Small, rural hospitals should never give up hope

There is a message in the recognition Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital received for the many small and rural hospitals across Ontario.

Even though the Ministry of Health , the LHINs and large healthcare corporations have decimated services you must never give up hope and work together to be the best you can.

Dr. Elizabeth Christie, chair of the Prince Edward Family   stated ” Our Hospital is a model – I don’t think anyone can deny that now.”
For me this is a very powerful statement.
Mayor Peter Mertens made a number of positive comments about our local hospital being the top in Ontario. In my opinion the comment that rings so true was “This survey identifies the achievement of this hospital. It is not QHC that has been recognized or their corporate values. This is about County people delivering a service to their neighbours. That is what we are honouring” Well said Mr. Mayor.

I will not comment on the statements made by Paul Huras, head of the Southeast Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) as I wish to focus on the positive. Many of you might remember when Mr. Huras, while speaking at a healthcare meeting in Picton about four years ago stated that because the numbers were down in the emergengy deptartments in Picton and Trenton at night they might have to close both these departments in the overnight hours. Thankfully this did not take place as the Belleville General emergency department already has very long wait times.

PECMH Emergency Department Team Leader Karen Connor,  when asked why the staff at PECMH worked so well together, simply said that there is no class distinction amongst the staff. The entire staff work together as a team.

I think the QHC Board of Directors and senior administration should look very closely at this statement.

In the final paragraph of his comment, Wellington Times editor Rick Conroy sums up what many of us in Prince Edward County feel about our local hospital. He says” The cure for healthcare in Ontario, it turns out, was right here in Prince Edward County. So the next time QHC feels the squeeze on its finances, it would well be advised to learn from the best community hospital in the province-rather than continue to slash it to bits.”

Fran Renoy