The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

St. Mary‘s Hospital emergency room services get major boost t 7 00000 6L 0 cccesses natients to deterâ€" â€" bled group of doctors, nursâ€" _ early in 2001 a:r:d hnilf,[ff 'f HCare Minister Elizabeth _ Witmer made a special appearance at St. Mary‘s Hospital in Kitchener last week to offiâ€" cially announce the redevelâ€" opment of the hospital‘s emergency department. Witmer declared the govâ€" ernment will spend more than $3.9 million for rejuveâ€" nate the hospital‘s ER. And it couldn‘t come any sooner. Emergency room visits have ballooned from over 35,000 in 1997â€"98, to 38,000 in 1998â€"99 and over 41,000 in 1999â€"00. Visits could reach close @ 44,000 by 2003â€"04 according to the Health Services Restructuring Commission (HSRC) projections. The new face of the emerâ€" gency unit will increase patient volume in a modernâ€" ized â€" environment, _ said Witmer before a packed audience on the site of the new ER. Nurses, â€" doctors â€" and media packed into the Martha and Oscar Kuntz Lobby for the announceâ€" ment. Dignitaries â€" on hand included Kitchener Centre MPP Wayne Wettlaufer; St. Mary‘s president and CEO Bruce Antonello; Al Beaupre, vice chair of the hospital‘s board of trustees; and Dr. Mike Curtis, chief of emerâ€" You‘ve got mail?... Then vowd better wear it! By Ray Bows For the Chronicle NEWSTALK 570 Today‘s Hitts and Yestarday‘s Favourites ealth and Longterm M Manulife Financial JWM@ CA~lâ€"3. MeEvievAlL;FAREC Waterioo Dr. Mike Curtis, chief of emergency medicine at St. Mary‘s, with Ontario Health Minister Elizabeth Witmer at St. Mary‘s General Hospital. gency medicine at St. Mary‘s. _ as quickly as possible." T Thaeaies Alites 6. »tarvicle the first hos The funding will go towards a new ambulance enclosure, in addition to renovating, _ modernizing and expanding the existing emergency department. The expansion will see the ER nearly double from 6,655 sq. ft. to over 13,000 sq. ft. The estimated cost of the project is $5.7 million. "This â€" will _ improve patient privacy and comâ€" fort," said the health minisâ€" ter. "This emergency departâ€" ment will be designed to meet the needs of patients today. intac "It‘s going to include more physical space, more patient visits, timeliness of treatment and stateâ€"ofâ€"theâ€" art equipment including the chestpain . clinic," . said Witmer. _ "The way it‘s been deâ€" signed to triage both minor and major injuries, this facilâ€" iV;yrwill'have' all the equipâ€" ment needed to treat people St. Mary‘s is the first hosâ€" pital in Waterloo Region to institute a â€" triage system whereby a registered nurse %0/0/& ?éammw EAXENT Sat. Sept. 9 Jimâ€"5rv & Sun. Sept. 10 12ruâ€"4ey patio furniture « wicker We have gathered up a tent full of savings including {ast years patio furniture stock and floor models, | patio umbrellas, discontinued items, i seconds, wicker, indoor dinette _ ol chairs and kitchen ensembles, i bakers racks, leather recliners A KXÂ¥ ~ and commercial products P Ԥ from _ our _ contract l ' division. Many items « ‘M discounted up to 50%. _ M j i Don‘t _ miss _ your _ $ chance to pick up some wonderful items _ at o amazing prices. Shop early to avoid y disappointment. o See what‘s NEW! Come in and view our wonderful new indoor wicker bedroom suites, wicker living room ensembles, barstools and casual dining. 330 Weber St. N. Waterloo. 747â€"3818 www.hauserstores.com assesses patients to deferâ€" mine the severity of individâ€" ual illnesses in order to treat the sickest patients first In 1996, St. Mary‘s ranked No. 1 in quick heart care by giving clotâ€"busting drugs in record time in an evaluation of 45 Ontario hospitals. While the provincial average was about 60 minutes, St. Mary‘s was appoximately 25 minutes. St. _ Mary‘s _ General Hospital will also be the home to a new sixâ€"bed Chest Pain Observation Unit in the new ER. "It‘s up to us to make this project work on time," Antonello told the assemâ€" + garden accessones + cast aluminum « wrought iron « teak yAp € h.d E. to deterâ€" _ bled group of doctors, nursâ€" early in 2001 and is slated for f individâ€" es and other support staff. completion in December er to treat Construction will begin _ 2001.