The Wingham Advance-Times, 1979-12-26, Page 1-1
Wednesday, December Advonte-Times-Crossroods issue
in'ah OSPI-,board
a roves
reioca . -On of children's w
By Barry Wenger PW16 w SOW nursing personnel recent months has averaged only which solutions were provided in commended the implementation
At the Wednesday night meet- in i _ t patient needs for about two children, with seldom, the consultant's report and in the of a cost accounting system by a
Ing of the board of governors of particular d agnosis. more than five at peak periods. board's plans for improvement. firin of chartered accountants
the Wingham and District Hospi- (6) If possible, provide a re- The second floor ward contains (An accompanying story in this which will provide detailed con-
tal unanimous approval was gistered nurse on each tour six beds in two rooms im- issue deals with the Kinettes' trol of each department within
given to the removal of the (shift) by replacing the present mediately adjacent to the second presentation.) the hospital and will result in
paediatrics ward from the pattern of RNAs, floor nursing station, but also Jack Kopas, chairman of the considerable overall savings.
ground floor to its present second The report continues: "I dis- next to the medical -surgical public relations committee said The board approved both recom-
floor location. The decision was cussed the concern about fire in ward. He said that savings of the Kinettes' visit had been mendations.
conditional, however, on cam- the second floor location with Mr. 140,000 per year could be antici- amicable and provided a needed Mrs. Mary Vair outlined the
Pleting several improvements to Mike Manson, Consultant in Fire pated from the move. • opportunity to answer the ques- hospital auxiliary's program for
the second floor location, as re- Prevention in our Planning Board chairman Bora Milo- tions and concerns which have the Christmas season, which will
commended in a report which Branch. He assured me that the sevic said there was no question arisen since the ward was include prizft for the best. staff -
followed an inspection of the area location of the two rooms to be that the ground floor facilfty was moved, decorated windows, gifts to the
by Miss Grace Walker, Institu- used for paediatrics is well within brighter and more attractive, but patients and a Christmas service
tional Division, Ontario Ministry the recommended standards for that the move was a matter of FUNDS RETURNED in the hospital.
of Health, fire safety," trimming the hospital's econo- In other business Norman The
Miss Walker's report states PUBLIC OUTCRY mic cloth to suit a sharplyHayes reported that the Minis chairman asked for to re of Health has returned vol of an amendment to tthe
"The required`changes would in- The board's decision to confirm duced budget imposed by the turned an addi- hospitals bylaws designed to en-
� the following: the new location for the chi]- Ministry of Health. hO� $32
the hos �000 to pita], sure the confidentiality of in-
(1)Provide ahand basin in the dren's ward followed several which will see the institution out formation discussed at board
four bed room behind the nursing weeks of protests by parents and One of the chief objections of its deficit Position but "the meetings. The exact wording of
station. organizations in Wingham and from parents and women's screws will have to be kept on" the amendment was not provided -
(2) Provide doors in the corri- surrounding district about what groups has been inadequacy of till the budgetary year end in for the press. Mrs. Elmslie ques-
dor to reduce the noise to the they considered to be unpleasant nursing staff. Mrs. Raye Elmslie, April, tioned the validity of such a rule
medical -surgical unit. and unsafe conditions for small a board member, quoted from Dealing with the month's since the representatives of
(3) In the second four bed children in the new location. The work sheets of the nursing staff statistics he pointed out that total township councils who sit on the
room, reduce beds to two, and in paediatric ward has been located which indicatedpercentage-
that
t for a con- discharges (patients treated and board must be permitted to re -
the other half of the room create for. many years in a ound floor siderable rcenta a the time released) are down b 82 from
gr only one nurse has b� on the same y Pori to their municipalities.
