Clinton News-Record, 1983-06-08, Page 28M
yor praises hos ital efforts
Jane 2, 1983, the day of the official opening of the new
Out Patient, Admitting and Emergency Departments at
the Clinton Public Hospital should be ranked very high in
any list of memorable occasions uâ–º Clinton and
surrounding area
It is not many years ago that we were threatened with
closure of our hospital, an eventuality which could have
been, in fact almost certainly would have been, a tragedy.
Naturally enough, we are inclined to look on the fact that
the Hospital Board was able to convince the province,
first, to allow us to retain our facility here and then to
approve an extensive upgrading, as the outstanding ac-
complishment and the Board, Hospital Auxiliary and staff
certainly do deserve a big vote of thanks from the com-
munity for their courage and perseverance in the face of
what must have seerned, at tunes, insuperable odds.
But, at least equally outstanding was the campaign to
finance the community's share of the cost of the new
NIPP Jack Riddell stresses
6, 4W
addition and the sudative response of the public,
without which the province would not have given approval
to the project.
On behalf of the Town of Clinton, I congratulate the
Board of Governors of the Clinton Public Hospital on the
opening of this fine new facility and thank members of the
Board, of the Auxiliary and of staff for the many hours of
arduous and often frustrating effort which they have
given to turn a dream into plans and plans into a beautiful
reality,
And I congratulate the people of the community on
owning such a fine hospital facility and thank each and
every person and organization who helped to make the
whole project possible which their donations.
Mayor Ches Archibald,
Town of Clinton.
e stand together in success"
Huron -Middlesex MPP Jack Riddell has "deep feelings
about the Clinton Public Hospital."
In Mr. Riddell's congratulatory speech to the people
who made "a drearn come reality," the people who gave
the community a new hospital wing, he explained these
feelings.
"Most of the people here will remember all too well the
early part of 1976 when the then Minister of Health, the
Honorable Frank Miller, was planning to phase Clinton
out of existence. You will remember the campaign which
we mounted against this totally outrageous and
irresponsible government policy.
"Why we asked would the government choose to close
down a hospital with the lowest average cost per patient -
a hospital with a fine reputation in every way? Why did
the Minister of Health come marching into our small rural
town with his group of advisers and hand the hospital
administrator the death warrant for our hospital?
"You may recall that I called upon the Premier to in-
tervene personally in the question of the proposed closing
of the Clinton hospital.
"Those days, thanks to our united efforts, are behind us.
But they must not be forgotten.
"As we share today our pride and pleasure in opening
Clinton's new wing, I urge you to look upon this extension
of our hospital as more than an improvement in our
facilities of which we can be justly proud.
"This wing is more than a medical facility, more than a
buildingit is a statement of our faith in our com-
munity it is a lasting testimony to our communal ef-
forts in resisting a threat to our hospital and our com-
munity.... it is a clear indication of the courage and power
of the people who refused to be overwhelmed by the sheer
weight of government.
"This is a time for celebration, for congratulation and
for pride. It is also a time to give thanks for the fellowship
and endeavours of those dark days in 1976, when we stood
together in adversity, as today we stand together in
success."
Jack Riddell, MPP
Huron -Middlesex
Twenty-five years ago Huron Warden Grant Stirling, left,
spoke on behalf of the county and his home Goderich
Township at the dedication service of the west wing ad-
dition. On June t, 1983 he returned to give congratulatory
remarks at the opening of the emergency addition. Board
of Governor Chairman Leen Rehorst, right, presided at
last week's official opening. (Shelley McPhee photo)
to.
11
Each year r there are more than 1,500 admissions to the
local hospital. Information on each patient is ffil.-is
Me .::cal Records. Christine Ball is in charge of the files.
Located in renovat quarters, Medical Records have
seven -and -a -half years of files on the shelves. Early files,
ting ck to the 19508 are stored on microfilm. (Shelley
McPhee photo)
In the past six months more than $4,000 has been spent on
books for the medical library. Chief of Staff Dr. Barrett
studies one of the new editions which replaces old books
that were published as far back as 1884. (Shelley McPhee
photo)
Pogo 3
Two of Clinton's Registered Nurses can easily recall
earlier days at the hospital. Betty Wilkin, left and Edna
MacDonald, right, both studied at the hospital when the
Nurses Training Program was active in the 1940s and
1950s. Today they work in the "lifeline" de : diluent at the
hospital, the operating room. (Shelley McPhee photo)
Much of the labratory work now performed at the Clinton
hospital used to be sent out to larger fac lities. Dolores
Bergin of Goderich is one of the registered lab
technologists who works in the Clinton department.
(Shelley McPhee photo)