Steve Shaver takes passion, commitment to Como Eye specialist leaves town ON STEVE Shaver’s last day in the operating room at Mills Memorial Hospi- tal, he did eight eye operations. Then he had pizza and cake. The food came courtesy of the operating room nurses in recognition of the ophthalmologist’s short stay in Terrace, Shaver, who took over Dr. Tom Nagy’s practice -last- summer when Nagy temporarily moved to Ed- monton to work, left late last week to join another ophthalmologist in the Comox-Courtenay area of Vancouver Island. Fresh from 18 years of post secondary education in Ottawa, which included a PhD and training at teaching hospilals, Shaver and his family arrived in Terrace last summer for his first real job, Speaking before his de- parture, Shaver said he and his family relished the idea of practising ophthal- mology in the northwest. “This is the kind of area in which we wanted to be,” said Shaver. “We love the people here.” Shaver signed a restric- tive covenant requiring Nagy’s approval to stay and practice once Nagy returned. Shaver didn’t want to talk about why he’s going. “Let’s just say it wasn’t an option for me to stay,” he said. Nagy, who resumed his practice here yesterday, confirmed the details of the restrictive covenant which is a common en- ough business practice. But he doubts if the re- striction could ever be en- forced. In any event Nagy adds, Shaver never broa- ched the idea of him stay- ing, “He never approached me about staying here — to Nagy ys Regardless..of how,.the: two specialists feel about the details of their busi- ness relationship, they make that happen,” says.. assistance in solving a Canada Post. Sometime durin -BC. by clim ‘money ry Sw oTerrace. ‘Health: and others: took. up the CURITY foal a proud sponsor of CRIME STOPPERS Terrace Crime Stoppers are askin reak, Enter an Theft from - the night/early morning hours.on., March 24, 2001, unknown culorit(s) entered Post building iocated at 3232 Emersan Street, Terrace, : ing onte the roof, breaking a window an unlacking a-rooflop door. Once inside both agree there is a need for two ophthalmologists in the northwest, “There is enough busi- ness, but not enough resources,” said Nagy re- ferting to budgets and operating room time. “This is something that would require [health] ministry approval,” said Shaver. Shaver’s arrival last summer did raise hopes there could be two eye specialists practising in the northwest, an area that’s regarded as under- serviced in this specialty. Up until the middle part of the last decade, oph- thalmology was offered on a limited scale at Wrinch Memorial Hospital in Ha- zeltan. When that service closed, an. agreement was reached to transfer it to Tertace and it took root when Tom Nagy came here. Faced with antiquated equipment, Nagy rallied support from service clubs and other organizations around the northwest and soon, up-to-date equipment was on hand. That still left the matter of an adequate operating room budget and operating room time at Mills Mem- orial. And it was here that Shaver met his first test on literally his first day in town last summer. The test came in the form of a memo from Mills indicating that due to bud- get restrictions, the num- ber of eye procedures would have to be trimmed during each operating room session, If that didn’t happen, eye surgery money would run out by last December. The memo spurred Sha- yer into action and he or- ganized support for more mtime...and cause as an example of lack of financing for a spe- for your’ e Canada ‘the culprit(s) : The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, April 18, 2001 - A3 —_—_ News In Brief DR. STEVE Shaver wrapped up a short stay as the region's only ophthalmoto- gist last week. He and his family are relocating to the Comox area of Vancou- ver Island. Although only here a short while, Shaver became known as 4 very public advocate of increased medical services for rural and remote areas. cialty medical service in the northwest. Shaver quickly became one of the more recogniz- able and passionate jocal physicians in the cam- paign for more services. He spoke at several ral- lies, including the massive one at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre last fall where the crowd overfilled the build- ing and spitled outside. Shaver also broke ranks with the traditional se- crecy that- cloaks the poli- tics of medicine. He felt other surgeons here wanted more operating room time for themselves at the ex- pense of ophthalmology. With surgeons on one side of him and the hospi- tal on the other, Shaver said he felt like the “piggy inthe middie.” ude. later qualified .bis _ ne position by. saying the.tar- Ber issue was the overall lack of money to provide for sufficient operating room time for all surgical specialties. Ophthalmology surgery did receive more money in the bospital’s last budget and there’s been more time given allocated, at leasts for now, because of cancellations by other sur- gical specialists. “1 still believe ophthal- mology receives less than a fair share of the OR time, but since January, it has improved,” Shaver said last week. “The wait list has gone down to an acceptable level and E must say [ have zero complaints.” Again, while the two eye surgeons may disagree on some fronts, Nagy can- curs with Shaver’s assess- ment of how operating room time is handled. _ Shaver, readily admits. to being naive when-he;: want-to live.in rural areas... That's poo-poo. That's poo-* moved here Jast year. Since then, he says he’s learned much about the politics surrounding medi- cine and of the difficulties of finding and keeping physicians and nurses. “All those calls and let- lers from people do help. They really mean some- thing. I know people such as Health Watch wonder if they're doing any good, but they do,” he said. “Pcople in this area teally care. There’s a spirit here.” Shaver hopes to find that kind of spirit in Comox. He expects to continue his interest in promoting _medical services in more rural and isolated areas by offering competitive and equal salaries for physi- clans and nurses. “What offends me is that | hear over and over . _ again that physicians dog’t pao.” eenificitid if 8) Nurse course shelved NORTHWEST COMMUNITY College has had to cancel plans to offer a registered nurse refresher course here. Not enough interest was shown in Terrace or in the northwest, says college official Barb Sheridan, “We needed a minimum of eight people and we might have squeezed by with six, but the mast that we pot willing to apply was three,” she said. The provincial government late last year put aside money for registered nurse refresher programs as part of its massive Health Action Plan. Refresher programs are intended for nurses who haven't worked in a clinical setting for between five and 15 years. They’re regarded as one way to quickly put more nurses back to work and to fill vacant positions and relieve workplace stress. Nurses do independent and classraom study fol- lowed by placements in health care institutions to bring their skills up to date for a re-entry into the workforce, If this program had gone ahead, Northwest Com- munity College would have run it under the au- spices of Malaspina University Callege in Nanai- mo which has the required accreditation. An official from the advanced education mini- stry, which finances colleges, said the refresher spaces which had been allocated here will now go io refresher programs elsewhere. “There was dedicated money in the Health Ac- tion Plan for nurses and it can’t be used for any- thing else,” said Nikki McCallum. Money for youth DISADVANTAGED youth in the Terrace area are getting programs to help them through a $50,000 from the provincial government for employment training. The program provides youth between 15 and 29 with training in communication, time manage- ment, safe food handling, interview skills and other tools to better equip them to find work, says a press release from the community development ministry. The money is earmarked to provide 100 local youth with the one-year training, counselling and mentoring program. The non-profit society training agency called InterConnect will provide the program. Tech money coming to friendship centres ABORIGINAL friendship centres around the pro- vince will get a total of $850,000 from Victoria to hook up to the Intemet. The Raven youth technology program is ta cre- ale up to 24 full-time jobs and help develop hi tech skills for aboriginal youth. 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