by Tod Strachan The final report of health care consultant Malcolm Walker is in, and for Mills Memorial Hospital that means $143,375 more in annual funding from Victoria, another $86,125 each year in sav- ings through increased efficiency, and a re-allocation of beds that will expand the medical/surgical ward from 30 to 37 beds. There will be no layoffs as announced last June — in fact, additional staff will be hired. And there will be an initiative by the Ministry of Health to enter into talks with Northwest hospitals in an effort promote better use of the Mills nuclear medicine facility and to establish a regionalized health care system here. These recommendations, which both the Terrace Regional Health Care Society and health minister Bruce Strachan agreed in July to accept in advance, closely parallel the position held by the society prior to Walker’s study. Society chairman David Lane told Strachan in July that Mills Memorial would incur a deficit of $250,000 in their 1991-92 fiscal year unless six registered nurses were laid off and 24 beds were closed. Strachan responded by suggesting a consul- tant be hired to examine the situ- ation, agreeing that his ministry would abide by any and all recom- mendations made by that consul- tant. _ The bed reallocation will correct a problem identified by Mills Memorial some time ago. While the 22 available beds in pacdiatrics COAS were rarely if ever filled, and the 16 beds in the psychiatric unit were far more than required, the medical/surgical floor struggled with an occupancy rate of well over 100 percent. Now, with a few beds cut from paediatrics and the psychiatric floor, and seven added to the medical/surgical floor, effi- ciency in all three units will change for the better. ; Walker also suggested another cost-saving factor that will add to the effectiveness of Mills Memor- ial. Prior to his study, required lab work on surgical patients was done after the patient checked into the hospital. But Walker pointed out that by doing this, Mills Memorial had to absorb the cost of the lab work in an already slim budget. Now, the same lab work is being done a day or two prior to the surgery On an out-patient basis and the cost is covered by the Medical Services Plan. Other recommendations made by Walker mean the hiring of addi- tional nursing staff and a biomedical engineer or technician. This latter employee will service medical equipment at Mills Mem- orial as well as a few other North- west hospitals. Also, some man- agement procedures will be streamlined and the emergency room will become more cost effec- tive by eliminating non-emergency procedures that could be more appropriately done in downtown Clinics. © ~ * severe P A document included In Walker's report ranked Mills Memorial second out of 63 Canadian hospi- tals within the range of 50 to 100 Terrace Review —— Wednesday, September 11, 1991 A3 _ Funding, resources improved for hospital The R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation ad Terrace Rotary Club community services Marlaine Webber with the proceeds from the club’s Wil The foundation's Cash Calendars for 1992 are now on sa Terrace Elks Club. Webber said she expects the fund to ded $11,216.27 to its CT scanner fund Monday when director Ted Garner presented foundation chairman d Duck Race held during Riverboat Days. fe and available from any member of the top $450,000 by the end of the year. beds. The report is based on the length of stay for patients undergo- ing a variety of medical pro- cedures, a calculation considered to be an accurate measure of the effectiveness and efficiency of hospital staff. The report lists 27 different medical services available at Mills Memorial: and indicates that the 13 medical specialists and support staff employed there care for more than 4,000 patients per year. David Lane, chairman of the. Terrace Healthcare Society received the document from Walker during a staff meeting at the hospital last Saturday morning, He ‘thanked ‘Walker and” told ‘him his report was the most valuable document currently in the hospi- tal's possession. Lane also thanked Mills staff members for their co- operation during the study and the tremendous effort they put forward to assist Walker. Lane also thanked residents of Terrace and the surrounding area who supported Mills Memorial during their funding appeal, par- ticularly the 13,000-plus who took the time to sign a petition in sup- port of Mills Memorial Hospital. DROP OFF CENTRE 635-9247 BATTERIES & GLASS ALUMINUM, COPPER AND R Vata. &4 avs a NORTH COAST METAL RECYCLING glans batteries: metal IAUGLAND AVE, EITH AVENUE phone 635-9247 Sa ein oa hg cna gam pacer soe ah ta ae Pa Sat in eA Se I nna ategamia Hie dedi Sa 2 Nm RESTRAINT wets atnameiedai et 2 Span 5 anim iin wart ae Aaa Ran = SR Leeming ely ugh nn La EON