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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-01-29, Page 15• Entertainment • Features • Religion • Family • More Goderich association honours Evelyn Carroll for volunteer work with mentally handicapped What began as a three month volunteer stint turned into a 20 year commitment to the mentally handicapped of the Goderich area when Evelyn Carroll volunteered to ,.become the adult workshop's first super- visor in 1965. Evelyn was honoured recent- ly by the Goderich and District Association for the Mentally Retarded for her 20 years of outstanding service. The evening came as a complete sur- prise; says Evelyn who thought she was at- tending an emergency board meetuig,,"It turned out to be an exciting, enjoyable evening with timely decorations, an abun- dance of food, andsocialization with board members, Legion Auxiliary members;" parents, friends, fellow staff and workshop employees." she says. Mary Donnelly, president of the Associa- tion, expressed thanks and deep apprecia- tion from the board for the dedicated ser- vice Evelyn had rendered over the past 20 years and presented her with a generous cheque on behalf of the Association. Robert Mitchell, a workshop employee, made the presentation of a beautiful fram- , ed stained glass hanging of Herring Gulls, on behalf of fellow workers and workshop employees. Initialinvolvement As she reminisces, Evelyn is reminded of her first introduction to the Goderich District Association for the Mentally Retarded as a representative of the Ladies Legion Auxiliary. At the same time, she had two very close friends, each having daughters enrolled in the Queen Elizabeth School, who were members of the Associa- tion. "This too, encouraged me to become in- volved," she says. She kept up , her, membership attending meetings regular- ly, becoming involved in their program wherever possible and attending many an- nual conventions. In 1964, three young women at the Queen Elizabeth School were reaching or exceed- ed their 18th birthday and could no longer, according to the school board, remain in the school system. The need for a workshop for young adults became evident and the Association appointed a workshop committee consisting of two Association members, one parent and representatives of various service clubs within the com- munity. Evelyn served on this committee which was faced with a challenging task, coming upon many stumbling blocks. Following their first, meeting and consultation with the school board, permission was granted to keep these young people in school until the end of the regular school term in June of 1965. • The committee met weekly for the next few months, with a strong desire to have a workshop in operation by the fall of 1965. "Our first sign of encouragement came . about when the Rotary Club volunteered to sponsor the workshop, providing we could find a suitable facility and a supervisor," Evelyn recalls. The committee spent months in search of a facility. Direction was sought from town council. Local churches and service clubs were approached, empty rural schools and numerous buildings in the community were investigated. Finally, the Goderich Kinsmen Club favourably responded to our request giving the Association the use of their small clubhouse, rent free, with utilities'includ- ed. "We were all excited. Things were ac- tually falling into place. Our next step was to advertise for a supervisor." Ap- propriate ads were placed in local and.sur- rounding area newspapers.. Time was quickly slipping by. Summer was over and students were back to school and the Association's young adults were at home with little to do but watch T.V. Ads had ap- peared for many weeks without response and in mid-September the committee met with members expressing their views and Evelyn Carroll of, doderich was recognized recently for her outstanding contribution to the mentally handicapped of this area through her volunteer work as adult workshop super- visor. Evelyn is shown here with Diane McAulay, one of three women who has been at the workshop since its inception. Diane is working at the lead assembly station where lead is assembled for ever sharp pencils. (photo by Sharon Dietz ) A reliable work force which takes great pride in their work disappointments wondering what avenue should be taken at this point. "How well I remember saying, I would never understand our lack of response when all it would take was a person with available time, patience and. understanding and simple craft ideas to assume the responsibility." says Evelyn. "I was asked by one of the committee members if I could do just that. After a few Minutes of serious thought, realizing I had no experience working with these young people and wondering at the same'time, if it would be as easy as I made it sound, I volunteered to accept the position of super visor." She accepted the position as a communi- ty service without payment for a three month period only if the committee would continue to advertise for a qualified super- visor, which they did, but they never received any applications. "Needless to say, here I am 20 years later. However today when ads are placed for this particular field of employment the response is great." The many months of meetings, planning and preparing finally became a reality, with the workshop commencing operation on October 2, 1.965 at • the Kinsmen Clubhouse, Four young women enrolled and the clubhouse operated three hours each afternoon, five days a .week, observing regular school holidays and vacations. Transportation was required by some and each parent agreed to pay $10. monthly to help defray operating costs. The first few weeks were spent making simple saleable crafts. Each local industry was contacted, seeking work their employees would consider as nuisance jobs. Sheaffer Pen responded with a con- tract assembling ink cartridges to' a package, called 5 packs, followed by a con- tract packaging lead: The workshop operated in' this manner sponsored by the Rotary Club for the next two years as the Adult Training Centreer ARC Industries. The fall of 1961 saw • the Goderich Association for the Mentally Retarded in a positionto assume the responsibility of the workshop. Enrollment