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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1998-03-25, Page 3!7\LTFIF N!WS_ • Times -Advocate, March 25, 1998 Page 3 Hospital and volunteer services - together as one? Up for Cabinet review next week is the Ontario Hospital Association proposal to combine services of community volunteers and hospitals posal. VAN volunteer programs manager Jackie Wells fears' merging hospital and vol- uriteer services -means- less local decision-making. By Brenda Burke' 1-A Reports•' MIDDLESEX COUNTY - Vic- - tori;t Order . ctI' Nurses N1iddlesex Volunteer Programs Man;t yer Jack- ie-Wells ack- ie Wells descrihes a potential jiari nership- hctwcen Ontario hospitals and volunteer. organizations as a. "political "quirk • fix" that would lead •k• a "dictatorship" situation. perhaps resulting in the • erosion. of programs and loss of volunteers., "Volunteerism r. about choice." she said at her home on Thursday- Shc feels a•partnership between hospital, and, -volunteer- organiza-. tions would be a dangerous step away from the community in- volvement she claims is vital to programs. • "When you take away from your community-based things...natural' community bonding." • she said. "you lose the connections that make it happen in the first place." Ken Campbell, chair of thc.north- . west region. of the Middlesex Help- ing Others Maintain Middlesex Elders program, agrees volunteer 'organization decisions will cease to he community-based if such a part- nership evolves. "Right now I'm on the hoard and they ask me what I think should he done," he explained, - adding he wouldn't have a clue who is mak- ing decisions in a new partnership. situation. .These views echo that of the On- tario Community Support Associa- tion. which represents 320 not-for- profit community agencies (in- cluding Meals on Wheels, home- making. respite care. day programs) that. provide' .services 'to help in- dividuals continue .living in their homes. In a press release last week. OCSA publicized its rejection of a recent partnership proposal de- scribed by the Ontario Hospital As- sociation president David MacK- innon in his speech to the Empire Club of Canada. MacKinnon told the group. ."it - has become accepted gospel that the -shift 'tothe conimunit...will produce._ a Netter combination of price and quality than institutional care. Such . a generalisation, he ex- plained. has shifted resources from institutions to dozens. of Ather, pro- viders while there is no evidence to hack up such decisions. He cautioned,. "weir pushing .a greater burden of responsibility back on to families both in terms of effort. and..in many cases. out-of-pocket expenses." "We believe that the proposed in= tegration with hospitals will lead to higher costs and less community in- volvement." states OCSA president Elizabeth Fulford in the press .re- lease. "Proposals .secretly provided 10'a government is not how partner- ships arc horn." - in a cover letter accompanying the OCSA's reaction, Joe McRey nolds. execi'ive director of OCSA, states th ;ration' was -aware.: the 01 veloping the pro= posy recently learned it will be the subject of a Cabinet re- view next week. Wells was "really concerned" upon hearing this news-. "I was surprised the OHA would approach this without some kind of dialogue." she said. adding she doesn't feel hospitals have the ex- pertise. 10 work with community volunteers. . She stressed every c-ommunity has different needs and -she doesn't understand , how • -hospital ad- ministration could provide the sane grassroots service using -•i top- down. professional structure she • Political will needed to pursue amalgamation EXETER - Are;: municipal polrucians met March 12 to determine if there's a political will tu'putaue mi!nicipal amalgamation • Stephen. tishornc. McGillivray, Grand Bend. Hensalland Exeter councillors attended the ntectinr! in -Exeter. Hay. Zurich. I.ucan and Bid- dulph were unable hi -attend. - Thc group is considering an inter -count amalgamation (portions of • Huron and Middlesex t in a single -tier or two-tier systcni. Be‘, Shipley... the mayor of Middlesex ('entre. spoke .at the meeting shout the amalgamation of municipalities in Middlesex County that took place January 1 - Shiplej• siud.the inili,al cast of amalgamation was S1.4. million hut ex- pcctcd savings of $400.000 per year. He also said the political will to pro-. c eed is critical to the success of the exercise. • Shiuplev.thought the ideal size for a new municipality is 20.000 people. • The next meeting of the reeves and deputy reeves is April •15. Exeter Deputy -Reeve Dave (Jilin called the April meeting a "do or dic" meeting for the municipalities to decide if they will proceed. Councillor }'ete Armstrong said .talking with this group sit municipal• ities was "an Opportunity to look at other avenues to see both sides of the street:" Huron County municipalities have asked the County to prepare a report on municipal restructuring by the end of this year. • i eiuiw Computer Training Academy • 11e is proud to announce the opening of it's newest location, at 301 Main Street in Exeter the new location will offer the excellence in training and service, as well as great computer values, that Computer Training Academy has become famous for throughout Huron County. in addition, the Exeter location will offer a large showroom of new computer systems, software, books and games, and extended shopping hours: Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday. 9 - 6 and Sundays 11-4. Come tour our new facilities, and take advantage of our Grand Opening Specials on anything you need at prices too low to advertise! - Free refreshments - Door prizes - Door Crasher Specials 1110 235.. 4CPU (4278) 301 Main St. Exeter J Ors r«f 'claims would provide "a .blanket approach,." . . . "It's frightening, because hos- pitals arc very powerful." she• said. adding" complications 'temming. from union rights also come into play with hospital partnership. "Would -volunteers he seen as taking away paid positions?": . South Huron Hospital Ad- ministrator Don Currell stressed "hospitals in rural areas have al- ready been community-based." He agrees with the OHA stance that "the direction .to hospitals should be the focal point." • "It certainly would end duplica- tion," he explained: adding many programs now operate from small rural hospitals.;• BRi1DAL TENTS FOR RENT! C8 �11 Planning; a gardenparty, outdoor wedding, family reunion or special event? Excellent Rates and Service. 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