PROUDLY SERVING PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY SINCE 1830
The Picton Gazette THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2011
THE THRILL OF THE HILL
INSIDE
V O LUME 1 8 1 , N O . 2
THIS WEEK
PASSION
Marysburgh Mummer volunteers upgrade Mt. Tabor PAGE 9
PHYSICALITY
Dukes face three division rivals in four games PAGE 22
Ryan Harvey had a huge smile on his face throughout the afternoon Sunday as he went sledding with his brother Aaron and his parents at the Mary Street Hill in Delhi Park. Fresh snow over the weekend brought a steady stream of people out to enjoy the winter weather. (Adam Bramburger/Gazette staff)
QHC considers moving beds out of Picton County physicians offer proposal to minimize impact on local hospital JASONPARKS
STAFF WRITER
PURPOSE
PECI Juniors and Seniors start quick against Moira PAGE 32
SECTIONS Looking back.......2 Editorials.............4 Sports...................22 Puzzles................24 Classified............28
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A number of inpatient beds and human healthcare resources at Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital could be on their way to Belleville General Hospital. Quinte Health Care’s Emergency Primary Care and Medicine & Critical Care programs are in the process of developing, based on data collected by the hospital corporation, a plan to move a number of beds from the 24 bed facility in Picton to the BGH site. The move comes a year after Prince Edward County physicians pledged, as part of QHC’s financial recovery plan, to provide inpatient care to Quinte’s orphan or unattached patients at PECMH. But a score of family physicians recruited and retained by the Friendly City over the past year coupled with an average 98
per cent occupancy rate at BGH has healthcare organizers are looking at rejigging QHC’s offering of general medicine beds at PECMH. A potential movement of beds comes as QHC is currently negotiating with the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care to add more beds to BGH as part of phase two of that hospitals redevelopment. QHC CEO and president Mary Clare Egberts maintains the moving of inpatient beds would not impact the type or quality of services available at PECMH and there would continue to be surge capacity for the high demand months. She also added the move may not be permanent. While PECMH currently has an occupancy rate of 88 per cent, Egberts said QHC will continue to constantly assess needs across all four sites. “In healthcare, there’s
P U L L - O U T
R E A L
SERVICE CHANGES? Prince Edward County physicians say moving hospital beds from Picton to Belleville may have an impact on services and nursing hours provided in the county. (Jason Parks/Gazette staff) no such thing as permanent,” Egberts said. “There could be a time when the demonstrated need is that we need more beds at PECMH and by all means we would be looking at that.” While the news of the potential movement of beds from PECMH to BGH will no doubt fire up the
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ever-vigilant healthcare observers in Prince Edward County, local physicians and the Prince Edward Family Health Team are attempting to be diplomatic in the face of a possible bed exodus. According to a press release issued by the PEFHT, QHC is examining moving eight beds from
S E C T I O N
PECMH, a number Egberts wouldn’t confirm. County doctors have proposed to QHC senior management that four acute beds be relocated to BGH while some lower acuity beds move back to PECMH during a six month trial period. Dr. Josh Colby, Division Chief at PECMH said the County physicians are willing to try and help QHC and their over capacity issues at BGH in a reasonable way that won’t harm PECMH. “We’ve tried to table a reasonable solution that will allows everyone to look at the impact of moving the four beds,” Colby told the Gazette. “We know its in our best interest to make sure BGH is working well.” What concerns the County doctors is the potential loss of nursing manpower at PECMH. Ultimately the doctors believe, despite QHC’s insistence to the contrary, nursing hours will be cut back at PECMH.
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