a play space suitably decorated suite which was s ificall de- duty period last year. It is Mr. Milosevic said that the
and equipped with toys. signed for that purpose when the to cover for both the children's significant, too, that there has ruling does not cover discussions
(4) Develop policies and pro- wing was built. ward and the medical4urgical been a five per cent drop In. active at open board meetings or the
cedures for patients. treatment days but a 44 per cent decisions which are made. It is
guidance of staff in Norman Hayes, executive Mr. Hayes said that .situation increase in chronic patient days. the discussions at committee
flus area, e.g. to deal with director of the hospital, ex- will be corrected; that a re- Attendance at cancer clinic has meetings which are confidential
various t of isolation re- planned that the purpose of the gistered nurse will be assigned to increased by 28 per cent. The board chairman spoke of
quuemco`°'' ` move was t the ll for
(5) Consider the development y Purposes. the sole duty of caring for the the closing of a year of consid-
P of economy. The older ward con- children and that staff members Dr. Alan Williams, chairman of erable excitement and turmoil in
of standardized nursing care tained 14 beds, but occupancy its will be sent for specialized the finance committee, reported hospital business and expressed
training in this field to courses at on a meeting of his group during his appreciation to board mem- KINETTE PRESENTATION—Susan Coghlin, president of the Wingham Kinette Club,
University Hospital in London. the past month. One of the re- bers, staff, medical and Past President Evonne Carter present a cheque to Bora Milosevic, chairman of the
P azo constion Hayes also said that some work commendations was that the and to Mr. Hayes for theirloyalty hospital board. The ch s for the
. has already been done to make board agree to a change in the and co -0 Pay hospital's new photo therapy lamp to the nursery
the area safer and more pleasant billing for staff health insurance,
toa1'n ic,
Aeration. department to help fight jaundice.
n Vaf'y for the young patients as directed by which the deductible portion,
by Miss Walker's report. of drug claims be increased from
A delegation of three women 35 cents per occasion to $1. This
Construction on the new additional information required from the executive of the Wing- increase would limit the board's
WinghamWidespread
plaza will get under- to obtain the building permit. ham Kinettes had attended a increase in premium to to per concern expressed
way early next month, with the He announced the company meeting of the hospital's public cent;,without the increase in the
opening planned for mid- hopes to carry on construction relations committee prior to the deductible portion the premium
summer. throughout the winter, aiwAft for board meeting and 'they had woald rise by 20 per cent.
At a meeting of the town a completion date in the early raised the same objections for The finance committee also re-
planning board Wedne$day night part of the Bummer. Win
Bill Cuff, a representative of The plans submitted to the,
Traugott Construction, showed board showed a 20,000 square foot �` a MKin'
de.
board members a site plan for supermarket facing Josephine
the plaza and said he plans to leg
Street and flanked by two wings t
come back early in January with containing additional retailL ��a rs o A a ro• t
Look for co~
winners Jan.2
Look for the winning entries in
the Advance -Times Christmas
Story Contest to appear in the
Jan. 2 issue of the paper. We had
hoped to bring you the winning
stories before Christmas, but
deadlines coupled with the
holiday disruption of the
publishing schedule made it
impossible.
The contest proved there are
some budding writers in our area
schools and the stories should
make a nice, after -Christmas
treat for our readers.
e,
BOOK YOUR WINTO VACATION NOW!
Business or Pleasure
Listowel, Ontario 291-2111
Call Toll Free 1.800-26&3220
Simla Copy Not Over 40e
space. The longer wing on the
north will contain 13,000 square
feet, while a smaller one to the
south has 2,000 square feet.
There will be a large parking
lot in front of the stores, with
additional parking down both
sides of the lot.
The plans also showed a gas
bar in front of the smaller retail
area, but the planning board
requires further information
before it knows whether a gas bar
with buried storage tanks would
be permitted in a floodplain area.
It has already indicated it would
amend the zoning bylaw to
permit the gas bar if the required
ministry approvals are obtained.
The board members voted
approval in principle of the site
plan presented to them.
Dear Editor:
The following is a copy of a
letter sent to Bora Milosevic,
chairman of the Wingham and
District Hospital Board.
Dear Mr. Milosevic,
We, the members of the
Mothers' Club of Wingham, fully
support the stand taken by the
Wingham Kinettes as outlined in
The Advance -Times.
In this, the International Year
of the Child, the rights of children
have received a great deal of
attention. We believe that our
children have the right to the best
hospital care available. It does
not appear that this is possible
with the new arrangements at
our hospital.
.or
Our children are dur future and
we must protect them. We know
that cutbacks are necessary and
this means changes. We would
like to see these changes made
after a good deal of thought and
planning and on the recom-
mendation of a qualified person
or persons.
We hope you will take this
letter into consideration when
reviewing this situation.
