ues . MILLS MEMORIAL Hospital is runuing out of options to control costs, says a senior official. 7 It’s being plagued with continual deficits in spite of tak- ing every measure possible to lower spending, says Michael Leisinger, the chief executive officer of the Ter- thee Area Community Health Council which runs the in- Slitution, « ‘We're trying the best we can, We’ve refined our admis- sions and discharge policy and in the way the operating roms are used,’” he said, « “We're trying to keep a handle on (employee) leave is- shies. You do the best you can but at this point, I think We're coming to an end of those options,”’ +Leisinger's comments follow yet more disappointment for the hospital at the hands of the health ministry. -It’s consistently refused to give the hospital more money, saying it still isn’t doing all it can to cul costs and maintain sérvices. . - «The latest blow was the denial of a Tequest by Mills to take $209,100 from its operating equity account to help pay for renovations to the nursing station on its main medi- cal services ward, ‘Mills centralized services on the ward in the expectation of saving nursing salaries but it needs a better nursing sta- tion to accomplish the goal, ‘But the health ministry said taking the money from the hospital's bank account would put it in a dangerous finan- Hospital nearly out of cost control options, says exec cia] position because of its deficit, And, the ministry also turned down a proposal ta give the hospital money for its endoscopy surgery room. That may have not cnt overall costs but would have cleared up a surgical backlog, said Leisinger, Overall, he said the hospital’s financial picture is grim. “Something has to change, it’s not sustainable,” said Leisinger. One drastic measure is for the ministry to take over the hospital. “The ministry has the authority to replace me and the board, but that’s not the only option, [t could give us a cash advance or increase . the funding.-base,” - said Leisinger. He joined a growing number of people who say one solu- tion might be a regional health care authority with control over all northwest hospital expenditures, That could address one cost factor which is providing regional services without receiving money for them. But Leisinger did say cost factors are still governed by the amount of patients admitted to Mills, “To a degree, we have no control over patient loads,” said Leisinger. ‘We could say we're full and we don’t have sufficient resources but if somebody's sick and shows up at our door, our first priority is the patient and to worry about the ac- counting later.’’ Surgeon’s comments strain regional health relationships ALREADY TENDER relations between community health councils in the northwest are now more strained since a lo- cal surgeon wrote a letter saying the region’s orthopedic sérvice should be based in Terrace. The letter, written by Jim Dunfield under his title of medical chief of staff at Mills Memorial Hospital to the health ministry, drew a call for an apology from the North Coast Community Health Council in Prince Rupert. =That city, as does Kitimat, has traditionally had the ser- vices of a resident orthopedic surgeon. -But both positions are now vacant, causing Dunfield to tell the health ministry that should the openings be im- possible to fill, Terrace physicians would support putting the service here as this is the geographic centre of the region. ; ‘We realize that this may be a somewhat unpopular position, however to us it makes logical sense and may well be the solution to long-term stability in the orthopedic services,’’ the Dunfield letter said. “It was an error to write as the chief of staff at Mills,”’ In Memoriam Gifts fund vital heart and stroke research and health promotion programs Please print the name of the deceased or person honoured; the name/ address of the next of kin for cardiandé: _ HEART ©). es said Michael Leisinger, the chief executive officer of the Terrace and Area Community Health Council, Even if Dunfield had signed it on behalf of the local medical association, it would still have caused a stir, said Leisinger. . ‘The region is trying to work co-operatively to put set- vices where they make the most sense,’’ said Leisinger of the various community health councils, “Unfortunately now this has happened and it inflames emotion in Prince Rupert and Kitimat where orthopedics is a core service to those hospitals.” The incident highlights what many are perceiving as a problem in providing health care in the northwest. There is no overall regional body to make decisions af- fecting regional services. Leisinger did say the health ministry is putting together a data base outlining where orthopedic patients have come from. ‘‘So when it comes to a decision, it can be made for what makes the most sense from the patient care point of view,’” he said. The Dr. R.E.M. Lee Foundation presents FOUNDATION GF your name/address for tax recel BG. KYUKON | and M/C accepted), cen Please mail your donation to: Box 22, Terrace, B.C, V8G 4A2 Anne Evans 638-1966 wn enn - Se + ---H---, , 5 off «| Dr. B.D. 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