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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-10-05, Page 28SAGE 6A --THE GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1978 N Hospitals in Huron cost just over $12 million BY JEFF SEDDON Four of Huron County's five hospitals indicated to Huron county council Friday that hospital services in the county had gross operating costs of a little over $12.5 million in the past year and a half. In reports to county council hospitals in Wingham, ,Clinton, Seaforth and Goderich outlined their track records since January 1, 1977 and indicated future plans for improvements or expansions. The brief reports were designed to give county council some insight into the quality, type and'costs off hospital services in the county. Exeter Public Hospital did not submit any report to the county. - Councillors were somewhat confused by the differences in cost per patient beds the reports had. Seaforth and Goderich hospitals showed costs per bed of $101.81 and $109.33 respectively while Wingham and Clinton listed costs per bed at $784.73 and $929.60 respectively. .. The' gap -iii' the ...costs could not be explained by the representative from Wingham Public Hospital and Beecher Menzies, the representative of Clinton Public Hospital, did not attend the county council meeting. Warden Gerry Ginn, said he could not believe there was that ,much discrepancy between the operating costs for the hospitals adding that there must be some difference In the manner the - two. ....hospitals ---calculated-the costs... County clerk Bill Hanley suggested that the higher figures were gross costs and not net costs. He said the hospitals may not have removed the - costs for operating outpatient services when they calculated the gross operating costs and the figures would be higher. He said Goderich and Seaforth may not have included outpatient costs and would have used a� net operating cost which would be significantly less than the gross figure. Clinton Public Hospital representative Beecher Menzies came under fire for not appearing before county council. McKillop township reeve Allan Campbell asked council why Menzies could not • come to council pointing out that no explanation was offered for his ab- sence. - "I've been here (on council) for -ten years and have never seen a representative from the Clinton Hospital," said Campbell. "I'd like to know the reason he is exempt when the others have to be here." Clinton reeve Royce Macauley told council he didn't know why no. representative from - Clinton appeared before council but assured, councillors he would find out. STILL OPEN AND GROWING The Clinton hospital report showed that the 60 bed facility had a total of 1,809 patients under its care in the 15 month period the report covered and was the site of 104 births. The emergency unit of the hospital dealt with 6,592 patients. Salaries were the bulk of the costs the hospital faced in its $1,996,215 gross operating costs. Wages for the 85 full time employees took up *1,430,803 of the gross costs while medical and surgical .supplies ac- counted for $43,932, drugs cost *50,395 and supplies and other expenses totaled $471,085. The Clinton hospital board reported to county, council that the first phase of a renovation program is in progress. Approval of the renovations, which in- •volves relocating the emergency -operating room. and X-ray unit and retheving the old etruotm'e ,' housing the units,eras given by the 11 '; ministry of health and the first phase will cost $140,000. Zurich reeve Fred Haberer said he "couldn't help but comment that not too long ago Clinton hospital was destined for closure and now the ministry is approving a $140,000 expansion". "Does a change in ministers make that much difference?" he asked. "That only goes to prove that if you fight for what's right you win," Warden Ginn replied. GODERICH HAD PROBLEMS Alexandra Marine and General Hospital in Goderich; the "largest of the four county units, had gross operating costs of $5,042,785 and had a total of 3,304 patients in its 101 beds. The emergency unit had 17,266 visitors in the 15 months the report covers. As in the other hospitals salaries and benefits account for the bulk of the operating costs The hospital's 198 full time staff cost $3,530,565 in wages and an additional $351,167 in employee benefits. Medical staff salaries cost $176,004 while medical and surgical supplies cost $82,246, drugs cost $95,414 and supplies and other ex- penses total $807,389. Spokesman for AM&G Jo Berry told council that recent administrative problems at the hospital had resulted in a large budget deficit that the hospital board could not readily justify. She said many people felt that hospital administrator Jim Banks, who resigned from his post, had been involved in ' some em- bezzlement but she said she could "assure council that there wasn't". Berry said the deficit was caused by a large overage of nursing hours and a failure by the ad- ministration to set aside sufficient funds for retroactive pay under the nurses' contract. The hospital board was not aware of the problem until January when it was too late to do anything about the costs according to Berry. She said, the board appealed to the ministry of health and was given