News From Around The County

Board rejects closure of hospital’s 4th floor
STRATHROY - The Board of Directors of the Middlesex Hospital Alliance (MHA), at its monthly meeting held last night, were again engaged in discussions about balancing the Strathroy hospital’s budget, as required by legislation.
Yvonne Lambert, Chair of the Board of Directors, relayed to the Board the details of an email received only days ago from staff of the South West LHIN. The email stated that the South West LHIN would not ask for a review or audit and would accept the board’s closure of the fourth floor of Strathroy Hospital to balance its budget.
The fourth floor at SMGH is the Continuing Complex Chronic Care department, where two different types of patients receive care. There is a near equal split between low-level rehabilitation patients who are recovering and rehabilitating from strokes or major surgery, for example, and Long-Term Stay patients, many of whom could be in nursing homes or at home with supportive care.
According to Mike Mazza, CEO of the MHA, the South West LHIN staff said in their email that the MHA had negotiated honestly and with an open exchange of information and that they (the staff) were confident that the hospital had done its due diligence in reviewing its own costs in an effort to balance its budget.
The Hospital’s Board of Directors had expected an automatic outside review of its deficit situation given the substantial cuts needed to balance its budget. Lambert fielded questions from several board members who wondered how better to verify and validate the hospital’s claim of due diligence and efficiency than through a review.
Ed Veeke, incoming treasurer of the MHA Board of Directors, asked what Liberal Maria Van Bommel, M.P.P., Lambton-Kent-Middlesex has done to assist in bringing this challenging situation to a successful solution.
Both Yvonne Lambert and Ineke Haan, incoming Board Chair said they have had regular discussions with Van Bommel and will continue to keep her updated on the hospital’s challenging situation. Said Lambert, “We appreciate Van Bommel’s support of our hospital and her public expression of that support through her letter to the editor.”
Nancy Maltby-Webster, COO of the MHA explained to the board what would happen if the fourth floor of Strathroy were to close completely. “The Long Term Care (LTC) patients on the fourth floor would need to find other accommodation in nursing homes or in their own homes with additional care,” she said.
However, the other half of the floor comprises recovering patients – from surgery or heart attack, for instance. Many have had major procedures at other facilities, such as London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), and are now back closer to home to recover. “There is no alternative for these rehabilitation patients. And the elimination of these beds would further aggravate the regional bed logjam as LHSC want to be able to discharge these patients from acute care beds to community hospitals, such as Strathroy,” Maltby-Webster said.
The Board was presented with a motion to sign the Hospital Service Accountability Agreement for 2008-10 (HAAS) to the LHIN verifying a balanced budget through a complete closure of the 4th floor. The board voted to reject the motion.
“Given the repercussions of the closure it would be unreasonable to expect a responsible board to agree to that,” Ed Veeke said at the meeting. “We can’t sign this away. We need to keep seeking solutions with the LHIN.”
Indeed, Chair Lambert said that up to this time, the SW LHIN and the Board have, while at times using different strategies, been positively engaged in seeking solutions together.
The Board will continue to appeal to the Ministry, through the SW LHIN and through discussions with MPP Van Bommel, for solutions to balancing the budget while meeting the healthcare needs of the community.
In other Board business, members heard of a proposal to change the policy regarding Alternate Level of Care Placement. Currently, patients in MHA acute care or complex continuing care beds awaiting placement in a Long-Term Care home are encouraged to select three LTC home choices. When an appropriate bed becomes available at any of these choices, the physician will discharge the patient. Patients eligible for discharge yet choosing to stay in hospital to await their first choice – when the second or third choice is available – will be charged $600 per day. Board Chair Lambert made a clear statement to the Board that this change of policy is to improve patient flow not to generate revenue.
According to COO Maltby-Webster this policy is in keeping with the policy of other hospitals in the area, such as Leamington District Memorial Hospital and Bluewater Health and will not have much impact on most patients. “Our patients and their families are usually very cooperative about LTC home placements,” she said.
Another suggested policy change is expected to have a positive effect on the hospital’s expenditures. The board heard a presentation on the costs of non-urgent patient transportation. A revision to the policy suggests that patient’s could take financial responsibility for transportation home; to an appointment booked prior to admission; and to another facility for ongoing medical treatment, such as dialysis. Patients at the MHA would not be responsible to pay for transportation to another facility for diagnostic tests or medical intervention, such as an MRI; or for transportation between the MHA sites.
In the 2007/08 fiscal year, the cost of non-urgent transportation from SMGH was $265,000, with 40% of this being transportation to Long-Term Care homes in the area.
The board heard that other hospitals in the South West LHIN have already or are planning to initiate patient pay systems such as this.

TRY OUR NEW ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION TEST
- CLICK HERE

© Banner Publications 2008

Virtual Edition Login
for subscribers, check your inbox for passwords