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News - Cornwall Community Hospital, Cornwall Ontario Canada |
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| Cornwall Community Hospital |
| External Peer Review |
| Date : - 29/01/2009 |
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The Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) announced today that a review of the delivery of hospital services in Eastern Ontario will begin within the next month.
The intent of the review is to examine the current distribution of services by the Eastern Hospitals and to consider alternative options. “The Chief Executive Officers of the Eastern Hospitals, including Hawkesbury and District General Hospital, Glengarry Memorial Hospital, Cornwall Hospital, St. Joseph’s Continuing Care Centre, Winchester District Memorial Hospital and the Ottawa Hospitals are working closely with the LHIN on this important initiative”, stated Dr. Rob Cushman, Chief Executive Officer, Champlain LHIN. “We are all committed to building a Clinical Services Distribution Plan for the Eastern Region.” The plan is intended to define future service delivery at each site.
At the same time Dr. Cushman confirmed that Dr. Chris Carruthers, former Chief of Staff of The Ottawa Hospital, will lead an External Peer Review of Cornwall Community Hospital. The Hospital has experienced unrelenting financial challenges since its inception in 2004. “The deficit at the Hospital is driven primarily by the gap between inflationary cost increases and funding adjustments, as well as our very significant Alternative Level of Care (ALC) challenges resulting in long periods of over capacity”, explained Fern Hamelin, Chairperson, Board of Directors, Cornwall Community Hospital. “The Hospital has been operating consistently above 100% occupancy for the past two years. We have had 25-35 extra beds opened on a regular basis. These are unfunded volumes.”
“Our team at Cornwall Community Hospital have worked aggressively and has been successful at improving our performance and enhancing efficiencies. Unfortunately, these efforts have not been enough to eliminate the deficit” commented Jeanette Despatie, Chief Executive Officer. “Clearly the status quo is not sustainable; we must find a resolution to this issue.”
Extensive comparisons and analysis of financial information to other like hospitals has already been undertaken. The apparent quick fixes have been exhausted. Clinical utilization reviews and financial benchmarking has demonstrated performance that is at or better than industry standard target levels in most program areas. All services have been consolidated across the two sites in an effort to maximize efficiencies. Further consolidations are not possible until the capital redevelopment project is completed in 2013.
The Hospital as well as the LHIN need assurances that all possible remedies have been exhausted before considering difficult decisions that would reduce access to patient care for the residents in the Cornwall and area. “While we recognize that health care is not immune to today’s economic crisis, we also appreciate our responsibility to remain focused on our provision of quality care to our patients,” noted Hamelin.
Dr. Carruthers will work with a team of professionals from Peer Hospitals to complete the Review. A report is expected within three (3) months.
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| Reference : - www.cornwallhospital.ca/location.htm |
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