had increased to 10 and the hours were extended from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., five days a week, 10 months of the year, observing regular school holidays. Work increased from Sheaffer Pen with a wider variety of assembly work continu- ing to make saleable crafts for an annual Christmas sale. Included in the program were bowling and ice skating weekly and in addition the workshop enjoyed group ac- tivities such as picnics, hayrides, apple picking and annual visits to a dairy farm and sugar bush. In the meantime Evelyn took advantage of short . courses on Workshop Manage- ment for four summers at York University gaining four certificates. Expand workshop In the summer of 1976, the Kinsmen Club added an extensive addition to the facility it continued to provide. Its ,completion • resulted in a well equipped modern kitchen and dining area, ceramic room, wood- working shop; a large bright contract room, increased washroom • facilities, classrooms and additional storage space. The workshop now partially funded by the Ministry of Social and Family Services, moved into the new addition in February, 1977. They were able to assume their own financial responsibilities and the increas- ed "facility made it possible to provide a wider program and an increase in staff from one to three. The program included like skills, ceramics, woodworking and the establish- ed contract with Sheaffer Pen. Outside work included lawn cutting, leaf raking, snow shovelling and a small janitorial job. The employees; with 'supervision, prepared a hot lunch each day for staff and employees, at a nominal fee, sharing duties on a rotating basis. Recreation was no longer a part of the program and the workshop closed for a three week vacation in August instead of observing •the two month school vacation. Enrollment increased steadily and the workshop soon outgrew its facility in the Kinsmen Clubhouse. In the fall of 1982 at the request of the Ministry of Community and Social Services, the Association was instructed to find a more factory•oriented work place to,carry out the program at the workshop. Many building's were investigated and finally it was decided to purchase property Turn to page 2A • Extra -billing is not the issue BY DR. K.C. LAMBERT I am an opted out or direct billing surgeon because: 1. I want to have the option of dealing directly with my patients in matters of fees and payments for service. 2. 1 want my patients to have some idea of medical costs and be responsible for these, 3. I want to maintain my professional in- dependence In 1969 the Government became the sole insurance carrier for Medical and Health Services in the province,thus terminating the excellent insurance plans like PSI, that served 85% of the people of Ontario so well for so many years. During the 1970's, the doctors of this pro- vince set an exemplary example of restraint at a time when there was two digit inflation. The government failed to honour the terms of the insurance agree- ment and by 1979 the doctors were receiv- ing only 65% of .their legitimate and fair OMA fees, rather than the 90% agreed to by legislation. Many of us felt compelled to • deal with our patients directly so that they could see what our services are really worth and to give them an idea of health care costs. My fee covers the office or hospital con- sultation, all the diagnostic and operative procedures, the care in hospital and a follow-up visit. It also includes a lot of paper work to document all of these areas. Over the past three years, the OHIP payments have gradually increased so that now they cover about 75% of°the OMA fee. In this time of financial restraint and unemployment, I have, since January Olst, 1985, sent my patients' accounts to OHIP and accepted their cheque as payment in full. BUT I am now .instructed by the government that I must send my accounts directly to my patients and I will have to add a 2% surcharge for bookkeeping and mailing. The hospitals, even more than the doc- tors, have felt the effects of economic restraint and ,government underfunding. Our hospital will receive less than 3% in its budget increase this year + well below the inflation rate. There is virtually no money in our capital account and we desperately need new equipment. I am therefore ask- ing you to consider giving the hospital a charitable (tax deductible) donation for the "Surgical Equipment Fund" to make up in full or in part the difference between the OMA fee and the OHIP payment you will get when you receive my account. But the choice isiyours completely. My account will be considered paid in full upon presen- tation of the amount of the OHIP cheque + plusthe 2% clerical charge. Any contribu- tion to the "Surgical Equipment Fund" will be more than appreciated. i Patients who are on Welfare, Unemploy- ment Insurance, Mothers' Allowance, ,Disability Allowance and Old Age Pension will be billed directly through OHIP and. need not worry about getting an account. The Direct Billing Story is my way of in- forming my patients that I am an opted - out surgeon and the reasonsfor this. The article below reflects my deep feel- ing fbr the practice of medicine in Ontario and my fears that the present surge to socialized medicine will lead to the destruction of quality health care and the sanctity of the doctor- patient relationship. The proposed Health Accessibility Act is in fact a travesty of civil liberty and a cover up for the Government's inability to properly fund health care in this Province. The Ontario Medical Association (O.M.A. ) has by Government inuendo been made to appear the villain in the gross underfun- ding of health care. This simply is not true. The OMA has from its inception over 100 years ago beep the champion' bf the pa- tients its members -serve and has been a leader in the promotion of health care. As far back as 1918, the OMA recognized that its members would become -involved in some system of state medicine for the treatment of the pbor. For years Doctors looked after indigent patients without charge and finally in 1935, the Minister of - Welfare requested that the OMA take over the administration of Medical Relief. The Medical Welfare Plan was inaugurated in 1935, and that plan was in effect