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Volume 5, Issue 39
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LDMH Board to vote on future of OB at LDMH By Sheila McBrayne The Board of Directors for Leamington District Memorial Hospital (LDMH) has a really big decision to make after receiving the recently released Hay Report commissioned by the Board in April. If accepted, the Report’s recommendations include closing the hospital’s 58-year-old obstetrics department. The Hay Report looked at every department of the local hospital – Emergency Department, Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics, Gynecology, Complex Continuing Care, Rehabilitation, Palliative Care, Intensive Care, Diagnostic Services and a wide range of Ambulatory Care programs. The consultants with the Hay Group asked two questions during its review of LDMH departments: 1. What are the needs of the community? 2. What role should the hospital play? “Where do we fit? That’s what this is all about. They looked at every program and evaluated each and made recommendations,” said LDMH CEO Terry Shields. “No decisions have been made. The Board will vote [October 22] on whether to accept the recommendations, but no decision has been made,” he said. After reviewing all departments, the Hay Report suggests the elimination of the Obstetrics Department at LDMH. “Obstetrics have been an issue for 10 years, and we were able to ‘manage’ it through other cuts, but there’s just nowhere left to make up the difference,” said Shields. Currently LDMH has three delivery rooms and five extra beds for a total of eight beds. By law, the unit must have two Registered Nurses dedicated to that unit 24 hours a day. Over the past six years LDHM has delivered an average of between 250 and 300 babies a year. “Last year we had 300 births. The numbers were up, but we’re not going to birth our way out of this,” said Shields. To be self-sustainable, he estimates the hospital should be delivering about 600 to 800 babies a year. “We’re delivering about one a day… We just don’t have the numbers. Too many are going elsewhere,” he said. Shields stated that 50% of Leamington mothers choose to have their baby at Windsor Regional or Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and 84% of Kingsville mothers also travel west 45 minutes to Windsor. Adding to the numbers problem is the recent push to attract more seniors to the area. The Hay Report looked at the demographics and projected demographics and found currently 15 per cent of people in the area are 65 and older. And within five years, that is expected to rise to 20%. “The demographic changes of our catchment area are all part of the key question - what role the hospital should play,” said Sheilds. Closing the OB is estimated to save approximately $1.4 million annually. The 16 Registered Nurses affected would be able to ‘bump’ into other departments within the hospital and with attrition and early retirement, CEO Shields believes there would very minimal to no impact. (Continued on Page 2)
“Meet Me at the Pumpkin Patch” These tiny tots recently enjoyed a play date at the “Pumpkin Patch”. Back row, left to right: Emmi Renner, Owen Pinch, Mila Epplett, Ella Epplett. Middle row: Keira Anthony, Avery Anderson, Teagan Grubb. Front row: Addison Renner, Brody Pinch, Cooper Lamb. The Pumpkin Patch kids are from Wheatley and Leamington. (Submitted photo)
Small voting glitch caught quickly By Bill Chaplin During the first 8 hours of voting over 400 people voted. But it is not all smooth sailing for everybody. Some people’s computers are not taking them to the voting site. Brian Sweet, Director of Legal and Legislative Services, has fielded a number of calls from people having trouble. Most he has been able to help, but some he has had to advise to come into the municipal building to vote. It appears that some older computer systems are unable to access the voting website. One easy way to access the website is by way of the link on the municipal website at www.leamington.ca or leamingtonvotes.ca. On the main page of the website is a picture of a ‘mouse’ to symbolize the vote: if you click on that, it takes you directly to the voting page, and the rest is easy. There are also pictures that cycle on that main municipal website page, and if you click on the picture that reminds you to vote it, too, will take you to the voting website. Mr. Sweet has sent an e-mail to all of the candidates running for office that explains the problem that voters might encounter. So, if you call your favourite candidate you will also be able to get reliable information about what can be done to ensure you get a vote. One last reminder: don’t leave it to the last minute. Mr. Sweet reminds voters that one of the reasons for such a long window of opportunity to vote was the thought of ‘just in case…’ Well, this small problem represents a ‘just in case’ problem that will be easy to take care of if you try to vote early. Results for the 2014 Municipal Election will be posted on the Municipal website on Monday, October 27 after the polls close at 8 p.m. The Leamington Southpoint Sun will also post results on its website (www.southpointsun.ca) on Monday evening, as soon as the results are made available.
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