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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-06-22, Page 2Doctors dispute reports, study BY DAVE SYKES The medical staff of Alexandra Marine and General hospital pushed for more reliable reporting procedures of monthly board and committee meetings at the hospital. Members of the medical staff indicated that minutes of meetings as prepared by the hospital administrator did not reflect the proceedings of such meetings and asked that the board adept a better method of reporting. Dr. Bruce Thomson said the problem was perhaps a mechanical one but that it was still a problem. Board chairman Mrs. Jo Berry said she was surprised at the motion. since three medical staff personnel sat on the board. "There has been no suggestion from the medical staff that the minutes were not properly presented." she said. Dr. David Walker said there were problems with the recording of the minutes of meetings and suggested that. the recording secretary could perhaps be another member of the board. Dr. Thomson pointed out that the doctors employ the services of a secretary for their committee meetings -and there has never been a problem of conflicting reports. The medical staff also delved into another point of contention, the employment of the Executive Solutions firm, and told the meeting the staff 'lid divorced itself from any in- volvement in the study and questioned its value. The board hired the firm Executive Solution, owned by administrator Jim Banks' brother Marty, to study problems at the hospital. The cost of the study was $16,000. Dr. K. C. Lambert, chief of the medical staff. said in his report that the executive solutions program pushed the hospital into a state of frenetic activity and soul searching that culminated in an avalanche of paper and a degree of frustration that he never hoped to experience again. Dr. David Walker said that while the medical staff divorced itself from the study Dr. Lam- bert and himself took part in the exercise. "Prior to the implementation of the program it seemed like a lot of money and that's still my view," he said. "There is no way I would put forth that kind of money for that exercise." Dr. J. L. Hollingworth then asked the board why an organization headed by Jim Banks' brother was hired for the job when several other agencies were available to do the work. Jim Banks declined the opportunity to an- swer the question and board member Clark Teal said that Executive Solutions seemed like the best group. "It is my considered opinion that the process was valuable," he said, "A lot of problems were identified and solutions were proposed and acted upon." Dr. Watt interrupted and asked the board to name one problem that was solved by executive solutions. He said he was -not aware of any. Teal again spoke for the board and claimed the problem was communication in the hospital. He said the study had a large number of advantages in terms of communication between the board and the hospital. Mrs. Berry added that board members were not at the hospital on a day to day basis and the study helped them to realize some of the problems in day to day operations. The executive solutions study is history but Turn to page 8 Nurses don't want deficit rap BY DAVE SYKES Members of the nursing staff of Alexandra Marine and General Hospital feel they are taking the rap for the current $236,578 deficit at the hospital. ' At the annual meeting Monday it was pointed out that hospital budget was faced with 6,300 more nursing hours than it had budgeted for and that money set aside for retroactive pay accrued in the nursing contract settlement from 1976 was used to offset the over budgeted hours., Nancy Riehl told the meeting that 6,300 hours The arrival of HMCS Saguenay Sunday af- ternoon Was a surprise for many of the almost 200 spectators on the pier at Goderich harbor. Despite the fact that 411 the people knew the. vessel was coming it still managed to catch them off guard when it slipped into the harbor channel. A veil of fog kept the vessel from yiew and no bells, sirens, engines or shouting of commands revealed its position. Most of the spectators simply glanced in the direction of the harbor mouth and saw the silhouette of the destroyer against the fog. (photo by Jeff Seddon) Council would meet Crabb BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER 'Town councillors. agreed Monday, evening to invite their representative on the board of Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, Gordon Crabb to an upcoming meeting. Council will want Crabb to give members a report on the audited financial statement. Mayor Deb Shewfelt had expressed his personal feelings that the town may be of some help to the hospital board in clearing away from the problem of the financial shortage at the hospital. But Reeve Bill Clifford didn't agree. "I think it would be well to let the province look after this," said Clifford. "The operating budget is a provincial