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The Perth and District Community Newspaper since 1834 April 18, 2013 | 92 pages
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Inside FEATURE
L l acupuncturist Local i talks lk about b changes in the industry. — Page 3
SPORTS
Photos by DESMOND DEVOY
C’mon take me to the Mardi Gras! Former Blue Wings goalie signs with NHL team. — Page P20
RELAY FOR LIFE
EMC News - The Great War Memorial Hospital Foundation Black Tie Bingo was a sellout and huge success this year at Code’s Mill in Perth on Saturday, April 13. This event has raised more than $80,000 for the GWM site of the Perth & Smiths Falls District Hospital over the past two years. Pictured are some of the scenes from the event. (Left) Justin Timberlake may be dressing up in his suit and tie these days but auctioneers Jim and Judy Hands brought their passion for fashion to the event, going beyond a simple mask, and going all out with a matching Harlequin-coloured motif. (Top right) The Phantom of the Opera has arrived, in full-throated song. It turns out the man behind the clever disguise was insurance mogul Richard Schooley, who insured that he remained masked and anonymous at the gathering. (Bottom centre), The event’s secretary treasurer, Gord Cowie, with hair borrowed from Katy Perry and glasses borrowed from 1980s TV character Max Headroom, shares a moment before the action of the evening with Margot Hallam, executive director of the Great War Memorial Hospital Foundation, showing off her beautiful plumage. (Bottom right), Who is that masked woman? Why, Cindy Coutts, of course, who didn’t let her mysterious mask hide her sunny smile as she welcomed patrons to Code’s Mill.
Some surgeries to now be performed at Smiths Falls hospital site By DESMOND DEVOY desmond.devoy@metroland.com
EMC News – If you need emergency surgery after 6 p.m. or on weekends, you will now be sent to Smiths Falls. Up until now, both sites had had two anesthetists on call for emergency procedures at both sites. Now, “if we have an emergency appendectomy (for example)…that will be done in Smiths Falls,” said Linda Bisonette, chief executive officer of the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital, speaking at the Perth town council committee-of-thewhole meeting on Tuesday, April 9. Further to this, Bisonette informed
council that emergency room nursing care has been reduced by four hours, but only during the daytime. “It is safer and more efficient to consolidate that (ER care) in one site,” said Bisonette of the move to one site for after hours and weekend operating room care. Bisonette noted that the future of health care is changing and that the hospital, literally, cannot afford the status quo for much longer. In 2013, health care accounted for 40 per cent of the provincial budget. By 2030, only 17 years away, it is estimated that, at this rate, health care will consume
80 per cent of the provincial budget. “(It) is a pretty scary number… is not a good indicator for our children or grandchildren,” said Lynda Hendriks, chair of the hospital board. “We have to deal with the hand we are dealt.” The hospital has been able to balance its books for this year, after finding itself in the red last year. Revenues for the year ending March 31, 2012 were $48.1 million, while expenditures were $50.2 million, with a deficit of about $2 million. “That’s not a good number and it does not work well,” said Bisonette. “That was definitely a downhill slide
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and not a good place to be,” said Hendriks. “You can call it a downward spiral, you can call it a death spiral, you can call it just bad news.” Further to this, the hospital had an accumulated debt of $7 million, which kicked off a peer review process in June of 2012. All hospital departments were asked to cut six per cent of their budgets. “It has been a difficult year for us,” admitted Bisonette. “(But) all of those changes we have made have been vetted through our medical staff,” as well as the Local Health Integration Network. See HOSPITAL page P4
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