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.......... PAGE 10, WEDNESDAY. MAY 7, 19 8D, WHITBY FREE PRESS Gbronic care rote acceptable to Ruddy The proposal to change the J.O. Ruddy Hospital into the basis of the redevelopment of the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital has been firmly rejected by that Ruddy's Board of Governors. According to John Kunet- sky, the administrator of Ruddy Hospital, the board has indicated that it would favor expanding the hospial's role to provide for long-term chronic or rehabilitation care programs. The proposal to turn the general hospital into a basis for the psychiatric facility's redevelopment came from the consulting firm of Peat, Marwick and Partners in a discussion paper on hospital roles for the Durham Region District Health Council. The paper examined al six of the general hospitals in Durham Region and TYPEWR.ITERS, RENTIT ýAÀ C 1 WC *LAýEST MODELS *19M SELECTRIC CORRECTORS OLYMPIA :ADDING MACHINES «'UNDERWOOD @ELECTRONIC CALCULATORS " SMITH CORONA *DICTATION UNITS " TELEPHONE ANSVVERING MACHINES DAN FORTH TYPEWRITER 408 Dundas Street VVest 2940 Danforth Ave Whitby Toronjo 666-1131 Sales & Service 698-2589 est. 1930 proposed changes in the rotes they were presently playing. The report admitted that the most serious recom- mendations were concer- ning the Whitby facility because it claimed that it waz not utilized to its full potenial. The consultants outlined seven options for the facility that it .believed would in- ciease the utilization of the hospital and provide needed medical services to the community. Kunetsky said that a proposal to introduce a chronic care or rehabilitation care programs would give the hospital full utilization of its facilities while continuing to provide primary medical services. The introduction of the chronic care option has been one that the hospital has been advocating for a long time, he said. "It was what we asked for four years ago," he said. Kunetsky said that the board of governors had sent a delegation to the minister of health at that time to determine what could be done to establish this kind of medical service. The board will also make this recommendation to the District Health Council. "The board is prepared to expand the hospital's role," he said stressing that a complete change in role would be unacceptable. Kunetsky was also quick to point out that if this option was adopted the hospital would become financially ef- ficient because the fixed costs of running it would be spread out among more people. "If we had the second floor (of the hospital opened for whatever purpose) we could accommodate another 12,000 patient-days per year," he said. "Our fixed costs would be spread over more patien- ts and our patient-day costs would be lower." Kunetsky attacked the report for making a great deal of fuss over the fact that 35 of the hospital's beds are not in service. These beds were closed by order of the ministry of health and not by an act of the hospital's board of governors, Kunetsky has pointed out often in the past. He also said that "there are about 175 beds closed in Durham Region hospitals." Ruddy is Durham's newest facility is also its fourth largest and Kunetsky said that the hospital provides the fourth greatest amount of medical services. The administrator said that in 1978, there were 2,056 surgical procedures per- formed at Ruddy - the third METALS largest number in the region. The hospital also saw 13,137 emergency cases - the fourth highest in 1978. Pharmacy services were also the fourth highest in 1978 as were the 11,171 physiotheraphy treatments; the 10,168 radiology treat- ments and the 895,499 laboratory units. "We are the fourth largest hospital in term of size and we are providing the fourth largest amount of service," Kunetsky said. He also said that Ruddy's occupancy rate was con- sistant with those in the other hospitals at 73.1 per cent. The others ranged from 72.7 to 75.6 per cent. "We're right in there with everyone else," he said. (Those figures are based on the beds in service, not the total number available.) Kunetsky also said that of the people who required hospitalization in 1978 (the latest year for which statistics are available) 50 per cent went to the Oshawa General Hospital, il per cent went to the Ajax- Pickering General Hospital; six per cent went to Bowmanville Memorial; five per cent went to Ruddy; four per cent to Port Perry and three per cent went to Uxbridge. But according to Kunetsky the most important statistic is that 21 per' cent of the population of Durham Region went to a hospital outside of the region, most of them to Toronto. He also pointed out that PLASTICS ROBIN'S NEST ENQRAVINQ WHITBY. ONTARIO TELEPHONE: 668-9714 (AFTER 5 PM) NAME BADGES DESK PLATES - TROPHIES • JEWELRY SIGNS STEINS DENTURE THERAPY CLINIC 111 DUNDAS STREET WEST WHITBY 668-1464 Ruddy is still the fourth largest in this area as well. Despite this, Kunetsky maintained that the facility could be utilized further and that both the discussion paper and other health council studies have in- dicated a need for chronic care programs. "Chronic care is needed," he said. Chronie care is long-term medical care for those people who require longer periods of time to recover from disease, surgery or ac- cidents. The majority of people requiring this service are the elderly. "We have indicated a willingness to undertake the responsibility of providing chronic care facilities or for providing rehabilitation, care facilities," Kunetsky said. "A combination of both would also be acceptable." However, he continued to say that "the board is adament that the com- munity has to have a general hospital with the medical, surgical and emergency services that a primary care hospital provides." Expansion of the hospital's role is acceptable but changing it is not, he said. If anyone has any views or concerns on the role that should be played by the hospital they can write to either the Chairman of the Board of Governors, The Dr. J.O. Ruddy General Hospital, Whitby or to Henry Polak, Chairman, The Durham Region District Health Council, 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby. PC lunch speaker The Progressive Conser- vative women of Durham West are pleased to present a spring luncheon in honour of Mr. George Ashe, MPP for Durham West. Guest speaker will be Bette Stephenson, - Minister of Education, Colleges and Universities. This luncheon will be held on Monday, May 26, 1980, at 11:30 in the Christian Education Building of the United Church in Pickering Village. Tickets are $5 each and may be obtained from anyone on the committee - Alice Whiting at 655-3860 or rL >.1.". A....... 4 f l acVI à Shileyurdy at 668-9994. WEST LYNDE MEAT & DEICATESSEN Sides of Beef 1.58 lb. Hinds of Beef 1.99 lb. Order Before Bar-B-Q Seas& is in Full Swing Store sliced Cooked Ham 1.88 lb. Party Platters available WE WHL TAKE FREEZER ORDERS NOW! 281 Michael Blvd. 666-1571 Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat. 9-6 Fri 9-9 Closed Mon. ~1