The URL can be used to link to this page

The Citizen, 2000-01-19, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2000. Hospital looks ahead to 2000 The new Help Sign is being promoted by police as a neces sity for all drivers. Highly visible it brings stranded motorists to the attention of passers-by who though not willing to get out of their car, will notify police that someone may be in trouble. Highway Help Prog, for stranded drivers The Highway Help Program is a roadside assistance initiative that provides stranded motorists with a proven effective means to receive assistance through the use of the Highway Help Sign. Originally launched in Ontario by the Ontario Provincial Police, the Highway Help Program has now expanded nationally through the efforts of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and police services nationwide. The program was created to offer motorists a safe and effective means to both give and receive assistance in the event of roadside emergen cies. By simply hooking the Highway Help “CALL POLICE” Sign onto the outside of your win dow you prompt passing motorists from both directions to provide assistance by calling the police using their cellular phone. In Ontario the toll-free cellular number to contact the Ontario Provincial Police is OPP (*677). This process allows help to be obtained without leaving the securi ty of one’s vehicle and without put ting the stranded motorist or the Good Samaritan at risk. COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP THE ANSWER While in rural communities, it may still be common to stop and help a stranded motorist, one cannot rely on this method while travelling out of town or in an area where the vehicle may not be recognized by others. Many people still want to help those in need. Today’s rising con cern for personal safety along with the dangers associated with increased traffic congestion, means motorists today are less likely to stop and assist a stranded stranger. By asking motorists to call the police rather than stop to assist strangers, the Highway Help Program is changing the way motorists can help others. “More than ever, the police need and want the assistance of the com munity in their policing efforts,” says Chief Larry Gravail, president of the CACP. Police officers support the pro gram as a way to provide superior service to motorists. “This assis tance from motorists is what we need for our highways. We encour age stranded motorists to use the sign to summon help and for motorists to call the police when they see a sign in use. Doing so can enhance our policing efforts by allowing officers to provide assis tance more promptly,” said Commissioner Gwen Boniface, Ontario Provincial Police. The Highway Help Sign is the next generation “CALL POLICE” sign. “This sign is very easy to see, more so than the “Call Police” signs that get propped or taped inside the window, and are difficult to see through tinted windows, in snow and rain and especially at night,” said Gravil. Since the program’s launch in Ontario, the Highway Help Sign has been redesigned to be fully \reflective in nature. The sign’s sur face is now completely covered with 3M Scotchlite™, the official reflec tive sheeting of the program. It now appears similar to a stop sign and can be easily seen at night, from extremely far distances, and is visi ble in severe weather conditions. To date over 350,000 vehicles are equipped with a Highway Help Sign and stranded motorists who use this sign are getting the help they need. This support has been clearly demonstrated in Ontario where the police report receiving 15-20 calls on average when a Highway Help Sign is used. All motorists are asked to ensure their vehicles are equipped with a Highway Help Sign. These signs are now available nationwide at Canadian Tire, the National Retail Partner of the Highway Help Program. They are sold on a non profit, community service basis for only $4.99. Businesses are also encouraged to make these signs available to their employees, clientele or to the police for distribution to the public on their behalf. More than 250 organizations and companies are already partici pating in the program. An example of such support is the Canadian National Police which has pur chased these signs for distribution to employees nationwide as part of its Travel Safe Program. By Jim Brown Advance-Times The stage is set for the new year. At its January meeting. Wingham District Hospital Board Chairman Bob Pike said 1999 was a year of challenge, of change and of accom plishment at the local hospital. “When the year began there was a lot of uncertainty (as to the future direction of the hospital),” he said. “The vision of where we were going was different from where we had been.” He stated a process had been put in place which everyone was to follow. The leadership roles in the hospital were going io be different than they were in the past. When the year began there was a chief executive officer for each of the eight hospitals in the Huron- Perth partnership. Pike stated this is Hospital management systems to be redesigned says Comack By Jim Brown Advance-Times The way ’hospitals are managed continues to evolve. Site administrator Margret Comack told the January meeting of the Wingham District Hospital Board of Governors that the man agement system is going to be redesigned. During her55-minute presentation to the board. Comack showed how the changes would affect every staff member in the hospital and help to improve the quality of service in the community. She stated the hierarchical system which has been around for decades will be discontinued. This will assist in the streamlining of the services provided by the hos pital and create new cultures within the hospital. Comack said by getting rid of hierarchy, decision making in all aspects of the hospital will be decen tralized. “The actual care delivery is being redesigned,” she stated. SAVE, SAVE, SAVE... up to 30% on selected QUEST products Prices in effect until February 29th, 2000 including Multivitamins & Vitamin C Josephine Street, Wingham 357-3466 now down to three people, each responsible for two or three hospi tals. He said this integration of the hos pitals brought a new style of leader ship which would help bring the dif ferent cultures of each hospital together. The outcome has been good, he said. “It was a great accomplishment to recruit someone like Margret Comack,” he said, of the site admin istrator at Wingham and Listowel hospitals. Shortly after Comack began. Pike said the board received government approval to build the clinic. “This was the result of a lot of hard work by a number of people, but especially (Past Chairmen) George Underwood and Noreen Gnay.” The physician recruitment com mittee also enjoyed success during the year. According to Pike, they did Under the redesigned system, the staff will be involved in the decision making of departments. Comack noted that by having staff involved in the decision making, they would become more account able. With staff members becoming involved in the decision-making process,. there would be improved communication in all aspects of run ning the hospital. From housekeeping and mainte nance to nutrition and nursing, com munications will be improved. Stuck with a spare tire around the middle? Leave the car at home and walk. not bring one or two doctors, but three new doctors to town. While there have been changes at the hospital during the past few years. Pike said there will be more changes in the next 10 years. “The role of the board is not to direct the change, but to allow change to occur,” he stated. According to Pike the success of a hospital is its people and the people at the Wingham hospital deserve a lot of credit and support. He said that while 1999 was quite a year, the hospital will be able to go forward in 2000. The board should be able to pro vide resources so the hospital can move forward and do the job it is supposed to do for the commu nity. “There is lots of opportunity to make an impact on the community it serves,” he said. Comack, with a background in nursing, indicated all the different levels of “authority” would now dis appear. She feels with the staff members able to make decisions, the level of competency will increase in all areas. The process will not occur overnight, she cautioned, but will evolve over a period of time. Comack noted all hospitals in the Huron-Perth partnership are gearing toward the same management evolu tion. Sharing a Healthier a ® Future> panncipacnon^®