Lynne Magee
on behalf of the Winghhm
Mothers' Club
Editor's note: A report on the
hospital board meeting of Dec. 19
provides the board response to
concerns expressed in the above
letter.
meets hospital Comm
By Barry Wenger ment to the hospital value of comm ded
Three executive members of
the Wingham Kinette Club met
with the public relations commit-
tee of the Wingham and District
Hospital board on Wednesday
evening to discuss their concerns
about the removal of the paedia-
trics ward to a new location in the
hospital. Representing the club
were Mrs. Susan Coghlin, Mrs.
Joanne Eames and Mrs. Evonne
Carter. Jack Kopas, chairman of
the public relations committee,
chaired the meeting.
The chairman opened with the
announcement that the same
evening the Kinettes had
presented a new piece of equip -
-which is $674.31. The equipment
Will be used in cases where
babies suffer from a jaundice
condition, and will prevent the
necessity for blood transfusions.
One of the first questions ad-
dressed was why so many beds
were taken out of the relocated
paediatrics ward. In its original
location the ward contained 14
beds and cribs but the number
has been reduced to six in the
second floor location.
Mr. Hayes, executive director
of the hospital, said that the
smaller number was decided on
because of the Agnew -Peckham
report of 1977 which re -
CAROL SINGING—Students at Sacred Heart School gathered In the school gym during the week before Christmas to loin In singing Christmas carols.
C
en on the basis of
usage at that time, that six beds
would be all required.
Asked whether the board was
aware of the move when it was
made, Mr. Hayes said that they
were aware of the bed cutback,
but not of the new location. He
also said that the new location
was determined after a study had
indicated that two other possible
sites were not usable for this pur-
pose.
Mrs. Eames said the children
are now mixing with other
patients on the same floor and the
inevitable sound of crying from
want to have their children ad-
mitted to the Wingham hospital
because of the inadequate facili-
ties available. Hayes contended
that when •occupancy was higher
many of the young patients were
not actually sick enough to merit
hospital admission.
When board members ques-
tioned the grade of health care
and safety provided in the new
ward it was decided to ask for an
outside opinion and Miss Grace
Walker, of the institutional divi-
sion of the health ministry in-
spected the facility and approved
its use, conditional on certain re -
some young Patients is disturbing
to adult patients in adjacent
commendations in her report
being carried
rooms. The director said the
out. (Her report
was in the board's hands but it
problem has been recognized and
plans are under way to install
was not read to the delegation. It
doors in the corridor to reduce
was later the same evening
approved by the hospital board.)
the noise factor.
The ground floor site had pro-
Mrs. Raye Elmslie, a member
vided an ample play area and
of the hospital board, asked
toys which helped greatly to re-
whether there are any plans to
duce infant Patients' restlessness
Provide a program of services
while in i*opital. The director
beyond the confines of the hospi-
was asked whether any such
tal for children who need atten-
facility for the children's activity
tion. Mr. Hayes said he expected
can be provided in the second
to meet with ministry officials
floor suite. He said that half of t"
within a few days and the subject
the second room in the suite will
of outside child services would be
be made into a play area and
one of the topics under dis-
shelving will be built to accom-
cussion.
modate the toys. He also assured
the delegation that adequate nur-
Mrs. Elmslie spoke of the mix
sing service will be provided for
of children, Possibly some of
the children.
mem �� infectious diseases,
with Patients who should not be
Mr. Hayes asserted that a
exposed to the Possibility of cross
saving of some $40,000 will be
infections, notably expectant
realized from the ch
mothers,
ange in loca-
tion of the ward. The original
rooms on the ground floor are
needed "for other purposes", but
did not elaborate on what those
Purposes might be. (At the hospi-
tal board meeting which follow-
ed, the director said he would be
meeting with ministry officials,
hopefully this week, to discuss
several alternative uses for the
rooms, which would Provide for
additional health services to the
community.)
The members of the delegation
referred to the obvious need to
improve the second floor facili-
ties if it is to be continued as the
site of the children's ward and
the director said that improve-
ments are already under way.
Mrs. Eames said the Kinettes
would be glad to lend any
possible assistance in making
necessary changes.
Mrs. Carter asked if the con-
sultant's report would be passed
LOW OCCUPANCY by the hospital board without
Mr. Hayes said the rate of further opportunity for public
occupancy in the paediatrics participation in the decision. Mr.
ward has dropped to about two Milosevic the board chairman,
Patients on average. Mrs. Carter -said that indeed might be the out -
replied that one reason for the &me, since final resolution of the
drop is that parents no longer problem is a board decision.
I
i6s