The DHC task force said the hospitals not so designat- ed under the above scenarios "will be investigated with respect to needs, community interest, and cost to deter- mine the non -inpatient ser- vice level required. Options generally include: no 'institu- tional' service; a primary care centre configuration: o: a primary hospital with- no beds." ► No detailed costings of the various options have been hone. the DHC said, and no closures identified. However Hook said "one end of the continuum (to he investigated for the hospitals not specified) would be no institutionally funded ser- vice." which clearly worries many. since for instance Seaforth hospital gets 90 per cent of its operating funds from the provincial govern- ment. "Whether or not we changed or restructured. ser- vices were not to remain -the PHOTOBATMAN SANTA & HELPERS - Santa made aguest appearanceLl hBAMANDA ceremony at at the Tree of Lights at Seaforth Community Hospital Sunday night. Pictured in back row is: Tinker Bill (Bill Thibert) and Santa Claus (a.k.a. Rick Cooper). Front row: Daniel and Matthew Thibgrt. same at these hospitals," the DHC task force Chair re -iter- ated. in the context of gov- ernment- funding reductions and health service re -alloca- tions. "People jump to the conclu- sion there will no service (at . these hospitals).- she added. PRIMARY HOSPITAL The task -force defines a pri- mary hospital. such as Seaforth's. under all the options as involving:. • (medicine). and chronic (including palliative) beds: CONTINUED on page 19 BY DAVID EMSLIE SSP News Staff CLINTON• =The commtl- -nity is mourning the loss of three young adults killed in a single vehicle accident out- side Varna early Sunday morning. The. OIaP reported that at about 6 a.m.' on Sunday morning. a-1995 Chevrolet Camaro carrying fix occu- pants was northbound on Huron County Road 311 one. kilometre northIof-Varna, when it left' the roadway on the west side. struck the guard , rail. and travelled along the ditch. hefore it struck a driveway and 'became airborne. coming to rest in a clump of trees near the Bayfield River. • Pronounced dead at the scene were Pamela King, 20, of.Clinton. the daughter of. Brad and Gienis King. Neal Atchison of Clinton. the son of Harvey and Joyce Atchison: and Brian Hill of Varna. the son of Bev and Shirley Hill. Still listed in critical condition Monday night were Mark Webster. 19, and Sarah LeBeau. 20. both of Stanley Township. and Brandon Gardner, 19. of CONTINUED on page 19 !. •r _ 4 rr d.• r • •� re fp s t • • 0' • F. r • • . r r s •I �r r r-fr r r • el • 011' . f.. .,.r • V. r • r 9. 9-r • • r r r • r • r . 941, w r • r r • r • S . r • r • r PHOTO BY AMANDA BATMAN TREE OF LIGHTS - The Seaforth Hospital 'Auxiliary cele- brated its fifth annual Tree Sunday evening at the hospital with singing by various local choirs and groups. Hot mulled cider and cookies were enjoyed fol- lowing the lighting ceremony. of Lights ce re mony