All County, All the Time Since 2010 MAKE THIS YOUR PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY HOME...PAGE!  Thursday, December 5th, 2024

Help our hospital in the fight of its life

Recently I wrote a letter to the local media about  Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital. In that letter I made reference to a Times article in which  hospital advocate and former Mayor Leo Finnegan said “We are in the fight of our lives.”

After reading that letter, a local resident left me a phone message stating “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do.”  That message made an impact on me as I realized that there were probably countless Prince Edward County residents feeling that same despair.

QHC earlier this month cut nine jobs and the Belleville paper reports they may cut up to 30 more as they face a possible $12 million gap in funding for next year, beginning April 1. They had expected the gap to be $7 million. Those who are to lose their jobs won’t know until January, the paper reports.

It is not a stretch of the imagination to say that over the last 15 years our local hospital has suffered “death by a thousand cuts”.  I also don’t think that it has been lost on many of you that already there are those who have chosen not to retire in Prince Edward County as they feel we will not have a viable hospital here.

The impact on the economy could be significant. I will put this question to all of you: If we do not fight for our hospital, what sort of legacy do we leave our children and grandchildren?

I am asking that all of you, and the local media, keep this story of the wanton destruction of our wonderful PECMH in the news cycle.

This hospital is to celebrating its 100th birthday in 2017. It was  named the number one hospital (out of 140) in Ontario by a patient survey.  In my opinion, this honour was due in part to the very dedicated, caring and hard working staff that are known to work very well together as a team.

It is my hope that all our elected County representatives feel the same as many of us do. I have spoken to many of them before and after the election and feel they do share our concerns. I hope our elected representatives will lobby the Quinte Healthcare board members, QHC senior administration, the LHIN, MP Todd Smith and the Ministry of Health.

It is vital that as residents of this beautiful County that we all Stand Up For Our Hospital!

Fran Renoy, Picton

Filed Under: Letters and OpinionNews from Everywhere Else

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  1. Fran Renoy says:

    In response to MI I also had day surgery on my knee at Campbellford hospital 3 months ago. It is only a 75 minute drive from Picton and the staff could not have been nicer or more caring. It reminded me of our little hospital here in Picton. My surgeon in Belleville gave me the option of going to Campbellford and having the surgery in 2-3 weeks or waiting for 2-3 months and having the surgery in Belleville or Trenton. It was a very easy decision to make.
    Campellford hospital apparently asked some of the surgeons in Belleville if they would like to perform Knee surgery there and obviously they said yes. Other Belleville surgeons were already performing endoscopies. The hospital foundation in Campellford raised the funds to purchase the equipment to perform these surgeries. Of course they were not hampered by a mothership such as Quinte Healthcare in Belleville.
    This is a win,win for the patient, surgeon and Campellford hospital.
    Presently PECMH is performing approximately 17 endoscopies a day or 3000 per year. They are doing so in a more efficient manner than Belleville. By the way Quinte Healthcare is considering taking the endoscopies from PECMH and moving them to Belleville. Yet one more nail in the coffin if this happens.
    It is important to remember that you do have options when it comes to your healthcare.

  2. MI says:

    I just returned from Campbellford Hospital where a friend had day surgery. This is a hospital and township that rejected amalgamation. The staff and doctors report no issues, cutbacks, or financial concerns as does Quinte Healthcare. All I can say, is that someone needs to look at that model and find out why the hell we cannot be autonomous once again. Amalgamation was a fiasco. Regardless of what any bureaucrat says, there are examples of busy, efficient, independent hospitals out there in communities like ours. What politicians are going to step up and do what is right for Prince Edward County? It should not be up to the citizens who do not know the backroom influences and deals in Queens Park. How pathetic is it that we have to “fight” those we elect and pay extraordinary amounts of money to.
    Very, very sad.

  3. Gary says:

    I also added the fact that the Conservatives hands are from clean in the healthcare mess. With more seniors requiring further demand on services and a government gone broke it is a bleak looking future in Ontario. I don’t think most people realize how serious things are.

  4. Gary says:

    Being a fiscal conservative I hardly support a Government running a 300 billion deficit. I did add something in the way of how politics and $$ flow.

  5. Argyle says:

    Gary checks in from his liberal fantasy land attempting to defend the sorry Ontario Liberal track record on healthcare…..and as usual has nothing to add.

  6. Gary says:

    I recognize your concerns and efforts. Your government is 300 BILLION in debt. Picton hospital is not even on the radar. The fact we elected a Tory makes it much worse. You know how it works. If any financial support goes to a rural hospital it is not going to be Mr.Smith’s who takes great pride in attempting to embarrass the majority government. Smith needs to admit that the Tories amalgamation of hospitals was a another Harris failed mistake.

  7. Wolf Braun says:

    Implementing a local plan to save PECMH requires the support of partners: The Family Care Team; our local Mayor and Council; The Quinte Department of Health as well as all businesses and residents in the QHC catchment area.

    Other rural Ontario hospitals wishing to retain their local hospital services need to develop a similar plan of their own in order to integrate into a greater rural Ontario plan. Without such planning on the part of rural Ontario hospitals not much will happen.

    These are the partners needed in building a stakeholder strategic plan in securing funding to address current quality pressures on health care and in building our own capacity and capability to manage all significant changes that have yet to be identified in a plan.

    We need to develop a 5 year plan to save our rural hospitals. We should have started this 5 years ago.

  8. Wolf Braun says:

    Myrna : “There is such a group.”

    Yes I’m aware of them as well as the Canadian health coalition. What are your thoughts about both being funded largely by the unions? …. Wolf

  9. Wolf Braun says:

    I don’t think building new is an option. We wouldn’t be able to support with our population plus we wouldn’t receive funds from the province. Cleaving off QHC and standing along but within the MOH is a better option… Just an opinion.

  10. Dayton Johnson says:

    Did I not read in the local press recently that Mayor Quaiff had suggested perhaps the County should consider an independant hospital owned by the municipality? Free of QHC!! I’m not sure if he was referring to a new hospital in County or maintaining the one we have. The latter I hope!What is Fran’s opinion?
    We already have the bones of a successful operating hospital so why would we take on the debt of a new one at this time? Down the road as time allows a new hospital would be great. History repeating itself from the former hospital (Picton Manor) to the new PEMH. Get the wheels rolling on a independent hospital now THEN watch the donations roll in!

  11. Myrna Wood says:

    You are correct Wolf. We need the power that many rural groups together can use to force the government to deal with us. There is such a group.
    ohc@sympatico.ca
    http://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca

  12. Wolf Braun says:

    Fran: “If we do not fight for our hospital, what sort of legacy do we leave our children and grandchildren?”

    I have the utmost respect for Fran. There is no question that she cares deeply about our hospital. She has fought this fight for a long time. She deserves our help.

    In order to mount a fight against QHC and Queens Park there needs to be a ‘plan” on how to win such a fight.

    Any viable plan has to include not just the readers here but also our municipal politicians, our doctors, service clubs, local businesses and other groups.

    The County is not unique in wanting to keep and maintain a viable hospital. Within a plan there must be an outline on how to organize other rural communities who are waging the same fight against Queens Park to save their hospital. We need much more critical mass than just people from within the County.

    I’m prepared to help work on such a ‘plan’. I hope others will do the same. I know Fran will be supportive. She cares.

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