Page A2- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 17, 1993

Hospital says allegations untrue

Union wants money probe

TERRACE — A health care union’s allegations of misspend- ing and irregularities ai Mills Memorial Hospital are untrue, says a spokesman.

Michael. Leisinger of the Ter- race. Regional Health Care Sociely made the comment after the Hospital Employees’ Union questioned ‘several ‘payouts ‘from the hospital’s latest accounts.

The union’ said, among other things that.a year-to-date surplus of $400,000 was being ‘‘wasted ona last-minute spending spree to reduce the political fall out’ ‘The union instead said the money should have been used to reduce the impacts of. layoffs caused last year when the hospital said it faced a $500,000 deficit.

But Leisinger said expenditures on painting, drapes and curtains was justified as the hospital ends toward a March 31 fiscal year end.

‘It’s common in the public sec-

tor to hold off on discretionary spending until the end of the year, until you know you have the money,’’ he said,

The hospital did not spend any monty on painting the year be- fore and probably won’t next year, Leisinger added.

“What we are doing is three

--years of work in one fiscal year,’

he said. Leisinger added that all of the

work now going on is for patient .

comfort.

Yet he did acknowledge that

such work might draw objections from people who had been Laid off, Leisinger also rejected any sug- gestion of impropriely in pur- chases made from Northern Drugs. Senior hospital adminis- trator Joyce Krause’s husband, Larry, is a partner in Northern Drugs. ,

“There’s been no change prior to her being here and now,”’ said

Leisinger

He said purchases are split equally between local pharmacies with the exceplion of a contract between Terraceview Lodge, also run by the health care society, and Northern Healthcare, a sub- sidiary of Northern Drugs.

Leisinger added that Krause has

~-novinfluence over purchasing de-

cisions and that purchase orders for Norther Drugs are not signed by her.

The union also said $33,400 paid to artist Roy Vickers for prints to raise money for the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Foundation with no evidence that it was repaid.

Leisinger said Vickers had to be paid at a time when signing of- ficers for the foundation weren't available.

So the hospital paid the bill and was reimbursed a few days later, he said.

’ ‘With that allegation, they’re taking a pot shot at the founda-

Mills has one more hurdle to jump on way to CT plan

TERRACE — Mills Memorial Hospital has one more objective to accomplish in its efforts to in- stall a CT scan machine here,

Ill have to come up with at least $50,000 a year to pay for operating costs.

It’s money Mills can only ac-

cumulate by savings in other areas, says Terrace Regional Health Care Society chief execu- tive officer Michael Leisinger. _ That’s because the. provincial government is financing 75 per cent.of the operating costs, leav- ing Mills to come up with the remaining 25 per cent,

Mills had asked for a complete operating grant. when it made.the submission to the provincial

From front

“We'll be making a best on the best price for the best service,’’ said Leisinger. .

_Delivery time from’ placing the order - estimated at three months, me

And the announcement of the provincial operating: grant should quickly lead to the nearly $150,000 nceded for renovations at the hospital io contain the device, Leisinger added. ;

Mills will also begin recruiting a second radiologist, a search that should be helped with news of the CT purchase, said Leisinger. .

He says as‘ many as four radiologists — one to be recruited in Prince Rupert; two here and one in Smithers — will have ac- cess, .

Teleradiology, a’ means of faxing scans, can greatly widen the use of the machine, Lelsinger added.

“It ties the whole region to- gether. It will allow a radiologist here to take -hotidays, A radiologist in another place can easily read an image done by the CT device here,” he continued.

And there is already a CT-

qualified technologist working at the Prince Rupert hospital who can be called to help with plan- ning. Renovations for the CT device on the hospital’s ground floor will include redoing one of three x-ray rooms at the hospital,

In making the announcement that the province will provide op- erating money; health: minister Elizabeth Cull ‘said the entire northwest will benefit. -

“For many people in the

Tegion, it will alleviate the in- expense of | travelling long: distances for im- | "4"

convenience and.

portant diagnostic procedures, ” she said. =. The health ministry has a larget population of 125,000. before. it normally considers services such asa CT scan device.

But Cull said geography and. distance to'service are also fac- a

tors in making decisions. a

Scouts our goals ae as as limitless as space « Sere Maan

government.

The plan right now is to rin the CT machine part time at an an- nual operating cost of $223,000, making the Mills contribution at just over $50,000.

“Tt just wasn't on,” said Leisinger of an original request for a complete operating grant. “The ministry feels there are utilization initiatives and cost savings to be had.”

“We'll have to get the moncy where we can find it. That's where we're at now. It was cither that or nothing,” said Leisinger.

He added that Mills is confident it can come up with the moncy needed to operate the CT device,

_The hospital could have a sur-

plus of as much as $250,000 by the. time its budget year ends March 31.

But it doesn’t know how much itll receive for the year begin- ning April 1 and whether the sur- plus will have to be used to buffer any cuts from. the provincial government.

As it is, Leisinger estimates itll tuke another $500,000 next year to pay for the same services pro- vided this year.

The least the hospital is expect- ing’ is.a zero increase for the budget year starting April 1.

A CT scan machine could be up and running by’ this fall provided everything goes according to plan, said Leisinger.

" king for a review of the hospital’s

as large as indicated by the union,

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Leisinger. ‘‘But when you look at all the information, it’s something rauch different.’’

Leisinger .said the. hospital’s auditor has becn asked to report on the union’s allegations when the year end financial slatements are prepared.

The allegations were contained in a letter sent by the union to health minister Elizabeth Cull as-

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