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Huron Expositor, 2007-11-07, Page 10The Huron Expositor • November 7, 2007 Page 9 News Hugon family health team has new manager Barb Major-McEwan responsible for administration and programming for new FHT Susan H u n d e r t m a r k The new manager for the Huron Family Health Team (FHT) in Seaforth is excited tp be returning to the area to work in healthcare. Barb Major-McEwan, who once ran the diabetes education program for the eight hospitals in Huron and Perth Counties under the former Huron -Perth Hospital Partnership, was hired recently to run the com- munity -led FHT in Seaforth. "In the short term, I want to learn as much as I can and extend that to the FHT and to the community," she says. "Overall, I hope to make a dif- ference for the healthcare providers and people who come to them for services." Originally a dietitian, Major- McEwan has been working in healthcare for 24 years, most recently as director of professional practice for the Wellington Health Care Alliance (Fergus, Mount Forest, Palmerston Hospitals), and site lead at the Palmerston and District Hospital. In 2006, she completed her mas- ters degree in Health Care Administration from the HPME Program at the University of Toronto and received a CCHSE Certified Healthcare Executive des- ignation. Huron East's economic develop- ment officer Ralph Laviolette, who has been performing some of the jobs of the FHT manager until the position could be filled, says the FHT board is "really happy to have her." Barb Major-McEwan "She was part of pulling it togeth- er in the first place," he says of how Major-McEwan was consulted by Gwen Devereaux when Devereaux wrote the original proposal for a FHT in Seaforth. "I was a diabetes educator when I working with Gwen," she says, adding she's interested in how FHTs can contribute towards better dia- betes education in the region. As manager of tlie FHT, Major- McEwan will be esponsible for administration of e FHT, policies and procedures, p lic relations and programming. She'll also be helping to bring the FHT's healthcare professionals together as a team. provincial funding. "Healthcare professionals are Laviolette says he hopes to see often trained to work as individual construction begin on the new build - professionals, not as a team. So, I ing by December. want to maximize the collaborative "The speed of things will pick up process," she says, adding she has with Barb on board," he says, lots of experience with team build- adding that she will be working on ing. the various healthcare programs to One of her first jobs will be mak- offer the community in areas such ing herself available to local com- as obesity, healthy eating, illness munity groups who wish to receive prevention and chronic disease presentations about the FHT and management. what it hopes to accomplish in the As well, along with the return of community. nurse practitioner Kate Verberne "The public is still a bit confused from maternity leave, the two will about FHTs," says Laviolette, be working at reopening the health adding that Major-McEwan will clinic in Brussels. bring a panel of healthcare profes- Laviolette says that once the sionals to make presentations to Brussels clinic is connected elec- anyone who wants one. tronically to Seaforth, both the With the position of FHT manager nurse practitioner and Major -Ewan now filled, Laviolette says the only. will be working out of both offices. healthcare professionals left to Major-McEwan can be reached at recruit to fill out the team are a few 519-527-2431 in Seaforth and at locum doctors. 519-887-8886 in Brussels. "We've got as much as we can handle until we get permanent space. The space problem is slow- ing us down a fair amount," he says, adding that once the new FHT building is built, the FHT board plans to ask for a second nurse practition- er, more nurses and a pharmacist during the sec- ond round of Second meeting being planned between LAC, FHT and hospital trust, Susan H u n d e r t m a r k A joint meeting between the Seaforth hospital trust, the hospital's local advisory committee and the Huron family health team board is being planned after a succes- ful meeting last Monday, says Arend Streutker. "We want more openness and we are working on it," he says. "We had a fairly good meeting and it became clear- er to all the people around the table what is going on and everyone is happier." The closed meeting Monday was held in response to a meeting of the Seaforth hos- pital LAC where concern was gruntlement, no disagree - expressed about a lack of ment" between any of the communication between the groups. FHT and the hospital and "Everyone wants a FHT to possible competition in the happen. It was a fine meeting future for healthcare and we agreed we need to get fundraising. on and build what needs to be Streutker said he hopes to built," he said. present an idea to the groups to create a new founda- tion that would include fundraising for the LAC, Alliance, hospital trust and foundation, doctors and nurses and the municipality. Ralph Laviolette, who attended the meeting to represent the FHT, said there was "no dis- The Huron County Administration Centre in Goderich will be CLOSED Mon., Nov 12, 2007 in Recognition of Remembrance Day. MAU) with Bill Sherk, the Old Car Detective BROUGHT HEARTLAND To You BY CREDIT UNION HOW CARS AND MARRIAGE GO TOGETHER Part II By Bill Sherk "The Old Car Detective" In 1976, Cathy McGinnis was living in Moncton, N.B. and married to a gentleman who was a District Service Manager for Chrysler. While there, she drove various Chrysler leased vehicles. In March 1979 her husband was transferred to Windsor, Ontario and they purchased a home in the nearby village of Cottam. In 1981, Chrysler experienced financial difficulties and began downsiz- ing. In January 1981, Cathy's husband became one of the casualties. He decided to turn his years of service experience into a business of his own and leased a car for his business. Cathy became a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant and purchased a 1979 Dodge Magnum. Most of her husband's clients were located in South Central Ontario. In April 1983, they moved to the Barrie area, and Cathy returned to her hometown. By 1987 the Magnum was a high mileage vehicle and Cathy leased a 1987 Mercury Sable Wagon. She had first seen one in 1986 in Myrtle Beach. "I loved that wagon", says Cathy, "the styling, the handling, the power, everything!" As time revealed, the wagon was better than the marriage and, in 1988 Cathy and her husband separated. Cathy re-entered the workforce after an absence of 13 years and proceeded to re-educate herself and put her per- sonal life back together. In 1990 the lease expired on the Sable Wagon and she took over the ownership of her mother's 1984 Buick Century as her mother could no longer drive due to failing eyesight. in 1992 Cathy became employed in the Finance Department at The Regional Municipality of York in Newmarket, Ontario. Five years later, she sold the Buick Century and purchased a new 1997 Chevrolet Malibu. To cel- ebrate, she ordered personalized license plates, "YEA 4 ME". Cathy had maintained her Mary Kay clients in the Leamington/Cottam area and visited them twice yearly. During this time, Cathy decided she would like to retire to the Leamington area and began house hunting, and that is how she met the gentleman she married in December 2001. The Malibu quickly became a high mileage car with all the trips to Leamington and in 2002 was traded for a low mileage 1999 Chrysler Concorde. He husband drove a 1998 Plymouth Caravan. After only 17 months of marriage her husband lost his battle with cancer. Cathy contin- ues to drive the two vehicles and work in real estate. Despite setbacks, adversity, and disappointments, Cathy still faces life with a smile and treasures each day. In addition to always driving cars from the "BIG THREE", her initials in all three marriages have an automotive theme. It starts with her maiden name, Cathy Ann McGinnis (CAM, short for camshaft). Her initials in her first marriage were CAB (short for taxicab), in the second marriage CAW (Canadian Auto Workers), and in the third marriage CAR! • You can visit CarStory online at www.CarStory.com. Email: bill@carsto- ry.com or write Bill Sherk, 33 Oak St. E., P.O. Box 10012, Leamington, ON N8H 2C3.