The Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-06-22, Page 1octors dispute reports, s
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 Glut 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 had 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."
Nurses don't want de
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
•
guenay Sunday af-
r many of the almost
at Goderich harbor.
the people knew the
1 managed to catch
pped into the harbor
pt the vessel from
engines or shouting
position. Most of the
`d in the direction of
the silhouette of the
og. (photo by Jeff
ould
bb
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 pot
overstaffed.
Riehl later explained that the nurses have not
received any parr 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. Hollingw
why an organizatio,'
brother was hired
other agencies were
Jim Banks declin,
swer the question
Teal said that ExecU
the best group.
"It is my consider=
was valuable," he sa,'
identified and solut
acted upon."
Dr. Watt interrupt,'
name one problem t'h,
solutions. He said he
Teal again spoke f
the problem was
hospital. He said the
of advantages in t
between the board an
added that board m'
hospital on a day to
helped them to realiz
day to day operations..
The executive solut
Dr. J. L. Hollingwa
notices and reversal o
serious consequences
the staff but also wit
some staff members h'
and the whole uncertai
it difficult for staff to
professional manner.
Dr. Hollingworth s.
with the results of the'
figures presented wer
wide in range.
f.0
ELLER.
-• Monelay_ evening to
e on the board of
General Hospital,
ing meeting. Council
embers a report on
ent.
,had expressed his
own may be of some
d in clearing away
Financial shortage at
Bill Clifford didn't
1 to let the province
tord. "The operating
nsibility."
,wn of Goderich and
ell as surrounding
ipated financially in
s at AM&G, he felt
need not become a
Palmer said no
(speak on the matter
ited statements.
ed that it there has
nt" at the hospital,
cil should be in-
ar problem existed
dering, members
ponsibility to the
representative on
r.
131 YEAR -26
THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 1978
Staff disappointed by explanati
BY DAVE SYKES •
The Alexandra Marine and General Hospital
annual meeting failed in its purpose to 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 concise explanation
that everyone could understand," 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. Cauchi 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 peppere.d 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 dichotomy."
' 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 be asked during the
question period. Watts later remarked that the
e lights delayed again
ELLER
he Square has ef-
in as town council
table a vote on a
Ener of Works, Ken
ore information.
e Goderich Public
oceed with the
e Square lighting
;tion of the lighting
iated work order
e and material.
Palmer argued
of the motion. She
st an estimate for
ith the schematics
'ommitment should
:one by PUC until it
'table would buy a
plans and getting
`cost you," Palmer
t if the PUC did the
;en did -not get the
there would be a
:the drawings.
Imer. She said the
• to any company
ings.
T
Bill Clifford and
d with the deputy -
'o 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.
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
members would keep on top of things so they
wouldn't find themselves in that position again.
Ail 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 June 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 inone'
aside but instead was
budgeted hours.
When the board realiz'
financial difficulty me
bed closures and layoffs'
that such a measure w.
hospital's budget base a
Ministry of Hg,alth,
INACCURA
When asked why these,_
and layoff staff 'were,'
Berry said the board c
information supplied an,
was inaccurate.
"We were led to belie,
the deficit out of the bud
we found that we can't.'
She said, "Th,e board d.`
we were misled. We'"
statements but for one
didn't receive them."
The board hadn't rec
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
"By the time we finish arguing, the Business Dan Murphy, vice-president of the Huron
Improvement Area will have it pretty well County Law Association is concerned that the
installed, won't they?" asked Reeve Clifford. provincial government may close the registry
"I hope so," Councillor Haydon had retorted. office in Goderich, using the same reasoning as
was used in plans to close the registry office in
"Durham.
FILE SET UP Mr. Murphy said the proposed closings are
The town is anticipating a deluge of lettersjust another example of the ,,government's
from ratepayers regarding the downtown thinking that bigger means more efficient.
Square lighting controversy, and have set up a The Goderich registry office is one of 28 that
special file to receive them. the Grey County Law Association has said,may
Three letters are already in the file. One was be closed because of volume of business.
submitted by Stewart Thomson and was Other offices on the list are in Walkerton, St.
published in a recent edition of The Goderich Thomas, Glencoe, and Woodstock.
Signal -Star. The provincial government hopes to save
Another is from Ciarles'Reid who writes, "If $35,000 by closing the Durham 'office in Grey
the downtown business people think the present County and moving the facilities and records
lightb to be aesthetically unpleasant (I do not) Turn to page, ti
2,
G.D.C.I. student council president, Karen
Donnelly, presented math teacher 'Harold
Bettgerr,,with a gift on behalf of the students to
show their appreciation, at an awards assembly
held at the high school o
Mr. Bettger has retired t
of teaching at G,D.C.I
Walters)