Express_2012_10_12

NEWS

editionap.ca

ER relapse: HGH a victim of its own success?

HGH was tops for its improvement and rapid turn-around. However, since then, the wait times at the local hospital have increased, making officials wonder if the HGH has become a victim of its own success. Since word got out that the HG had im- proved its wait times, the volume at the ER has shot up dramatically, reaching unprec- edented levels last year, when more than 36,000 people were treated at the ward that was designed to handle 12,000 pa-

tients annually. Most recent figures compiled by the On- tario health ministry show that the average wait time for a complex case has increased from 19.4 hours in 2009 to 19.9 hours in June of this year. A number of factors contribute to that change, observes Mariëlle Heuvelmans, vice president of clinical programs at the HGH. The number of ER patients has gone up by 24 per cent since 2008 and by six per cent last year. The workload at the ER reached a re- cord high last year. The number of patients rose from 34,586 in 2010-2011 to 36,549 in 2011-2012. Plus, many elderly people show up in the emergency department for treatment of chronic illnesses instead of making use of community-based services. “We have had excellent results over the last few years and we are committed to im- prove,” says Heuvelmans.

RICHARD MAHONEY richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca

HAWKESBURY | When it comes to wait times at its emergency department, the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital has been considered a model. In 2010, of the 46 hospitals in Ontario that received financial support from the health ministry to improve their ER service, the

The hospital is working with the Lower Outaouais family health team to reduce the stress on ER. The HGH is not the only hospital in east- ern Ontario that has seen its wait times rise. During the same period, between 2009 and June, 2012, the wait time for complex cases at the Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria has also increased, from 8.8 to 10.3 hours. The provincial objective is eight hours, however, the average for eastern Ontario is about 11 hours.

Farm worker hurt newsroom@eap.on.ca The Ontario Ministry of Labour is investigating a farm accident Tuesday which resulted in a North Glengarry suffering serious injuries. The mishap occurred at about 10 a.m. on a County Road 10 farm when François De- coeur, 26, was working in a silo and became entangled in an auger. He was transported to Glengarry Memorial Hospital in Alexandria and subsequently airlifted to the Ottawa Civic Hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries, reports the Stormont-Dundas- Glengarry Ontario Provincial Police detachment. U.S. investment worries Hawkesbury workers

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The firm makes containers for the phar- maceutical, cosmetics and food industries, as well as ink markers. Some employees say they were told the layoffs could last three to six months. About 30 unionized employees, repre- sented by the United Steelworkers, remain at the factory. The affected workers were already par- ticipating in a job-sharing program. A division of the Jim Pattison Group, Montebello Packaging also has operations in Lachine, Québec and Virginia. Dunvegan in The Times Dunvegan and the Glengarry Pioneer Museum have attracted the attention of The New York Times. The museum’s re-enactment of aWar of 1812 skirmish was mentioned in an arti- cle, entitled, “ Canada Puts Spotlight On War of 1812, With U.S. as Villain,” which was published October 8. The article looks at the debate over the federal gov- ernment’s expense of $28 million to com- memorate the war.

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HAWKESBURY | A layoff of about 50 work- ers at Montebello Packaging in Hawkes- bury has raised concerns about the long- term future of one of the region’s oldest industries. While the work force at the Aberdeen Street plant has been shrinking, the compa- ny has been investing heavily in a Kentucky facility. A year ago, the firm announced it would invest $24 million in a Lebanon, Kentucky plant, where it employs about 135. The company has had a Kentucky operation for about 14 years. Some Hawkesbury workers fear that Mon- tebello Packaging is gradually moving all operations south of the border, despite the acceptance of unionized members of mod- est pay increases in their most recent collec- tive agreement. The company has remained unavailable for comment. Two weeks ago about 50 Montebello Packaging employees were laid off for an in- definite period after the firm lost a contract with a major cosmetics firm.

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