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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2004-11-10, Page 22-THR HURON EXPOSITOR, Nov. 10. 2004 Spa Packages 50% OFF Purchase one Spa Package at the Regular Price Receive a second Package for Half Price rue: ENTER FOR A Chance To Win a getaway for two in Stratford at The AiwARDENPARK HOTEL anda DIAMOND NECKLACE compliments of vtb Jeweeesup tse TOTAL IMAGE II We create beauty in your life! 59 Main St., Seaforth 527-0780 News Local -group plans phone survey and public meetings concerning Seaforth hospital From Pogo 1 households of the Huron East area and at least two public meetings sharing their findings with the community. "The Ministry (of Health) will respond more directly to a quantitative study so it doesn't look like we just got our friends together," says Larone. He says findings so far show that community members are rating all of the hospital's services as important or very important and see cuts to local services as "devastating." As well, the three are hearing a lot of local questions about whether or not the Seaforth hospital would be better off out of the Huron - Perth Healthcare Alliance, the partnership between SCH, Clinton Public Hospital, St. Marys Community Hospital and Stratford General Hospital. "People want to be included in the process and they don't trust what's going on," says Larone. H. 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Ind • 1• Weft wApo* CroryMlead UMW Clea•'•• sea v•• Wd r els Loos •led.. ••tl•lsrP01aeard$11at•tetla•rnAim /.IIet,TdeIse" dime dP10IN•A•1•et7t{AM•Nen06,0 dr endAweddpNNaly1191e IJYR241dayes•drdedMOM hatoli+•end met/ ilgame derWNW teal WMall,dme&PAS7wn4111•4411.111711411111111•117•1 NNtMMINOM NSW re•WMl•M.t'.I1R1• ton a•4aat*tl*aIiNUANoar Mamason dMso (r*MSIOUs Wallows* saabdr el dn••dtan PI 1fI Pr l011fosiesto Wed n7JIM1t 101U• mem 1N NIMYtirwd,•afto 10 a.rd and OR 1111110.14 POW assist.•yell NNW, M•elee .MIM kat •/at Mater M u• • However, Alliance chief executive officer Andrew Williams says the research being done by the local group could help the local hospitals' cause with the province. "The more involved the local community is, the better. We have exactly the same agenda - maintaining and enhancing local services," says Williams. He added that he will be meeting soon with the research group and is hoping they can all work together in the interests of the local community. "My feeling is we'll be stronger if we can do this together," he says. The group plans to run a questionaire in next week's edition of the Huron Expositor, hold a public meeting in Seaforth informing the community about the results of its research on Dec. 8, start telemarketing on Dec. 9 and hold a second public meeting inviting members of the Alliance, the SCH hospital foundation and the Seaforth Community Development Trust on Jan.5. SCH's outpatient services at risk under balanced budget proposal. By Susan Hundsrtmark Expositor Editor Two of Seaforth Community Hospital's remaining three outpatient services - occupational therapy and clinical nutrition - could be cut under the Huron -Perth Healthcare Alliance's balanced budget plan. While inpatient services may be subject to more "efficiencies," SCH site leader Mary Cardinal says the proposed cuts will not remove any inpatient services. "There are efficiencies we will do regardless (of what the Ministry of Health decides is necessary to meet the Alliance's budget)," she said Monday. One of those efficiencies has been a recent change to the pharmacy department at SCH, which until May, was run by a part-time pharmacy technician with nursing support. When the Alliance failed to fill a full-time position between Seaforth and Clinton Public Hospital in the spring, management decided to centralize the pharmacy technician's position between Seaforth, Clinton and St. Marys. "We have an onsite presence in Seaforth once a week and that's something new - each site had its own before but to say that Seaforth has lost its pharmacy is inaccurate," she said. She said the change standardizes the pharmacy, creating one common inventory of medication across the Alliance. Another inpatient service that could be restructured is SCH's lab. "We're looking at that - there's likely to be changes," said Cardinal. While all the service changes proposed under the balanced budget plan must be approved by the Ministry of Health, the biggest change at SCH could be a reduction in beds from 34 to 15. But, Cardinal said the reducation could "stabilize" the patient unit and better utilize the beds throughout the. Alliance. "Seaforth on paper is a 34 -bed unit but we haven't had 34 patients at a time for the past seven years. Our census is quite low at times," she said. While the balanced budget plan for the Alliance includes the cutting of all outpatient services, the Alliance has asked the Ministry to continue allowing it to offer outpatient until the community can provide those services, said Cardinal. "We have excellent clinicians and excellent services and without them, we're seeing a gap if the hospital can't provide them. That is part of the anxieties we're seeing in the community," she said. In Seaforth, the cuts to outpatient services 'could mean the loss of occupational therapy and clinical nutrition clinics. A diabetes educatidn clinic held at SCH will continue since it is not part of the Alliance's global budget but funded separately. While SCH offered outpatient occupational therapy until two weeks ago, Cardinal said the hospital will not be filling the vacant position until the province responds to its balanced budget plan and determines if outpatient services must be cut. SCH has not offered outpatient physiotherapy services for a year and a half when management found it impossible to recruit a physiotherapist in Seaforth to offer outpatient services. Irwin Physiotherapy has set up a clinic at the Seaforth Medical Clinic but because the clinic is outside the hospital, OHIP does not cover any of the physiotherapy services there. Services are often covered by extended health benefits, auto insurance or worker's compensation. The Alliance expects to hear a response from the Ministry to its balanced budget plan in 30-60 days. "We want the direct service cuts to be minimized but that's difficult to do with a $7 million cut. It's proportionately just as big as the deficitj.,ondon is dealing with," said Cardinal. Vanastra man charged with uttering threats Huron OPP A 42 -year-old Vanastra man has been charged after a police investigation revealed he made threats towards a woman during a telephone conversation. The woman had called the man over a sum of money owed for a satellite. During the conversation, the man became upset and made threats of physical bodily harm and death, say Huron OPP The OPP were contacted on Nov. 7 at approximately 6:30 p.m. about the conversation. He is scheduled to attend court in Goderich on Feb. 7. tl