responsibility." Clifford said while the town of Goderich and the County of Huron, as well as surrounding municipalities, had participated financially in the capital works programs at AM&G, he felt the day to day operations need not become a financial concern locally. , Deputy -reeve Eileen Palmer said no ,tpeinbers of council should speak on the matter until they have seen the audited statements. Mayor Shewfelt suggested that if` there has been "gross mismanagement" at the hospital, the community and council should be in- terested. He said if a similar problem existed because of council's blundering, members would be "crucified". "If council has no responsibility to the hospital, why do we have a representative on the board?" asked the mayor. computed into 2.3 nurses per day for a whole year. She said it was inconceivable the hospital could get into that situation since they were not overstaffed. Riehl later explained that the nurses have not received any part of their retroactive pay and that the nurses were in no way overpaid for their services. The nurses were without a contract for over 19 months and their current contract will end in September. One nurse suggested that retroactive pay owing to her amounted to approximately $1,700. Dr. J. L. Hollingworth said that the layoff notices and reversal of that decision have had serious consequences not only on the morale of the staff but also with their health. He said some staff members have required treatment and the whole uncertainty of the situation made it difficult for staff to perform their duties in a professional manner. Dr.. Hollingworth said he was not satisfied with the results of the meeting adding that the figures presented were confusiu.g, ..varied and wide in range. 131 YEAR -26 THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 1978 30 CENTS PER COPY f disappointed by explanations BY DAVE SYKES The Alexandra Marine and General Hospital annual meeting failed in its purpose too shed light on the bleak financial picture of the hospital according to several hospital staff members. More than 100 people, mostly hospital board members and hospital staff, crowded the cafeteria and adjoining hallway Monday evening, to receive some clear and concise explanations of the $236,000 deficit incurred by the hospital, and also the rationale behind bed closures, staff layoffs and the subsequent reversal of those decisions. They left the meeting disappointed. Dr. J.M. Watts said after the lengthy meeting that no explanations were offered. "I expected a clear and c`'oncise explanation that everyone could unde -stand," Watts said. "There should have been an explanation of the financial affairs, cutbacks, bed closures and staff layoffs. But there was no answer given at all," Dr. M.M. Ca.uchi reiterated Dr. Watts' sentiments in the post mortem, adding that morale was the big problem at the hospital now. He suggested there were no solutions 'proposed at the meeting to heal the wounds. The meeting began with the, recitation of staff reports but the board was soon peppered with direct and piercing questions about finances, bed closures and layoffs. ' Dr. Watts said during the meeting that as an ordinary taxpayer he wanted to know why the community was thrown into chaos when beds were cut, jobs were lost and a general feeling of uncertainty prevailed over the hospital. "These reports are smooth and glib,"'Watts said. "But I would' like in ordinary terms an explanation of this dichoto'my." Hospital board chairman, Mrs. Jo Berry replied that the annual meeting dealt with the period ending March 31, 1978 and events after that time would be dealt with next year although questions could he asked during the question period. Watts later remarked that the Square lights delayed again BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER The lighting project for The Square has ef- fectively been delayed again as town council agreed Monday evening to table a vote on a motion until the Commissioner of Works, Ken Hunter, is able to get some more information. The motion was that the. Goderich Public Utilities Commission proceed with the schematic drawings for The Square lighting project, and do the installation of the lighting fixtures under a new initiated work order system which is basically time and material. But Deputy -reeve Eileen Palmer argued once more against approval of the motion. She said the motion.shbuld request an estimate for the lighting system, along with the schematics for the project. She said no commitment should be made to have the work done by PUC until it is known what it will cost. "None of you around this table would buy a new house before seeing, the plans and getting an estimate of what it would cost you," Palmer. insisted. It had been pointed out that ,if the PUC did the schematic' drawings, and then did not get the job to install the lighting, there would be a charge for the preparation of the drawings. "Then pay them," said Palmer. She said the same condition Would