The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 21, 2001 - A7

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- Medical Briefs Docs psych : SHeWor MacKay’s Funeral Service Ltd.

Serving Terrace, Kitimat, Smithers & Prince Rupert

‘Help has arrived pay called HEARTS Monuments Concerned personal

Bronze Plaques - service in the Narthwest

MILLS MEMORIAL Hospital has re-opened its 10- TELETHON ; ‘ ' since 1946
bed regional psychiatric unit thanks to finding a “| na p p ro Dp if [ a e” | BCTV ‘ Terrace Crematorium ~

psychiatrist from Ontario who will act as clinical @ C 4626 Davis Street ;
director for a two-week period which began Feb. THE TERRACE and Area Health Council has gone |

Terrace, B.C. V8G 1X7
‘19. against advice of the person who was brought in to deal PLEASE REMEMBER : funeral Seve = Phone 635-2444 © Fax 635-635-2160
The unit closed the beginning of the year after with its strained finances. It concerns money paid to YOUR PLEDGE Association 24 hour pager
attempts failed to find a permanent director or to local general practitioners to provide weekend coverage Send your donation
find a person to act as a temporary one. for the psychiatric ward..
At the same time, the hospital is expecting more The hospital receives about $150,000 a year in its
“psychiatric help thanks to a psychiatrist recruited budget to cover what are called sessional fees paid to
by Prince Rupert. Dr. Kazi Ahmad has agreed to local general practitioners for weekend coverage at the
fill in once the person from Ontario leaves until a ward,
_ permanent director is found. * But that’s not enough and, on an average year, the
*- Ahmad, educated in the United States and re-- [> hospital runs a deficit in this categoty of approximately
cruited from a job in New Zealand, is expected to $100,000, pushing the total cost for this service at
arrive in Canada Feb, 26. $250,000.
‘Having one health council lend assistance to an- Tom Novak, brought in two years ago to curb mount- —
other is being viewed as a step toward more’ co- ing deficits at Mills and who ended up as acting admin- ©
operation between northwest health authorities. istrator for seven months, has told the council that since

general practitioners were also on call for the hospital's
emergency department, they should not also receive

Audit cost $30,800 money for psychiatric services,

. “As it stands at the present time physicians receive
LAST YEAR’S audit done of the Terrace and Area sessional fees on the chance that there may be a call for
Health Council’s budget and spending cost at least an admission to psychiatry,” said Novak in a Sept. 2000
$30,880, says a letter from the provincial comp- report to the health council.
troller general. “What mist occur is that physicians should have the
The audit was requested by the Terrace Health ability to bill the sessional fee based on the time that
Watch Group which was concerned about how was taken in dealing with, treating and/or admitting the
much money was going into health care here and patient to the psychiatric unit, or the physician may
how it was being used. . choose to bill his or her time as fee-for-service.”
The audit found nothing unusual, but did suggest “Physicians should not, however, receive sessional
some ways to better control some expenditures, money plus fee-for-service nor should sessional money
be paid as on-call fees to physicians who are on call for

Midwives sought the emergency department,” said Novak.
THEY'RE POPULAR in other places, but not so This is [an] inappropriate use of such funds and the
revalent in B.C practice must stop,” he concluded, — Featurin
P But the College of Midwives of B.C. is looking Novak ia spring. His remarks were contained in 3
. ae : the Sept. 2000 report on cost control and efficiencies
or canes ad othe proximally 70 ifs | rene to the heals coe Bob Keele & Scott Dumas
I’s “a number Fant ig not able to fulfil the de- Current health council chief executive officer Dieter
mand for midwifery services in the province,” says Kuntz said the council disagrees with Novak's position.
college registrar Jane Kilthei. , “If (general practitioners] are on call for the week-
‘The college has now prepared a handbook for ends, we have an obligation to pay for that,” said Kuntz.

those interested in the occupation The health council earlier disagreed with Novak’s as-

sessment that it gets enough money for the services now
offered at Mills, Jt felt that Novak's assessment would be

S ;
What’s in a name? taken as a sign by the health ministry that more money F id M h ) 6 \ f d March 3
NOW THAT there’s approval to build a $2,3 mil- isn’t needed at the hospital. tl ly, arc fl Uf ay,
lion supportive housing project on the bench adja-

cent to Terraceview Lodge, the Terrace and Area ~ Health surplus builds up | Pemtragen

Health Council needs to give it a name.

vee tes oe THE TERRACE and Area Health Council continues to Sk R -7| |

: so oe veate pata and oy can Thenn show black on its books, thanks in great measure to hav- eend. oom = errace nn

O Meter Muntz » serrace and Ar ing a nursing shortage. Most recent financial reports post

Council, 4720 Haugland Ave, Terrace, B.C, V8G me me 8 e P P

a the surplus at Mills Memorial Hospital at $424,604. Ti k ] 5 UNIGLOBE Computer ne
2W7. They can also be faxed to 638-4017, Already There’s a deficit at Terraceview Lodge of $91,827, mak- ic ets each at

before the council is a suggestion to name the fa- ing for an all around surplus of $332,777.
cility after Walter McConnell, a longtime com- “Wages continue to be underspent, mainly on the os COURTESY TRAVEL
munity volunteer wha passed away this year. medical surgical and intensive cate units,” said finance 4718A Lazelle Ave. Terrace

director Paul Manhas in a report.

- ; TERRACE INN SpeeDee

LEARN TO FLY!!!

Ground School Course

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February 22, 2001

Cost: $299.00

To register, or for more information call:
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if you want to reduce

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Owe” | help is all arou nd you. ae

7:00 pm
ot the
Terrace R.C.M.P. building on Eby St..

All interested parties are encouraged to attend.
Election of officers for the coming year
will be held at this time.

GRIME ta
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