A10 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 14, 200]

Medical Briefs

Savings on foed

THE TERRACE Area Health Council’s switch to a new food preparation system in which meals are prepared ahead of time and kept hot or chilled until ready for serving appears to be paying off.

Of the $920,311 budgeted for the fiscal year up until Feb. 1, $882,367 was spent for a savings of. $37,944, .

The switch to the “cook chill” system involved new facilities at Mills Memorial Hospital and re- placed the majority of the food preparation ser- yices at Terraceview Lodge, —

Wages underspent _

NURSING SHORTAGES at Mills Memorial Hospi- tal continue to show up in the plus side of its wages budget.

As of Feb. 1, Mills Memorial was operating $366,634 in the black with the great majority of that due to budgeting for a full complement of nurses. But Mills, as is the case with other hospi- tals in the province, continues to suffer from not having enough nurses to staff its requirements.

While the Terrace Area Health Council isn’t using its nurses’ wage budget to its maximum, it is

- facing higher natural gas prices. The invoice for January was almost $28,0000 just for the hospital, approximately $16,000 over original estimates.

Still short of nurses

FINDING ENOUGH nurses for Mills Memorial

Hospital remains a difficult issue.

_ As of March 1, the hospital had 14,5 vacant po- sitions and had eight filled eight of those with tem-

porary placements, says nursing director Marg Pe-

trick.

In intensive care, for instance, there no replace- ments have been found for 1.5 permanent, full time critical care float positions aud.a tempovary. full time pasition is only being filled when somebody is available.

“I wouldn’t say it’s getiing worse, but it is not getting any better,” said Petrick.

She’s beginning to worry that there might not be enough registered nurses on hand over the summer to allow for holidays.

One avenue Petrick is exploring is bringing in four Bachelor of Science nursing students from the University of Northern B.C. in Prince George for the summer.

They'd be able to do some. of the work normally done by nurses and would help to relieve workload pressures, she said.

Course could be delayed

PLANS TO begin offering a 16-month licensed ’ practical nurses program at Northwest Community 7 College have been:pushed back: » ~,

College. planners’ ‘had: hoped to“ have the: course: = in place by this September but they still have hid no solid approval word from the provincial govern- ment, says college official Barb Sheridan.

The planned curriculum and facilities also. need to be checked out by the B.C. College of Licensed Practical Nurses and that’s taking longer than ¢x- pected, she said.

It could now be Jan. 2002 or even later before the program can now start, Sheridan added. That . start date again depends upon financing.

~ $427,000, will shore the additional cost.

area, a new common patient area and two new patient

_MUNITY College is ex-

_ing upon the response, the

=. University College i in Na-

’ care facility under supervi-

Psych unit PI , plan approved ‘AND SAFETY

LONG-PLANNED and long awaited renovations to the 10-bed regional psychiatric unit at Mills Memorial Hos- pilal will now go ahead,

The project has been stalled since last year because bids for the project came in at $200,000 over the $427,000 originally allocated.

Terrace Area Health Council chief executive officer Dieter Kuntz says the health ministry and the regional hospital financing authority, which put up the original

News of the cost sharing agreement is welcome news for the unit which has long been recognized as being in- sufficient for patient needs.

The renovations will-result ina new common kitchen

“safe” rooms.

These latter rooms replace ones that have been judged unsuitable for patients.

Along with physical renovations, the health council is slowly making progress on finding psychiatrists,

The unit closed in January after its clinical director left and a replacement, either temporary or permanent, could not be found.

The health council is now borrowing a psychiatrist - from Prince Rupert to act as clinical director. That began late last month. ,

it has also recently found a American-trained Cana- dian psychiatrist to fill one of three new staff positions.

The Power of. Blue Whatever your Welding Challenge. . -..MILLER is the solution!

uperior Welding...Still your #1 source for

TRUE BLUE MEE

Su

_ 475). Hwy pe “1000 Eurectin in Way,

- Lécertions: Terrace, Kitimat, Prince George;, Quesnel

Ask for Wood.

Nurse plan widens out

NORTHWEST COM-

panding its search for re- gistered nurses who haven’t worked fot awhile but who now want to retuin to the profession.

‘Oniy three people turned out for an informa- tion. meeting at the college here last week in anticipa- tion of having the program based in this city.

So now the college is searching for interested people throughout the cal- . lege region. And, depend-

program could be based in (he city where the demand is greatest, says college official Barb Sheridan. The program is to be tun -by. the college. under the umbrella of Malaspina

imo.” But it requires a mini- - mum of eight participants, said Sheridan.

“We need that many to make it viable,” she said.

The. refresher program . involves classroom and in-. : dependent study. But it also involves spending: - time in a hospital or other

Wood's natural insulating properties make _ wood buildings like schools, recreation ‘ centres and health care facilities more

sion energy efficient than concrete or steel. That

a

LOCATION

The same great service from the same smiling faces! Come visit Lara

from the White Spot.

Qnieton SH CENTRAL FLOWERS

reduces operating costs and the impact on the environment. Wood is nature’s choice,

NEW

so make it yours.

Ask for wood. neues B.C.

For information call

nd the staff across a 877-929-WOOD

Cd —__ lA N 4619 Lakelse Ave., Terrace * 638-1900 ¢ 1-888-325-6667 Gr

Commissaire alaprotectionde _ la vie privée du Canada

«Privacy Commissioner ot Canada