HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2006-04-26, Page 3News
Huron East council discusses
support of FHT for Seaforth
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be a lawsuit."
Before going into closed
session, MacLellan said the
province has "bent over back-
wards" to work towards a
FHT for Seaforth and is "100
per cent in favour •of having it
in Seaforth."
But, he added there won't
be a FHT if the doctors don't
participate.
"When I sat down with the
doctors, they. said it (the
FHT) would be a benefit to
Huron East and bring ser-
vices to Huron East that it
does not have access to now.
What has changed that tune,
I can't answer that," said
MacLellan.
If an upcoming time limit
expected in the next few
months passes, MacLellan
said he is afraid the FHT
could be lost.
"There is a time limit. We
can't jump on board after the
fact and it'll be unfortunate if
the timeline passes and we
haven't got on board.
Hopefully, they (the doctors)
have a change of heart," he
said.
MacLellan added that if the
internal issue he's heard
about is the problem, "there's
isn't a hope in hell of that
being resolved in the time-
line."
Seaforth Coun. Joe Steffler
said he thought the person
who wrote the proposal,
Gwen Devereaux, should be
allowed back on the team.
"The captain of the ship has
been thrown overboard," he
said.
But, MacLellan said that
issue should have no bearing
whether the FHT proceeds.
Steffler said after the meet-
ing that as chair of the
Seaforth Community
Development Trust, he invit-
ed Devereaux to make a .pre-
sentation after she and Dr.
Dan Rooyakkers, a member
of the FHT steering commit-
tee and site chief at Seaforth
Community. Hospital,
appeared at council several
weeks ago to ask Huron East
politicians to get involved in
the process.
`jWe wanted to reassure her
and Dr. Rooyakkers that we
at the trust are behind them
100 per cent," said Steffler.
"Let the person who wrote
the proposal finish her job,"
Steffler told council.
At council, Seaforth Coun.
Lou Maloney said council
should support Devereaux
and insist she rejoin the com-
mittee.
"The minute we do that
we'll get politicians from all
over Huron County on it. If
four or five can't make a deci-
sion, 20 won't. We can't tell
the doctors to sign it,"
responded Mayor Joe Seili.
"Then, you're going to lose
it if you carry on the way you
are," said Maloney. "The
statement you made a month
ago hurt as much as any-
thing. The night Gwen and
Dr. Rooyakkers were here,
they were begging for help."
At that meeting, Seili told
Devereaux and Rooyakkers
that he didn't have time to
get involved personally.
At council, Seili responded
that he assigned the deputy-
mayor to the task.
"He represents Seaforth -
the people of Seaforth voted
for him," said Seili of
MacLellan.
After the closed discussion
about the FHT, councillors
said they are united behind
the idea of a FHT in Seaforth.
"We're going to meet with
anyone who will meet with us
and ask more questions,"
added Seili of council's plans.
Seaforth will go ahead
with FHT, says Rooyakkers
Susan Hundertmark
Seaforth doctors are going ahead
with a family health team (FHT)
but are still trying to decide the
best method of payment by the
province, says Seaforth Community
Hospital site chief Dr. Dan
Rooyakkers.
"We're trying to figure out the
way that's best for Seaforth doc-
tors," he says.
"We are not starting up quickly in
the next couple of months. Our
intention is to explore all our
Options," say Rooyakkers.
While Clinton doctors have been
operating under a Family Health
Network for the past two years,
Seaforth has not and Rooyakkers
says Seaforth doctors are exploring
a second model of payment involv-
ing salaries.
"It would be a very simple transi-
tion for them (Clinton doctors) for
the FHT but Seaforth doctors may
be more interested in the salary
model and we should be exploring
all models," he says.
Rooyakkers says Seaforth will be
part of the FHT business plan for
both Seaforth and Clinton that will
be submitted to the province by
May 24 but the plan will include
different start dates, with Clinton
beginning earlier on the FHT and
Seaforth projecting a start date of
late summer, early fall.
"It is a combining of the two
towns into a FHT but the two towns
and two sets of doctors would have
a separate governing body," he says,
adding that a third body would com-
bine representatives from both com-
munities.
Concerning Rooyakkers' and
Gwen Devereaux's appearance at
Huron East council a month ago,
Rooyakkers says he was hoping to
add some community representa-
tion onto the FHT's board of direc-
tors.
1.
The Huron Expositor • April 26, 2006 Page 3
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