Loading...
The Huron Expositor, 1998-05-13, Page 2Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 — Seaforth, Ontario Hospital partnership is endorsed Plan should keep doors of eight hospitals open BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor All eight Huron and Perth hospitals have endorsed a partnership agreement that sees all eight hospitals remain open. "I feel very positive about the partnership arrangement," said Seaforth Community Hospital Administrator Bill Thibert. In general, he said that positive feeling is throughout the hospital toward this partnership arrangement. This is the culmination of the efforts of all eight hospitals after concerns last year from a District Health Council study that looked at a merger of some of the area's hospitals. Now, Thibert is confident this partnership arrangement will appeal to the Health Services Restructuring Commission that, currently, has been focussed on closing and changing the structure of some of Metropolitan Toronto hospitals. He said the appeal is that this agreement is similar to a model set out in the Rural and Northern Health Care Framework. "The board feels it's a positive move. We're being consistent with the government's rural health policy," said Seaforth Community Hospital Board Chair, Bob Norris. "The objective at the start was to make sure all hospitals stay open and provide service to the community," he said. The arrangement does that. At a minimum, Thibert said Seaforth's hospital continues to provide 24-hour service, acute and chronic care beds, specialty medical clinics, its obstetrics program and all its out-patient services. Other services, such as day surgery are still being investigated by the District Health Council. "We still maintain our board. We still run our own hospital," said Norris. Thibert said that's an important part of the partnership. Under the partnership, an overall operating plan will be developed and one chief executive officer will be hired for the eight hospitals. A level of department management will be set up and there will be a consolidated senior administration team formed. "Within three to six months, 1 will not be CEO of Seaforth Hospital," said Thibert. "I have a keen interest in being a member of the new, senior administration team." It will be up to a joint executive committee, which mects tonight (May 13) to begin putting the partnership into operation and making other arrangements that could save the hospitals millions of dollars; money that would have otherwise had to be saved by closing some of the facilities. "There's still a lot of work for them to do," said Thibert. One partnership arrangement that is already in place is a change in the provision of food services. The program started in Wingham last month and is expected in Seaforth in October. "It's a new way of preparing and delivering food to our patients," said Thibert. And it's expected to save about $1 million across all eight hospitals. CONTINUED on Page 5 May 13, 1998 --- $1.00 includes GST Horseplay - Trevor Keys of the Seaforth Co-operative Children's Centre meets a miniature horse brought to the Seaforth Veterinary Clinic last Tuesday and Wednesday for the clinic's annual open house and petting zoo. HILGENDORFF PHOTO Feeling is `positive' after first meeting with school board and Seaforth friends Close shave - Charlie Akey, a member of the Huron Detachment of the OPP has his head shaved by Shelly McMHIan at The Looking Glass. Akey collected about $360 in pledges to have his locks lopped off as part of a county- wide Cops for Cancer fund -razor event. (See Page 3) BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor Optimism remains that the Avon Maitland District School Board and Friends of Seaforth District High School can work together to find alternatives to closing the school. "The discussion was very positive," . said Abby Armstrong, board chair. "We're going to continue to meet." The board recently announced a delay in plans for closing any school until 1998- 99. Following that decision, the board initiated a meeting between herself, other board figures, the SDHS principal and community leaders in Seaforth who had taken up the fight to keep the school from closing. Armstrong, after the group met last Tuesday afternoon (May 5) asked how they felt about the session to reiterate a common message to The Huron Expositor. A sense that the meeting, and plans to continue to get together, is a positive step was the consensus. Armstrong kept her comments about the meeting brief, beyond expressing those positive feelings. Seaforth Mayor Dave Scott said the meeting was a chance to sit down and clear the air. He said they decided to meet regularly but to wait until September before those regular meetings would start to give the emotional side of the issue a chance to cool down. "I'd like to be optimistic about this. It will be a positive experience if the board is willing to take the suggestions we have about keep our school viable, seriously," he said. Personally, Armstrong was Retention committee begins interviewing area businesses Work is first step toward making local business better BY SCOTT HILGENDORFF Expositor Editor said Gwen Devereaux, visitation coordinator of the Business Retention and Expansion committee. Fifty-six people have volunteered to interview the businesses selected from the more than 700, including farms, in Seaforth, Egmondville and the surrounding townships. "That's basically our The interviewing of 78 market area," said Deputy local businesses, industries Clerk Catherine Garrick. and institutions has started She said the committee this week in an initiative to wanted to include more than strengthen Seaforth's just the businesses directly business community. within the town boundaries "I'm looking forward to because people from those some big things happening," areas also make up and participate in the Seaforth community. The town is one of seven rural communities in thc province that have been selected by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs for the Business Retention and Expansion program. The initiative was developed by OMAFRA to help promote job growth and economic prosperity in small communities. It builds on a committee that formed about a year ago in response to concerns by Devereaux and another CONTINUED on Pagc 5 Mike Hodgins named new councillor Mike Hodgins was expected to be sworn in as a new councillor last night, replacing John Ball after a lottery at council's May 5 meeting. Ball had announced his resignation at an April 7 council meeting, effective April 26 because he would no longer own property in Seaforth. Hodgins was one of two people who applied for the position after it was advertised in The Huron Expositor. The other was Paul Menary, a member of the previous Optimist Club, a church youth group leader and youth program leader at the high school. He is currently an educational assistant at the high school. Both were given an opportunity to speak at council's May 5 meeting but Hodgins indicated to council he was overseas that week. Menary told council he wanted to help pull the town together and keep it a successful, small town in which he wants to raise his family. In his letter to council Hodgins said, "I have been a resident of Seaforth for the last eight years and during that time, my family and 1 have enjoyed and received many benefits from the community." Mike Hodgins He included a list of community activities and committee he has been a part of since 1966. Hc has been president of the Woodstock Junior Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Woodstock Navy Club, on the executive of minor sports in Woodstock, a member of the Montreal Chamber of Commerce and on trade missions for the Canadian Manufacturers' Association to Southeast Asia and South Africa. Locally, he is a member of the Legion, Lions' Club and the business retention and expansion committee. He is also on the executive committee for thc MacTavish Scholarship for the Avon -Maitland District Board of Education. Council was tied, three to three, in its vote for who would be the new councillor. The two names were placed in a box on slips of paper and Administrator James Crocker drew Hodgins' name from the box. He was to take his oath of officc at council's meeting last night, May 12. pleased with how the meeting went and said the more they can talk together, the better. Despite not meeting again until September, Armstrong said both sides will continue to communicate regularly. "At this point, we're all willing to sit down and talk. 1 think everyone around the table is willing to listen." said Scott. The group also decided that it should have a student represented on the committcc. "We'll keep working to tied a solution to keep the school open." said Scott. Nurses week Nurses keep sight of patients while their profession changes BY JANE POWELL Expositor Co-op Student Nurses continually facing change, can't let that affect how they care for their patients, says Judy Lamont, R.N., Seaforth Community Hospital. This week, May 10 to 17 is Nursing Week and Seaforth Community Hospital's Nurses shed some light on the status of their changing jobs, the future of nursing and the importance of the community's input and support in light of current government tendencies. Seaforth Community Hospital (SCH) has a staff of nurses with a variety of experience ranging from one to 30 years. Experience is increasing noticeably with "all of us working in all areas," said Mary Margaret Nash, R.P.N. The issue of coping with changes and uncertainty in the health care system has caused the nurses to acquire a broad base of knowledge in continuing education. Kay Mailloux, R.N. describes; the Hospital's commitment to providing quarity health care: "financial Minim, for courses. and teething by specialists and diktat's 'has allowed us to may".on2