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6 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday February 28, 2009 www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 905-632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate.The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Commentary Guest Columnist NEIL OLIVER Vice-president and Group Publisher, Metroland West DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director Metroland Media Group Ltd. includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Caledon Enterprise, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora EraBanner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian Making ER efficient Kevin Flynn, Oakville MPP aving personally spent many hours in hospital emergency rooms I know how frustrating that can be. Our government is committed to reducing time patients spend in hospital emergency rooms (ERs). So, to achieve this Kevin Flynn goal, we're setting up Ontario's first ever public reporting of the time spent by patients in hospital ERs. The management theory that "if it isn't measured then it can't be managed" is very relevant in this initiative. The ER information ­ which is being posted on the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's website at: http://www.ontariowaittimes.com ­ is being provided in two categories: Patients with complex conditions, which require more time for diagnosis, treatment or hospital bed admission; and patients with minor or uncomplicated conditions, which require less time for diagnosis, treatment and observation. Previous governments have shyed away from measuring ER wait times but we are measuring and reporting Total Time Spent in the ER. This time is measured from when a patient registers in the ER until the patient leaves to go home or is admitted to a hospital bed. This is the maximum amount of time nine out of 10 patients spend in an ER. Most patients spend less time than this and only one in 10 patients spends longer. During that time, emergency room doctors and nurses may be treating a patient's condition, ordering tests and waiting for results in order to determine the best course of treatment. Sometimes treatment for a condition requires admission to a hospital bed. Current ER numbers are higher than we want them to be and we're committed to working hard to improve them. To that end, we've set provincial targets of eight hours for patients with complex conditions and four hours for patients with uncomplicated conditions. Currently, complex level of care numbers at our Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital site are much lower than the provincial average, however, we know we can do better. Currently our uncomplicated level of care numbers are 5.5 hours and we're working towards reductions. On the site, there's also a link to the government's new Your Health Care Options website (www.ontario.ca/healthcareoptions.) Here, patients with uncomplicated conditions can find information on health care options outside of the ER, including urgent care centres, walk-in clinics and family health teams that are within our community. It means that, instead of waiting in an ER -- the default option for many sick and injured people -- Ontarians who don't need emergency care will now know where to find a walk-in or after hours clinic, an urgent care centre, or a family health team. We're hoping it will help people get the care they need faster and closer to home. The website will also provide Ontarians with more information about Health Care Connect, another innovative program our government is excited to roll out. Health Care Connect is designed to help people find a family health care provider if they don't have one already. By calling 1-800-445-1822, Ontarians will be able to easily and quickly add their names and health information to a patient database. Health Care Connect will ensure that the people, who need care most, get it first. Reducing wait times for patients and increasing access to quality care are this government's two health care priorities. Reducing the time people spend in the ER is a complex problem that cannot be solved overnight or by focusing on the hospital ER alone. Prompt emergency care requires making improvements across the system -- from providing patients with alternative options to have their condition treated to supporting timely ER discharge to a hospital bed or care in the community. If you have any questions regarding your health care options, contact my community office at 905-827-5141. H RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: United Way of Oakville TV AUCTION Standing on guard STARE-DOWN STAND OFF: Sandy McDonald sent in this photo, taken by her husband, of their dog Diamond staring down a masked intruder on their back deck. If you have a photo you would like to share with our readers, send it to rjerred@oakvillebeaver.com. Here's to good health, aging well and another turn with Toto s the old saying goes, "Everything old is new again." The other day my daughter entered the kitchen singing Africa, the old Toto chestnut that made me want to rip my hair out when it was a number-one hit in 1983, and still deeply offends my musical taste and makes me want to cram yams into my ears. Lyrically, the song was a strong contender in the BBC's poll of worst lyrics ever. Musically, the song is part of a lost decade of popular music -- while the alternative music scene was flourishing at the time, the hit parade was much more miss than hit. But I digress. My daughter entered the kitchen and was serenading me with Toto's Serengeti schmaltz. Why I asked, beyond trying to make me crazy, are you singing that song? Apparently because it's making some sort of ill-advised comeback. Apparently it's been covered by some misguided musician and furthermore featured, albeit karaoke-ishly, on the TV show Chuck. Not to suggest I take my music too seriously, but this, dear readers, is the trouble I foresee with prolonging human life, with discovering the proverbial fountain of youth and affording people the opportunity to live into their second century. Since life is indeed cyclical, and everything old does indeed become new again, A is extending our existence not just increasing our odds of having to live through another regurgitation of 1980s dreck, another period of soul-tromping Toto? As the saying goes, "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die." Recently I read a U.S. News story that related "10 Healthy Habits That May Help You Live to 100." Now that Boomers are getAndy Juniper ting up in age, 90 per cent of all news stories are about aging well and living to be a million. Anyway, I read the story because I had not yet heard that Toto, despite their merciful disbandment last year, is apparently on the comeback trail. I have always equated human longevity with great genes and even greater luck, but the News story begs to differ. Want to live practically forever? Here are some tips: Don't Retire (inactivity equals expiration, and apparently people can literally be bored to death). Floss Daily (bacteria in your mouth can actually inflame arteries and cause heart disease). Exercise (the only fountain of youth that exists). Sleep (minimally six hours nightly; promotes healing in cells). Eat Fiber-Rich Breakfast (maintains blood-sugar levels throughout the day). Eat Well (duh!). Also, Be A Creature Of Habit (centurions tend to stick to strict routines). Live Like A Seventh Day Adventist -- Adventists have a 10-year greater life expectancy than the norm (no smoking, no drinking, no overindulging in candy, eat fruit and veggies, exercise and focus on family and community). Which brings me to, Stay Connected (social contact with friends and family can help you avoid killers like loneliness and depression). Finally, Be Less Neurotic. Apparently people who live to ripe old ages tend not to "internalize things or dwell on their troubles" and are adept at "rolling with the punches." The story was accompanied by a quiz that I took to determine how long I should live. I would have rejoiced upon learning that I should live to be 88 years old, but all I could think about was how many more times I'll be forced to endure Africa, or Toto comebacks. Yeah, I'm rolling with the punches, and being a lot less neurotic. Andy Juniper can be visited at his Web site, www.strangledeggs.com, or contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com.