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Death rates on the decline at Halton-area hospitals By Tim Foran METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP The death rate at Halton Healthcare Services, which runs hospitals in Milton, Oakville and Georgetown, dropped signifi- cantly in 2008-09, just as CEO johin Oliver predicted it would lasi year. The hospital corporation recorded a Icath rate of 78 for the period of April 1, 2008 te March 31, 2009, 31 points lower than the previous year and the lowest figure in the five years the statistie bas been compilcd. The statistics arent broken down [or the corpora- tions three individual hospitals. The rate is calculated by measuring the number of actual, observed deaths te the expected number of deaths. The baseline of 100 is set based on the national average in 2004-05. This year's national average, excluding Quebec, was 93, according te Annette Marcuzzi of the C anadian Institute for Ilcalth Informtioln C 111 xx ýhî.i eick es the statistics annually. The average for ail hospitals in the Mississauga-Halton Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), which encompasses the area extending [rom Etobicoke te east Halton, was 91. CIHI categorizes HHS' rate of 78 as signif- icantly lower statistically, -which tells us we really have achieved a ver>' sale hospital cern- pared te other hospitals which have con- tributed te that average," said Oliver. Last year, commenting on the relcase of' the 2007-08 statistics, Oliver said the sltght- 1>' clcvated dcatlh rate ai IHS \vas dtuc te thc laci (iakvillc- Irafalgar Mentorial Holspital was placing palliative (endl ef litec) care patients iin acie ca c hcr tadher Iian coin- plex care becîs, a pt acttc c net usci ai t ober hospital corporattons. [bat skc\sxcd the tesults lor 1 lisas ~(Ilil clocsn't record dcathi ratcs fol, patentts ii comiplex carc hecls, cxpl.îtncd Olivcr, adding the real ratc for fili 1 xas 85 il eue cxc luded palliative care patients as intcnded. \-ext year, we csbeuld sec a lewerci score," lie said. al predictien xx hich lias(corne te truitten. Oliver strcsscd the meosi recent statisttcs are the result et a -host 1)f initiatives" and net simply thc result of tneving palliative carc patients te complex carc hcds. fRiS, aleng xx ith the t IIN amd the Conimunit\ (.areccc (,entre ntxek have werkced togeiber te hring dewn the nuinther et eIder prelents sx th i brenîc bcds, noted Oliver. List yeat, 22 pet- cent et hespital heds were [tîlecI l ix ch Alternative t evel of C.are patients. I bat is now dclesxn ti) 8 per cent, said Oliver. Expediting sucb patients te long-ternu care hemes or tc) their own resîdences svia the Provinces,,,lecalthv \ging at [tome sîrategy frees cîp acute care hecîs, wbîcb iiin trn reduces backups ini the etniergcncv cleIpari- ment. lim FIoian cdc ttc retit heuid t/alt(lo ttt canodciaru -Iiconipitem. -omit From Deborah Gi/lis and the Ha/ton Federa/ Lbera/ Association wwwha/ton/îbera/s. ca (905) 849-3058 Happy Holidays from our Home to Yours! The Darling Home for Kids Holiday Open Ho use! f Saturday, December l9th 2009 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm 5657 151h Side Rd Milton, ON North on Hwvy 25 from Hwy 401, Turn Left onto 1 5th Side Rd ~çc~ The Darling Home for Kids provides respite and palliative care n a home-like setting to medically fragile and technology dependent children and their families. www.darlinghomeforkids.ca 905-878-7673 s o ut hxvi ew Dr. David Johnson Dr. Loukas Papas Providing Dental Care in Milton since 1993 New Patients Welcome 905-876-4701 www.southviewdental.com a Éw2g4 AUTO BODY (ROYAL ATLANTIC) INC. Completecollsio,'i 'pat*rArre/rns4àiHy servics '00 k%'"iÇ 15 NpSigRd. itoo.5 8822 IL 1 0é Un M 1 1 1