apply to any company preparing the schematic drawings. NEW SUPPORT On Monday evening., Reeve Bill Clifford and Councillor Stan Profit agreed with the deputy - reeve. "Let's not tie ourselves into anything at this particular time," said the reeve. Councillor Bob Allen wondered if the PUC prepared the plans according to their standards and specifications whether any other firm could work from those drawings. Palmer said she would like to see that point cleared up and moved that the motion be tabled until some clarification is received from the town engineer or the PUC. Councillor Elsa Haydon admitted she is confused. She said some council members had expressly requested that the PUC be involved in this project, and now seemed to be hedging„ She said it was her understanding that the work was to be done ... and that the PUC was to do it. At a recent committee meeting of council, much argument was heard on the subject of decorative lighting for The Square. "By the time we finish arguing, the Business Improvement Area will have it pretty well installed, won't they?" asked Reeve Clifford. "I hope so," Councillor Haydon had retorted. FILE SET UP The town is anticipating a deluge of letters from ratepayers regarding the downtown Square lighting controversy, and haVe set up a special file to receive them. Three letters are already in the file. One was submitted by Stewart Thomson and was published in a recent edition of The Goderich Signal -Star. Another is from Charles Reid who writes, "If the downtown business people think the present lights to be aesthetically unpleasant (I do not) let them pay the full cost of replacement as well as the full cost of the increased operating ex- penses." A third has seven signatures attached and in part, reads "We have seen many reasons for not going ahead with this lighting change, but very few valid reasons for its furtherance. One reason against it which should he foremost in this day and age is the additional energy which will be required. For Pete's sake, when will we learn? With all the energy advisory groups being funded from tax money, we won't even listen to them!" Too costly Dan Murphy, vice-president of the ,HuiOn County Law Association is concerned that the provincial government may close the registry office in Goderich, using the same reasoning as was used in plans to close the registry office in 'Durham. Mt. Murphy said the proposed closings are just another example of the government's thinking that bigger means more efficient. - The Goderich registry office is one of 28 that the Grey County Law Association has said may be closed because of volume of business. Other offices on the list are in Walkerton, St. Thomas, Glencoe, and Woodstock. The provincial government hopes to save $35,000 by closing the Durham office in Grey County and moving the facilities and records Turn to page 8 20 minute question period lasted about three seconds, REGRETS In her statement before the meeting Mrs Berry said the board regrets the current financial situation of the board but that keep would kep on top of things so they wouldn't find themselves in that position again: An official audit for a 15 month period ending March 31, 1978 indicated the hospital had in- curred a deficit of $236,578. That deficit, which was first reported to be $253,000 resulted in the resignation of hospital administrator Jim Banks Jiiine 9. The main reasons for the deficit was that the hospital. used 6,300 nursing hours more than it had budgeted for and money set aside for retroactive pay in the nurses contract set- tlement was used to offset the overbudgeted nursing hours. Board lawyer Dan Murphy explained that the nurses' settlement took months because Anti -Inflation Board approval was needed and that many thousand dollars was owing to the staff. He said the money should have been set. aside but instead was put against the over - budgeted hours. When the boardrealized the hospital was in financial difficulty members first announced bed closures and layoffs but Murphy explained that such a measure would have lowered the hospital's budget base and its grants from the Ministry of Health. INACCURATE INFO When aed why these decisions to close beds and layoff staff were later reversed Mrs. Berry said the board could only act on the information supplied and that the information was inaccurate. "We were led to believe'that we could take the deficit out of the bu1dget," Berry said. "But we found that we can't. She said, "The board didn't act flippantly hut we were misled. We asked for monthly statements but for one reason or another we didn't receive them," The board hadn't received statements for • Turn to page 8 G.D.C.I. student council president, Karen Donnelly, presented math teacher Harold Bettgerrwith a gift on behalf of the students to show their appreciation, at an awards asSembly held at 'the high school on Wednesday, June 7. Mr. Bettger has retired this year after 20 years of teaching at G.D.C.I. (Photo by Joanne Walters)