CEO report
Manitoulin Health Centre (MHC) CEO Derek Graham presented his report for January.
“Accreditation clinical teams are focusing on efforts to prepare the organization for next June’s on-organizational practices,” said Mr. Graham. “Both of the hospice suites have been completed and are now operating. Both were utilized immediately upon coming on-stream. In addition, minor renovations were accomplished concurrently to the bariatric suite in Mindemoya.”
Mr. Graham informed the board that the new palliative care nurse practitioner has been hired by the home care branch of the Northeast East Local Health Integration Network (NE LHIN) and has begun the process of meeting with organizations and clinicians from across the Island.
“Following an extensive search throughout the summer and fall, the NE LHIN announced that Jeremy Stevenson will be their new CEO,” said Mr. Graham. “MHC looks forward to working with Jeremy.”
Mr. Graham also spoke to the board about how MHC is compliant with Ontario’s ‘no smoking on hospital grounds directive.’ He noted that new policies and signage have been implemented.
“Locally, the NE LHIN is investing more than $350,000 with the Noojmowin Teg Health Centre to help seniors remain independent at home,” explained Mr. Graham. “The plan includes assisted living service for 10 high-risk seniors living within any of Manitoulin’s seven First Nations communities, as well as new funding for a geriatric social worker.”
Chief Nursing
Officer report
Laurie Landry, MHC chief nursing officer, informed the board that MHC has implemented processes where patients are able to give their own pain medication through a ‘pain pumps,’ on an as-needed basis.
“This allows for better self-managed pain control,” said Ms. Landry. “It also allows us to capture how many time the patient wanted/needed more medication before it was due on a scheduled basis. The physician uses this information to assist in deciding whether to increase the hourly dosage.”
Ms. Landry said that an Omnicell representative visited both hospital sites earlier in January to look at the logistics of installing the medication automated dispensing units. “We are still waiting to hear if we are included as one of the three trial hospital locations in the North east,” she said.
“The nursing staff educator will be meeting shortly with our recently trained wound care nurses so as to develop an education plan,” said Ms. Landry. “The plan will look at wound care products and make recommendations on those we may want to trial. They will also be looking at the option of implementing updated wound care protocols, in line with the latest care guidelines.”
Ms. Landry also informed the board that MHC has revised the orientation package in order to partially compensate for the loss of the nursing new graduate initiative.
“We have lengthened the orientation time and are in the process of putting together an information package for staff to have as a resource—one that covers unusual equipment found in the emergency department.”
Hospital finances
VP of Corporate Support Services and Chief Financial Officer Lynn Foster reviewed the MHC’s financials with the board.
“After nine months of operations in our 2017-2018 fiscal year, MHC has a surplus from hospital operations of $128,000 with an overall surplus, including other revenues and expenses of approximately $521,000,” said Ms. Foster. “MHC’s investment portfolio has been managed by Beutel Goodman since January 2006. Its asset under management, at book value, equal $5,043,639 with a fair market value of $5,591,258. The asset mix is currently 47 percent fixed income and 53 percent equity, which is consistent with the board established investment policy.”
Ms. Foster discussed costs incurred under the current year’s approved capital budget including: $4,000 for a press tool for environmental services; $6,000 for a dryer for laundry services; $2,000 for an auto reader for the medical device reprocessing department; $1,000 as a deposit for a new delivery van; and $2,000 for a laptop.
“Forty-three thousand was spend on construction costs for the palliative suites, the cost of which has been partially offset by donations ($38,000) received to date,” added Ms. Foster. “Approximately $143,000 was accrued last year.”
Chief of Staff report
MHC Chief of Staff Dr. Stephen Cooper told the board that MHC came close to reaching its staff influenza vaccination target of 80 percent.
“Our physician assistant, Katelyn Miller, is back from maternity leave and Dr. MacDonald is starting maternity leave next week,” said Dr. Cooper. “The Little Current Physician Group has been unable to recruit a physician to cover her practice. Nurse practitioner Anne Gervais will cover her Little Current patients and the Little Current clinic will reduce walk-in clinics. This past month we have had two new locums express an interest, so we are hopeful that they will help fill the gap.”
Dr. Cooper said that the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and the NE LHIN organized ‘Summit North—Building a Flourishing Physician Workforce’ in January which Dr. Poenn and Quackenbush attended.
“Drs. Min Ye Ngae (Health Sciences North pathologist) will be replacing Dr. Bonin as MHC lab director,” Dr. Cooper responded.
Auxiliary notes
Dave Sylvester presented the Manitoulin Health Centre Auxiliary report for the Little Current Hospital.
He said that the auxiliary’s meeting was on January 10 and that they reviewed the 2017 events and planned for the 2018 fundraising activities.
“Our cookie walk in November did well and we raised $700,” said Mr. Sylvester. “We also presented two $500 bursaries for Manitoulin Secondary School students at the annual Awards Night in December. As well, we were able to present a cheque to MHC at our Christmas dinner in December to Derek Graham with money raised from the tuck shop, Nevada sales, the raffle account and in memoriam funds.”
Mr. Sylvester explained that the auxiliary gifted a fleece blanket to each patient in the hospital over the holiday and that a gift will also be presented to the family of the New Year’s baby.
“We will be supplying coffee pods to the new hospice room,” he noted. “Plans are going well for the spring conference in May for the region, to be hosted in Little Current by both Island auxiliaries. We are also planning a noon hour luncheon of chili and homemade rolls for February 17 and our casserole dinner on March 23.”
Judy Mackenzie gave the report for the Mindemoya Hospital Auxiliary. She said that the auxiliary had not met since November 2017, but that members have still been busy.
“We presented $500 bursaries to six worthy students at Manitoulin Secondary School’s Awards Night,” said Ms. Mackenzie. “We were able to contribute $33,000 to the Mindemoya Hospital hospice suite and topped this amount up by $5,858 due to designated memorials.”
She added that plans are underway for the second annual beef dinner which will be help on April 7 or 14.
