Express_2020_02_12

" $ 5 6 " - * 5 4  r  / & 8 4 WILL P-R REGION STILL HAVE A VOICE IN TORONTO ON HEALTH ISSUES?

GREGG CHAMBERLAIN gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca

Local mayors wonder how loud a voice Prescott-Russell will have on local health issues when the provincial government is finished with its reconstruction of Ontario’s health care service setup. “I’m concerned that it’s going to be darn hard to hear Prescott-Russell’s voice in 5PSPOUP uTBJE.BZPS3PCFSU,JSCZPG&BTU Hawkesbury Township. “If we’re changing the system, let’s change it so we can be heard.” Kirby and several other mayors expressed their worry during the January 29 session of the United Counties of Prescott and Rus- sell council (UCPR). The comments and questions followed a presentation by Marc Bisson, general manager for le Centre de sant é DPNNVOBVUBJSFEFM&TUSJF $4$& BOE Dr. Suzanne Filion, vice-president for develop- ment and integration with Hawkesbury and District General Hospital (HGH). The two provided UCPR council with a progress report on the development of the Prescott-Russell Regional Health Team (PRRHT). Ontario Health RHTs are part of the provincial govern- ment’s restructuring of Ontario’s health care service system, to help eliminate what Premier Doug Ford described as the “hallway medicine” situation affecting many hospitals in the province. Part of the government’s solution is to amalgamate the 14 Local )FBMUI*OUFHSBUJPO/FUXPSLT -)*/ JOUPàWF NFHBSFHJPOT XIJDIXJMMUBLFPWFSUIF-)*/T responsibility for allocating government fund- ing for hospitals and health care service agencies and programs, in each of the new regions under the direction of Ontario Health. Ontario Health is a new level of govern- ment that answers to the Ontario Ministry of Health. The regional health teams will report to Ontario Health on local health planning issues and programs. The Prescott-Russell RHT will be part of UIF0OUBSJP&BTUSFHJPO XIJDIXJMMJODMVEF those areas that were part of the Cham- QMBJO-)*/BOEUIF$FOUSBM&BTUBOE4PVUI &BTU-)*/T3JHIUOPX1SFTDPUU3VTTFMMT regional health team is still “in the develop- ment stage,” which, Bisson and Dr. Filion

Marc Bisson, directeur général du Centre de santé communautaire de l’Estrie (centre), et Dr Suzanne Filion, vice-présidente au développement et à l’intégration à l’Hôpital Général de Hawkesbury et district, ont présenté au conseil des Comtés unis de Prescott et Russell un rapport d’étape sur le développement de la nouvelle équipe régionale de santé de Prescott-Russell (PRRHT). Les équipes régionales de santé font partie du plan du gouvernement provincial pour la révision du système de soins de santé de l’Ontario. Plusieurs maires ont exprimé leur inquiétude quant à savoir si Prescott-Russell aura toujours une voix forte à Queen’s Park sur les questions de soins et de services de santé locaux. —photo Gregg Chamberlain

FYQMBJOFE JOWPMWFTDPOàSNJOHQBSUOFSTIJQT with local health care providers and other agencies, working to increase capacity for health care services, and gathering back- ground information on local population QSPàMFT EFNPHSBQIJDT BOEIFBMUITFSWJDF needs.

“Health is not just the absence of dis- ease,” said Bisson, adding that social, economic, and other factors also can affect individual and community health. “My worry is who’s representing Prescott- Russell?” said Mayor Kirby. “Per capita, we get less (health care) money than the whole

of Ontario, and is it going to stay like that?” i8FTIPVMEIBWFCFUUFS MPDBM TFSWJDFT for all of our areas,” said Mayor Guy Desjar- dins of Clarence-Rockland, adding that most people in his area and in Russell Township go to Ottawa for many of their specialized health treatment needs.

ALEXANDRIA HOSPITAL ALSO READY FOR CORONAVIRUS CRISTIANA MANDRU cristiana.mandru@eap.on.ca plan designed to make sure the hospital is able to respond to any kind of emergency like the coronavirus.

i8IFOXFàSTUHPUXJOEPGUIFDPSPOBWJ - rus, we made sure to maintain and update that plan, and it is in fact up to date and ready to go. So internally, what we’ve really done differently since coronavirus became a concern was to make sure that our staff are up to date on the training for personal protective equipment.” There are no cases so far in the area, but even before the emergence of the new virus, the hospital has had a long-established pandemic response plan. This is an internal NOTICE Please be advised that the /DZ2ɤFHVRI5REHUW-0LOOHU at 1030 King st., L’Orignal, have reopened and will be accepting new clients. Robert J. Miller has been providing quality legal services to the community since 1989. Please contact him for a free consultation at: 613-675-4512 during business hours or at 613-362-1036 at any other time. Robert J. Miller provides representation and

“We are ready,” said Michael Cohen, President and CEO of Glengarry Memorial Hospital, in Alexandria, when asked to comment about the level of preparedness of the hospital. Publié le mercredi par • Published on Wednesday by: La Compagnie d’édition André Paquette Inc. Imprimé par • Printed by: Imprimerie Prescott et Russell, Hawkesbury, ON # convention : 0040012398 1100, rue Aberdeen Street, C.P. / P.O. Box 1000, Hawkesbury, ON K6A 3H1 1-800-267-0850 Fax.: 613-632-6383 Nous invitons les lecteurs à nous faire parvenir leurs lettres qui ne doivent pas dépasser 300 mots. Nous nous réservons le droit de les modifier ou de refuser de les publier. L’expéditeur doit inclure son nom, prénom, adresse et numéro de téléphone. Readers are invited to send us their letters that must not exceed 300 words. We reserve the right tomodify themor to refuse to publish them. The writer must include their names, address and telephone number.

This dates all the way back to 2003, when many hospitals in the area were all TVSQSJTFECZ4"34&WFSTJODFUIBU JUT pretty standard that hospitals maintain pandemic plans, explained Cohen. The pandemic plan includes measures that ensure the hospital is able to provide patient care and operate as required. Staff is well trained to don the appropriate protec- tive equipment like special masks, gloves and gowns. In the unlikely event there is a pandemic response required, both the staff and other patients are protected against any virus they might come into contact with, and the hospital may deliver the best possible care. The hospital has acquired certain tech- nologies and equipment needed in such situations. For instance, the hospital has multiple negative pressure rooms that ensure no germs can escape the room where patients are being treated, with very little risk to staff and other patients outside that area.

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