a "gift" of just over $140,000 and arrangements had been made by the board to cover the remainder of the deficit. Berry said the deficit had left the board with no funds to purchase or replace any hospital equipment for a few years but had done nothing to restrict spending in the recent building addition. The board also closed 16 beds and laid off 11 staff in hopes of balan- cing the budget at the end of the year. The Goderich hospital had its laundry building condemned by the Ontario fire marshal's office but has received approval from the ministry of health to construct a new building. Hospital laundry is now being handled by the Bluewater Centre for the -Developmentally---Han_. dicapped until con- struction is complete in Goderich. The board is investigating the possibility of putting in equipment capable of handling laundry for both the Clinton hospital, which is having difficulty with its laundry operation, and the 131uewater Centre. WINOHAM. AND.... DISTRICT Winghafn and District Hospital, just a shade smaller than the. Goderich facility, has 100 beds and a gross operating cost of $3,821,347. Of that $2,844,604 'goes toward salaries, $83,25-1 is paid out for medical and surgical supplies, . $66,280 is paid out for drugs and supplies and other ex- penses cost $827,212. The Wingham hospital employs . 179 -people and had 4,150 patients in its beds. ,The hospital emergency unit had 12,069 visits and hospital spokesman Kenneth Suxton told council that the hospital boiler con- version project is in progress and the building extension planned for 1979 was on schedule. SEAFORTH TRIMS COSTS �I Seaforth Community Hospital, the smallest in the county, had a gross operating cost of $1,675,746 for 44 beds and treated 1,343 patients. The emergency unit treated 3,499 people. The Seaforth hospital pays $1,143,132 in wages and salaries for its 55 staff members and $467,755 for supplies and other expenses. Medical and surgical suppfies for the hospital cost $27,403 and drugs cost $37,436. Gord Kimmer, county representative on the Seaforth Hospital -board, told council that Seaforth had takecii a very low profile in the past 18 months and had come up with substantial savings in operation. He said new x-ray equipment was purchased and a call system for nurses in- stalled and the- two ex- penditures left the hospital tapped for funds. He -said -the board's.mnain concern was to keep spending within the restraints imposed by the ministry off health and continue a high standard of care. Kimmer said the staff of Seaforth had done both. He said the hospital operated one half percent below its budget and still received accreditation for another two years. He said cost savings were investigated continuously and t o main.results made substantial dif- ference. He said in- surance costs and auditing costs were looked at and the board took its business to a new insurance' firm and a new auditor to save money. FURNITURE REPAIR SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL A.R.C. INDUSTRIES (G.D.A.M.R.) We will repair any type of furniture; Modern, Antique, Chrome Chairs, Chesterfields. etc. please phone 524-4664 or bring your repairs to KINSMEN CENTRE 185 KEYS ST. GODERICH "All Work Guaranteed" G BAN SUPER lift DRY ROLL-ON Anti-Perspirant 1.39 GUARDIAN DRUGS /NTISUDOBIEIOUEl 71 ml Talon SUPER DRY AN1IPEPSPIPANT Stuffy Nostrils? MENTHOLATUM OINTMENT $1.33 85g STAYFREE M1N1-PAbS *1.771.77 30's BUEFERIN TABLETS 125's $1.17 aoNE,s CONTAC•C COLD CAPSULES 1.23 10•s PRICES EFFECTIVE UNTIL OCT. 14. 1978. DIMETAPP Elixir 250 ml. or 30 Extentabs 3 • 9 EA. 00 F r FASl+T r,o P TOMACN UPSET ;30 MAALOX PLUS 340 MI SUSPENSa OR 50 TABLETS ^, YOUR $2.'17 CHOICE thalo Plus ROSE MILK SKIN CARE CREAM $1.07 240 ml SYLVANIA BLUE DOT MAGICUBES '2.19 3's TRIAMINIC Decongestaryt Syrup 230 ml. Or Expect Or Expect DM $3.49 EA. MISS CLAIROL . SHAMt'OO FORMULA HAIR COLOR $2.66 Vick s VAPORIIB 150 mL. ' $2.29 l� peg,wrered 2094022 rR Or 0 09 TrOdmy CO Ile AKAMURA PHARMA Simon ilt Ma$I fade it:h OPLN WEEKb'AY&10,12,12:104, kW, SATUROA.YS 10.8 . _. .. 'CLOS D 11Ol.1DAYS MVD MOATS trke • He said it was un- fortunate two long standing associations were terminated but economics dictated the move. Staff co-operated in the cost saving effort taking leaves of absence without pay when the number of patients was low and doctors and staff develoPed programs to save on supplies. Kimmer said one of the big changes in patient numbers in the past five years has been the result of a change of doctors in Mitchell, 'He` said prac- titioners in Mitchell were in the habit of sending patients to Seaforth hospital but the new `v. doctors are now, using Stratford General Hospital causing a decline of almost 100 patients over the past five years. p, Follow the crowd to Sandy's ANNIVERSARY It's our way of saying "Thank You" for your continuing patronage at Sandy ` FI/REDENIMS X1188 Reg. $22.00 ,40011�rHU nH Lee %,7 & HASH Cord - Wide -Legs GWG KIDS' Denims & Cords Reg. - Slim = Husky s. $1 288. a Reg. to $25.00 IA SUPER SAVINGS GWG PRE -WASHED WIDE -LEG ,WRANGLER CORD & DENIM CARHARTT CARGO PANTS X988 NOT ALL SIZES• AND COLORS ' 'AVAILABLE 2, ,fNINi�Cyl►' 3 ALL STOCK REDUCED 41 0 % TO NOTHING HELD BACK! OUR BEST SALE YET! 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