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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2007-10-31, Page 2• Page 2 The Huron Expositor • October 31, 2007 News Streutker wants to see all Seaforth healthcare groups `singing from same hymn book' From Page 1 the same hymn book again - health- care has to come to the people unit- ed," he said after the meeting. A meeting was scheduled for Monday night involving two repre- sentatives from each group includ- ing the hospital trust, the LAC and the FHT board. Streutker was assigned to be the facilitator. The meeting was closed and its outcome was not available before press time. "We have to do something to get people talking together again," agreed Bill Scott, a representative of both the LAC and the Huron - Perth Healthcare Alliance, at the LAC meeting. Scott added that he was con- cerned that donations for this year's radiothon would suffer because of the plans to build a new FHT build- ing but was glad to see they did not. "There is still the underlying cur- rent that something isn't right," he said. Streutker said he would like to try and convince the FHT board - instead of the municipality - to reopen negotiations with the hospi- tal trust concerning using the Seaforth clinic for the FHT building. "All kinds of possibilities could come from an agreement that could be satisfactory," he said. LAC chair Tony Van den. Hengel, who is also a member of the FHT board, said the FHT board didn't want to build a new building on hos- pital ground. "That was their big thing. They wanted to build on their own land," he said. "That is the town talking - I want to talk to the FHT," responded Streutker. LAC member Rudy Jansen pointed out that negotiations had been attempted but "both sides kept butting heads." Sheila Morton, a member of the LAC, the Alliance board and the hospital trust, said there was a misconcep- tion that the town owned the Seaforth clinic. "It was always owned by the hos- pital," she said. Arguments were made by town councillors during negotiations with the hospital trust that community fundraising had built the clinic and that the town should not be expect- ed to use property taxes to buy the clinic from the hospital. Scott added that "there's an obvi- ous lack of trust. The town wants to Own the building because they don't Stratford is putting into their hospi- trust anyone. money tal and they don't own it." Morton said after the meeting that she's hearing concerns on the street that putting up a new building for the FHT could be a waste of money. "It's important we establish trust and respect. Let's start new. That's what needs to be done," she said. Scott said after the meeting that he's afraid that the town and the hospital will be in competition for local healthcare donations since "in the public eye, it's seen as one health system." While Scott was willing to acknowledge that it might be too late to change the FHT board's mind about erecting a new building, he said he wanted to see better com- munication between the FHT and the hospital. To that end, Scott said he'd like to see the hospital foundation and hos- pital trust's finances more transpar- ent to the community. "I don't see a need for all this secrecy," he said, adding he'd like to see the hospital foundation's audit - `It's important to establish trust and respect. Let's start new. That's what needs to be done,'— Sheila Morton, of Seaforth hospital trust, LAC and Alliance 2 -day benefit alph & Dianne Woo 1zri 4rit 5e,turidAy Al Ike 5co,forlk ,tyt-Plcx WOO 1U(hkt4 Jamboree LI Gaines and crafts for kids Food booth — Silent auction Live auction Dance 8pm to 12am with Kim Souch & Detour u14 Pancake breakfast 8am LI Ralph Wood was seriously injured in an accident this past spring. All funds from this event will go to a trust fund for Ralph & his family. ed statement presented at the hos- pital foundation's annual meeting each fall. "That still leaves the trust - they need to show their finances too," he said. Huron East Mayor Joe Seili, who no longer serves as chair of the FHT board, agreed in a recent interview that the town hopes to do some com- munity fundraising to offset the costs of the new FHT building but added he doesn't think a lack of communication is a problem. "The offer's always been on the table to take over and rent the clin- ic. The door's always been open to talk but why wait this long?" he said. Seili said he believes that both the existing clinic and the new FHT building. will be necessary as the FHT develops in Seaforth. Seili added he thinks it's too late to go back on plans for a new FHT build- ing. "The clinic is already full of doc- tors and with the nurse practitioner coming back, we need space. As the FHT ramps up, we can add profes- sionals. We'll need both buildings if things work out in the future," he said. Seili was not invited to represent the FHT board at the Monday night meeting.