Wingham Advance-Times, 1981-09-23, Page 1u+r
ospital n.eedsn•'�ri
.1!
and District
an additional
its operating
ear, hospital
s were told
CHRIS MICHIE, a grade 6 student at the;Ea$# Waw- "
anosh Public School, took his two<pet rebbIts to last
Tuesday's fair. School-age children from, Beigrove,
Brussels and Blyth competed in the 61st
SchoolFair.
r
ta$t i
And' l a t can come up
with# o Ailey, hospital
employe ill have to
continuu':ting for the
balance +A, pay raises.
-The ho; t; 'has submitted
a sung Wary btary budget
;lath Ministry
final funds, but
asking
for the..
a shape
cracymj
be delay
Report
coiiimitte
Belgrave m
Television ? n medicine
Iiospita1 Interested i liel,ehealith
similar system has been in,
use in the United States for on
years, he told the.boa td. ' 43194 $ 94
The Wingham and District the Wingham hospital- is - A colleague, Dr. Donald
Hospital hopes to be one of a estimated at $15,000 for the Jolly, agreed. It may tart
number of Ontario hospitals television equipment, a . out with doctors' ation,
Via onl � are;Litst.94 . mit '>�,;. -19r. sth dv a .:,.:
The proposed new system, ''1annual maintenance coste til' '"Saltation on difficult cases. A
given the name of Inter $2,000 to $3,000.
active Telehealth, would. Dr. McKim' reported that •
connect major teaching hos-
pitals in the province to
smaller, peripheral hospitals
via a microwave television
hookup.
Explaining the system to
the local hospital board at a
meeting last week, Dr. J. C.
McKim said its purpose
would be three -fold.
Its major use would be in
providing continuing edu-
cation for doctors and
nurses, he said, bringing
them into contact with the
"high-priced help" in larger
centres. As a result they
could improve their own
abilities and the quality of
medical care here.
A second benefit would be
the ability to obtain con-
sultation from specialists
without having to transfer a
patient long distances.
The third point is a matter
of keeping up with the
current trends in medicine,
Dr. McKim said. "If you're
going to appear a pro-
gressive institution, you
have to go With the trends."
The cost of the system. for
at a meeting' he attended in commerce
London he got . the im-
pression there is ,•a pretty "
good . chance the Health,
Ministry. will 'come up with
the money.
Norman Hayes, hospital
administrator, said about
$1.5 million would be
required to get the system
off the ground provincially.
This would provide con-
nections for some 23
hospitals.
He understands that $1
million has been earmarked
for the system, he said, but
there is some competition for
it.
The board agreed to send a
letter to the health minister
expressing its interest in
joining the network, subject
to ministry funding.
Dr. McKim declared that
in his opinion the television
hookup would be a "tre-
mendous boon" to doctors
and nurses, noting that if the
cost of the!tem is written
off over 10 years it
represents only about $5,000
a year.
Clean bill of health
The Wingham and District
Hospital board gave itself a
clean bill of health last week,
after running through a
checklist for self -review by
hospital boards.
However as one member,
Bill Newton of Howick Town-
ship, noted, "We're being
judged by ourselves on this."
Executive Director
Norman Hayes distributed
the checklist and ran
through it with the board,
concluding that except for a
couple of minor items this
board passed with flying
colors.
The two exceptions dealt
With procedures fpr the
disposal of hospital property
and review of the chief
executive officer, both of
which items currently are
under review by the board's
management committee. .
The self -review pamphlet
was prepared and"
distributed by the Ontario
Hospital Association
following the investigation
into the running of Toronto
East General and Ortho-
pedic Hospital.
In the foreword to the
pamphlet, the OHA notes
that Ministry of Health of-
ficials have made it clear
that the standards of conduct
for boards of public in-
stitutions will be receiving
closer scrutiny, and it urges
all boards to get their bylaws
in order.
Remanded
Franc Stroop, 60, was
transfered to the psychiatric
unit for examination
following his appearance at
A Fordwich man charged
with attempted murder has
been remanded in custody at
the psychiatric unit of the
Goderich hospital pending a
court appearance in
Wingham Oct. 14.
provincial court in Goderich
Sept. 16.
