A12- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 23, 2003 Terrace cleaners would bid on NHA laundry privatization | By SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN A TERRACE-based campany is in- terested in bidding if the Northern Health Authority privatizes laundry service in the region’s hospitals. ‘Time Cleaners Ltd., which in- cludes Superior Linen, Spotless Dry- ‘eleaners and Spotless Cleaning “Centre.and Embroidery filed the ex- pression of interest with the NHA .. Jast week, “ “They. are interested in finding “out. who has the capacity to do the work and who has the professional ability to do the work,” says Time. Cleaners co-owner John Heighington, ‘He: and -other interested parties toured the facilities at the Kitimat General Hospital to see what sort of equipment is on site, he said. “The health authority has not is- sued.a-request for proposals and spokesman Mark Karjaluoto says he’s not sure when or if that will ’ happen. “We're gauging the level of inter- est there is in whal private firms are interested in providing faundry services,” Karjaluoto said. “This is a step which will help us decide what the next step will be.” Contracting out of laundry ser- vices is the first possible solution the health authority is considering in anticipation of an expected $15.4 million budget shortfall this year. Right now the authority. does its own laundry services. Laundry from Terrace is trucked from Mills Mem- orial Hospital to a brand new laundry at the new Kitimat General Hospital. ~ Heighington says if it does go out” to tender his business is well equip- ped to bid. In the past, Time Cleaners Ltd. has provided laundry services for area hospitals when workers were on strike and when machinery has bro- ken down. The threat of privatization has Hospital Employee Union workers fearing for the loss of jobs. Heighington says if a local bidder gets an eventual contract it could mean more work for local employees and boost the local economy. But he also fears money could be lost from the region if a major cor- poration from Alberta or the Lower Mainland got the bid. Local businesses are better equip- ped to deal with the logistics of _transporting laundry from city to city, particularly in the winter when highway conditions are unpredicat- able, he says. | At least one Alberta based busi- ness has also shown interest in the idea. “We're interested in doing it but I don’t want. to be low-balling any prices to get the business,” Heigh- ington says. “If these people from Calgary come in to low-ball on the price they can have it. “If they are going to dismantle the laundry system as il is now I] would at least like to see it stay in the Pacific northwest.” Karjaluoto says once the expres- sions of interest are reviewed the health authority will determine whe- ther or not to put out requests for proposals, Don’t rush senior bed cuts, MLA urges NEW ALTERNATIVES in long-term seniors care should be put in place ahead of cuts to beds at Terraceview lodge, Skeena MLA Roger Harris says. He was reacting to the Northern Health Authority’s plan to close a third of Terraceview’s 75 beds over two years. The NHA plans to in- crease other services so seniors can TERRACE PKI CHRYSLER| TERRACE AT CHRYSLER] on, FERRACE aay wwu:terraceautomall com TERRACE C& info @terraceautomall.com live in their homes or in assisted liv- ing buildings — a shift away from long-term institutional seniors care, “What we shauld be doing is completing the front end of the plan,” Harris said. The number of beds at Terraceview could then be adjusted based on actual need — not projections now. “If it means you can close 10, 12, TOYOTA RESAWIN'G ING (SHOE ES* —— = THE BOOT THAT THINKS IT’S A BED. ~ or 14 beds, then we should do that,” he said. If the beds are still needed, he added, the plan should be revisi- ted and adjusted. More than 200 seniors here turned out to a meeting July 10 to denounce the bed cut plan. 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