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THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017
Vol. 5 Edition 14
CKHA rebuild shows progress
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Wallaceburg won’t lose its hospital or emergency department By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com
After seven months of reorganization, the top overseers at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance are changing gears. Rob Devitt, the provincially appointed supervisor of the CKHA, will focus on the bigger picture of governance after spending months working with interim CEO Ken Deane on overhauling leadership positions at the alliance, and reworking the administration of business. Deane, on the other hand, is heading home to London. Both changes are in no small part due to the hiring of Lori Marshall as CEO and president, as well as filling other top administrative positions. Deane in fact is working from home for the near future before sliding out of the picture. The two led a recent press conference with local media, and looked back on progress made at revamping the alliance. Devitt admitted the overhaul has been pretty staggering.
“All executive leadership is new. There is a new set of physician leaders,” he said. “In my 30 years in health care, I can’t think of a time or an organization where there’s been that scale of turnover in leadership.” The fresh start, and overall changes made in procedures by Devitt and Deane appears to be paying off, according to an assessment by a third party. The alliance commissioned consultant firm KPMG to conduct an internal control framework assessment recently. It compared the state of the alliance in key areas at the time Devitt and Deane took control to what it was like just last month. The report showed their starting point was littered with problem areas, such as failing to exercise oversight responsibility, enforce accountability, evaluate operations, and communicate internally and externally. The study showed solid progress by February. Devitt said the leaders at the hospital today all have a local history, something he believes is
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really important in order for them to understand the unique issues the alliance faces. In terms of being open and frank, Devitt stressed that people must understand the reality the alliance’s plans. “Two campuses, two emergency departments,” he said. “People keep asking me when one is closing. They’re not.” Wallaceburg will not lose its hospital, he said, nor will it lose its emergency department. In fact, another announcement by the alliance earlier this week reinforces the latter, Devitt said. The alliance announced on March 21 it was adding additional respiratory services to the Sydenham District Hospital. A registered respiratory therapist will work out of the emergency department. “This is indeed great news for our community. We cannot over emphasize the importance of RT services and quality care,” said Dr. Dennis Atoe, family and ER physician, in a release.
Continued on page 2
Sarah Schofield/Special to The Chatham Voice
Jaden Tait and Chloe Burridge from London’s PowerHouse Dance Company perform an acrobatic routine at the annual Shine Dance Competition on the weekend at the Chatham Capitol Theatre.
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