The charge stems from a
shooting incident in Morris
Township Sept. 4 daring
which Rene Vercruyssen, 45,
of RR 1, Blyth, suffered gun-
shot wounds. Mr. Ver-
cruyssen was admitted to
Wingham and District
Hospital for treatment, he
has since been discharged.
the bureau-
pproval could
or the finance
Dr. Alan
the hospital
it will need.
i-riieet its costs
'this yeasts° ' is is up about
$111t10 . Fm, the budget of
$4.1mol which was
adop 1 . e board in May
but has :s yet been ap-
proved►' ministry.
nding for the
pital this year
ori.. a jr as set at $3.8
'iter raised to
leaving a
It recently been� t "ede: 5310'
onsnexpeimehtatbasis: -
arts work
on new bank building
'Construction has . com-
menced on a new 5,000
square foot location for the
Canadian Imperial Bank of
Commerce on Victoria
Street in Wingham.
The Commerce, which
purchased the former Red
Front Grocery, will be
carrying out extensive
renovations to provide ex= ,
panded customer service
and work areas.
"Our customers and staff
have been very patient and
understanding with our
existing cramped conditions
and will benefit greatly from
our new facilities," said Bill
Spence, vice president and
regional general manager.
"Together with our new
building plans announced.
recently for Blyth,, our
Wingham branch reflects
expanded consumer and
agricultural services and the
bank's commitment to
Huron and Bruce counties."
The bank will bespending
approximately $400;000 on
the project, including a
small parkette for_the public
which will connecrthe bank
property to Josephine Street.
The new premises will
provide space for future
doubling of staff, as well as
ample parking for customers
and staff.
Following" the move to its
new location, scheduled for
the beginning of the new
year, the Commerce will
consider selling its present
building, Mr. Spence said.
The bank has been located
in Wingham since 1897 under
the former Bank of
Hamilton, with which the
Commerce merged in 1923.
The contract for the new
premises was awarded to
Riehl Constructidn of New
Hamburg; architects are
Kyles, Kyles and Garratt of
Hamilton.
ve eritrugh
money,coini ' hi to run the
haspitAt 4properly," Dr.'s
Willia>Ans told a board.
F re9.utiV.e Director.
Norman. Haye explained
that some changes in the
health ministry bureaucracy
have contributed to delaying
budget approval.
The hospital s'nds . its
budget to- an area ad-
ministrative team* which
goes through it acid then
passes it on to the higher le-
vels of bureaucracy, he said.
However two members of
the team left this stingier
and are only now ' being
replaced, which. has held up
the process. .
The reduced cash flow has
meant the hospital has been
unable to pay the higher
wages promised in the wake
of the recent settlement
between the Ontario Hospital
Association and the
• Canadian Union of Public
Employees (CUPE), he said.
He' reported he met with
some staff members last
week to explain why the
raises are being held up, and
showed the board a draft of a
letter of explanation which is
being sent to all employees.
The hospital board granted
a nine per cent interim raise
MISS MIDWESTERN ONTARIO—Debbie Lowry of
Ripley was crowned Miss Midwestern Ontario at the
Lucknow Fall. Fair Saturday. Debbie, third from the
left, represented the Ripley Agricultural Society In the.
pageant, whEch saw 23 young ladies compete for the
title. From the left are Miss Listowel, Heather Aitch-
ison, who was first runner-up; Miss Teen Canada,
eet its budget t
to all employees earlier in
the year, With the promise of
an additional increase once
it found out what the union
settlements would be.
This additional raise will
have to wait for several
more months until the
hospital gets a decision on its
supplementary budget,
Board Chairman Jack Kopas
commented.
Mr. Hayes pointed out that
the new budget still doesn't
take into account the pen-
ding settlement with the
Ontario Nurses' Association
(ONA). .
Board member , Bill
Newton suggested the
ministry might ,riot be veny
sympathetic after having
granted the hospital an
additional $130,000 already
this year, "and now we're
worse off than before". He
asked how this hospital's
plight stacks up' against
Damage
minor in
three: fires
Fire Chief Dave Crothers
reported very little damage
. in three fires on the
weekend.
A fire Friday afternoon on
the farm of Sam Thompson,
Con. .7, Lot 28 of East
Wawanosh Township,
resulted in about $500
damage.
