The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

New funds put cataract surgeries back in OR at OTMH by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff 11 | Wednesday, April 3, 2013 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital's (OTMH) cataract surgery program was to resume this week after closing for one month. The hospital's Executive Vice-President Denise Hardenne said cataract surgeries ceased at OTMH on Feb. 28 after the program exhausted the funding specifically allocated for the procedures by the Ministry of Health. The start of the 2013-2014 fiscal year on April 1 means additional funding for the program will be available. According to the group, Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the provincial government recently reduced the funding available for cataract surgery causing many hospitals to halt the procedure until April. On their website they said the funding cuts had reduced cataract surgeries in some communities by 10 to 36 per cent. A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye, which leads to a decrease in vision. It is the most common cause of blindness, particularly in seniors, and is conventionally treated with surgery. In a letter to the Oakville Beaver, Orillia, Ont., eye physician and surgeon Dr. Tim Hillson said the province-wide reductions in the funding for cataract surgery is a concerning trend. "Cataract surgery provides a great return on investment to the health care system as it reduces the likelihood of hip fractures by 80 per cent and the incidence of depression by 75 per cent in addition to the visual benefits and restored independence it offers patients," wrote Hillson. "A U.S. study estimated that for every dollar spent on cataract surgery, about $30 are saved in avoided expenses in other areas of health care." Hardenne said during the last fiscal period doctors at OTMH completed 1,575 cataract surgeries. This was a reduction from the previous year when the hospital received funding to complete 1,768 cataract surgeries. Halton Healthcare Services did request funds from the Ministry of Health to perform additional cataract surgeries during the 2012/2013 fiscal period, however, this request was not approved. Hardenne pointed out that the wait time for cataract surgeries at OTMH between April­December was 76 days, well below the provincial wait time target of 182 days. Halton Healthcare Services said it would strive to ensure these wait times are maintained. Nominate someone for Community Spirit Residents can still nominate community champions for the 12th Annual Community Spirit Awards that recognize people who go out of their way to benefit the Town of Oakville. "Every year Oakville residents spend countless hours volunteering their time to make our town a better place to live," said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. "We want to hear about these outstanding people, share their stories, and celebrate their contributions to making Oakville even more livable." Nominations will be accepted until Monday, April 15 at 4 p.m. in the following categories: · Access Award (sponsor MEDIchair Halton) · Arts Award, (Oakville Beaver) · Environmental Award (Tim Hortons) · Group Volunteer Award (Sun Life Financial) · Heritage and History Award (Genworth Financial Canada) · Individual Volunteer Award (Paradiso Restaurant) · Senior Award (Chartwell Oakville) · Youth Award (RBC Royal Bank) This year's annual Community Spirit Awards presentation will be held Wednesday, June 12 at Oakville's Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre (QEPCCC), 2302 Bridge Rd. Donna Funnell, a local fibre artist and active member of QEPCCC has been commissioned to create the 2013 Community Spirit Awards. For more information or for a nomination form visit www.oakville.ca/residents/community-spiritawards.html. Auto Body Repair Quick Service Low Prices Lifetime Warranty Starting at $ ® 240 Men ntio on this ad for r 15 5% OFF F! Come see us before your car lease ends! MPS Mi MP Micr crop opai aint nt Canad ada Lt ad Ltd d 467 Sp 46 Spee eers rs Rd d #1 #11 1 Oakville Oa le, ON ON, , L6 L6K K 3S 3S4 info@m inf o@mpsm o@m psmicr psm icropa icr opaint opa int.co int .com m www.mp www .mpsmi .mp smicro cropai cro paint. pai nt.com nt. com QEW DOK ® Fourt h Line VAL Unit #11 PREM PR EMIU EM IUM M SP SPOT OT REP EPAI AIR R Speers RD (905) 842-4MPS (4677)