when I started to practice in Goderich in 1962. At that time, our submitted welfare accounts were paid on a prorated basis 'and on a good month We might get 70% of the OMA fee. Most of the time it was well below 60%.. We did -not get paid at all for, any patients admitted to hospital or requiring surgery. We accepted' this as part of our profes- sional duty and we took pride in doing so: In 1962,, the OMA Board administering the wel re plan came to the conclusion that "any 'form of medical care under government control was constantly under pressure due to shortage of funds". This has certainly been born out over the ensu- ing years. Elective surgery in most centres has to wait for several months before admission. Cancer treatment and urgent cancer surgery are not available for a month or more in some centres. Geographical loca- tion alone often leads toa two tiered system of medical care, quite apart from any issue dealing with physicians' payments and compensation for" Services rendered. As far back as the 1930's, the OMA recogniked the desire of the public to prepay the costs of medical services. The development- of the Physicians Services Incorporated. in 1947, led to the vast ma- jority of the population of Ontario being covered by physician sponsored health in- surance. This was so successful that the government decreed by the passage of Bill 195, effective October lst, 1969, that the 'government should be the sole insuring agency for medical and related health ser- vices in the Province of Ontario. This ef- Tuahr to page 3A • 0 POSTSCRIPT By Susan Hundertmark I'm ready for Erekkie with Brian Imagine it! As, a small town reporter, I, might soon have the opportunity to sip coffee, munch on croissants andlisten wide-eyed as Canada's Prime Minister repeats his official version of the state of the country's affairs during a cosy Breakfast with . Brian meeting at 24 Sussex Dr. in Ottawa. We small town reporters, it appears, - have recently gained a special status since our city cousins in the Ottawa press gallery have fallen out of favor with Brian Mulroney. Because Mulroney thinks Ottawa • reporters are continually negative about his government, he plans to "court the regional, small town press where he is bound to get a local hearing." Well, I, for one, am awestruck. While meeting with the prime minister is small potatoes for the Ottawa press gallery, I've never met the man. The closest I've ever been to him is the four feet between my couch and the TV set. But Tve been a little closer to his wife, Mita while leafing through my Chatelaine magazine. Like the rest of the masses, we small, town reporters don't get out much. And, I wonder' if that's what Mulroney's counting on. AOthe risk of mimicking the cynical negativity of the big time press, I wonder if Mulroney thinks, that we small town reporters are not quite as ' demanding, probing, analytical, thoughtful, or in short, as pro- fessional, as our city cousins. If so, I wonder if he thinks we'll take whatever he feeds us with his croissants and coffee and gobble it right up without a question. If that's what he's thinking, he should think again. Small town newspapers may carry articles on the largest vegetable at the fall fair, the couple who just celebrated their 50th anniversary and the names of visitors to a particular com- munity each week but the rest of the world does not pass them by. A glance at the editorial page of most small town weeklies will show an in- sightful command •of national and inter- national issues while the front page will often uncover how these wider issues af- fect local f- fect-local readers. , And, when small town reporters get particularly ambitious, their newspapers will carry the same in-depth features found in the daily press which investigate and analyse the issues and the people af- fected by them in detail. Though small town reporters may not get out of town too often, they are still a part of Marshall McLuhan's global village. ' And, if he thinks small town reporters are less likely to ask the hard questions or report his "off-the-record" comments, he would be wrong again. A short discus- sion with the local councillors reported on by any weekly paper would show Mulroney that facts are facts whether they're about rancid tuna, or local°snow,,, removal. And, he would probably find "thin- skinned" allies during his discussion. The "shoot -the -messenger" syndrome can be a municipal as well as a federal phenomenon when local politicians don't like how they sound when their remarks are reported in the small town press. All that said,' Mulroney may get off easier with small town reporters solely because of the nature of weekly papers. Weekly reporters . are extremely ver- satile. When they're not writing up obituaries andweddings, they're either attending various meetings, writing news stories, taking pictures, developing film, making prints, 'doing paste-up, researching several stories or sometimes even selling advertisements. To a weekly reporter, specializing in such a narrow field as federal politics is a - luxury. Therefore, they have, to admit that the Ottawa newspeople would have the time to do a better job covering Mulroney. And, because they have such a small coverage area, small town newspapers are not the best vehicles to carry national news. As much as their readers are in- terested in new uniforms for the armed forces or the sale of de Havilland Air- craft to the Boeing Corp., there are too many local issues that take precedence over such stories in the limited space in local papers. So, whether he loves them or hates them, Mulroney has to face up to the fact that he needs the national media. Whether or not they "get the Tory message out" to his liking, the daily media are necessary to do the job they're set up to do. Instead ° of complaining about the inevitable, Mulroney would do better to develop a thicker hide. When I think about it, I'll- probably never get my Brekkie with Briar( as lonk 'as I'm a small town reporter. And, since well-known that I'm not a morning petsbn4 my colleagues giggle that I'd Brobably sleep through breakfast even if riars came to town. Do you think Mulroney would consider Brunch with Brian or better still—Late Night Snacks with Brian? 1