The fire is thought to have
been caused by a spark
which flew off a ,grinding
wheel and ignited a nearby
pile of refuse. The ,fire was
contained when firemen
arrived on the scene.
The. Wingham Fire
Department responded to
two minor calls on Sunday.
Louella Gibson of Fordwieh
summoned firefighters to
her home when she became
suspicious of a hot water
heater in a closet. Mr.
Crothers reported no fire and
said no damage resulted.
Also on Sunday, firemen
were called to the 'home of
Dave Magee of 811'Josephine
Street in Wingham, when a
furnace malfunction caused
his house to become filled
with smoke. There was no
damage reported.
Heather Hiscox of Owen Sound, who made an appear-
ance at the pageant; Debbie Lowry; Lois Hanna, last
year's Miss Midwestern Ontario; Miss Morris Town-
ship, Carol Wheeler, who was second runner-up, and
Miss Brussels, Nancl Bennett, third runner-up.
(Photo by Sharon Dietz)
other hospitals in the
province and was told that
some larger hospitals are
facing deficits in the millions
of dollars.
To Mr. Kopas' comment
that "this funding after the
fact approach is driving us
all up the wall," Mr. Hayes
responded it certainly is
driving him up the wall. He
spends so much time trying
to negotiate budget in-
creases that his job is
becoming political in nature,
he complained.
4
Dr. Donald Jolly, also a
member of the board, said it
was a wise decision to tell the
staff why the money is not
coming "A lot of people
don't realise the problems
with cash flow," he com-
mented, adding he is "ap-
palled" at the way the
government manages its
money.
In other business at the
board meeting, Hans
Kuyvenhoven, chairman of
the property committee,
Ju
reported works
well oil '' the
renovation proj .
Mr" Kuyvenhovi
receivedgyprahe hise fasordthem
'
e.
and enereli
to looking after the
Mr. tja es �rj
him ons his
picking out •deli
struction wluo..
might havesli.o
presented bins
of office: n wlte
decorated withhis=
the hospitalcrags .
e44
A FIRE ON THE FARM of Sam Thompson, Lot 28, Con. 7, East Wawanosh, was
caught before any serious damage was caused. Wingham firefighters. responded
to the call last Friday afternoon. The fire was thought to have been caused by a
spark from a grinding wheel which ignited in a pile of refuse. Damage was estim-
ated at approximately $500.
Increase announced
for Old Age Security
Increases in the Old Age
Security pension, Guaran-
teed Income Suplement and
Spouse's Allowance will take
effect next month, Monique
Begin, minister of National
Health and Welfare, has
announced.
' The basic Old Age Security
pension will be increased to
$221.74 monthly from the
present $214.86.
The maximum Guaran-
teed Income Supplement for
an individual or a married
person whose spouse is
receiving neither a pension
nor a Spouse's Allowance,
will be increased to $922.62
from its current $215.72.
Added to the basic pension,
this will give a person
receiving both the OAS and
the maximum GIS a monthly
total of $444.36.
The maximum Guaran-
teed Income Supplement for
a married couple, both of
whom 'are pensioners, will
increase to $171.64 each from
$166.32. Added to the basic
pension, this will give each
married pensioner receiving.
the maximum GIS a total of
$393,38, or $786.76 for the
couple.
The Guaranteed Income
Supplement is paid to pen-
sioners whose income, apart
from the Old Age Security
pension, is limited and the
amount varies in relation to
income.
The maximum pouse's
Allowance will increase to
$393..38 from $381.16. It is
made up of an amount
' equivalent to the basic Old
Age Security pension and the
maximum GIS at the
married rate. It is paid to
persons between 60 and 65
years of age who are •
married to OAS pensioners,
and „,meet residence
requirements. Entitlement
to a Spouse's Allowance, and
the amount paid, is based on
yearly income.
Where the pensioner
spouse dies, the surviving
spouse may be eligible for
the continuation of the
allowance to age 65 or until
remarriage if the person has
no income or a limited in-
come.
Increases in the Old Age
Security pension and
Guaranteed Income Sup-
plement payments are
calculated quarterly based
on the cost of living.
•