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‘ . , mm-Mmsmu-s o . l - l Hospitals say they have done 43,3215,” ": A “a - . A a better job in streamlining By lures 1mm will see a struggle to control tive destinations for patients ' w i ii?" .: ‘ (flmm‘de SM _ the rise in diabetes. hyper- who may want to seek med- tension and kidney disease, ical help but don't want to . m _ . ith medical expens and hospitals in the region wait in the ER, ‘ l - :~‘- A ~i.. . Wbeing asked to do need todoa better job shar- The hospital ranks , * ... . u . . more with less ing best practices with each patients on a scale of one to ' , .. Cir-â€" funding, hospitals have other. five. one being the sickest, ' learned to become more Gaskinechoed that senti~ and the posting of ER wait ' W - y- T - , /, E eflicient and better commu- merit and said hospitals times has led to a 13 per » 1 ' ‘- - fl" - nicators. needed to work as a system cent drop in patients ranked .‘ m A..- That was a key message and collaborate with not four or five on that list, sug- m “ delivered to about 100 local only with each other, but gesting they are finding care - h u â€" business leadersand politi- with family doctors and with family doctors or . .' ’. cians at the Waterloo lnn members of Local Health urgent care facilities rather - ‘ i " , - ‘ l ‘ ' last Thursday as part of the Integration Networks than emergency rooms. Greater Kitchener-Waterloo ‘(Hospitalsl used to be The hospital has also â€" ‘ Chamber of Commerce eco- the be-all and end-all. We're trained nearly 180 para~ nomic development series, not anymore," he said. medics on how to adminis- The presidents of the Shilton said Ontario hos- ter an electrocardiograph on region’s three hospitals, pitals receive the lowest a bean-attack patient and Malcolm Maxwell of Grand provincial funding per capi- interpret the results before . River Hospital. Patrick ta in the entire country and they even get to the hospi- ' Gaskin of Cambridge as a result there must be ta], bypassing the ER if; ‘ 1. Memorial Hospital and Don more comprehensive care entirely. ' f Shilton of St Mary’s General outside of the hospital to Coun. Scott Witmer, a * Hospital, participated in the help get patients discharged regional manager for the , ,, panel discussion. and back in their homes Ontario Medical Associa- 7 M i B m W 5 N FE R "The challenge all of us quicker. tion, attended the talk and ‘ face in the next five years "lfwe can invest in (the) said while hospitals and ' _ (is) we‘ll be lucky to see community and help people health care in this province growth in hospital budgets behealthier and not need to may have learned to do ‘ of one or two per cent per go to hospital, that's more with less, he said indi- year, perhaps zero per cent absolutely the way to go,” viduals need to recognize per year, for a number of Shilton said. the importance of staying years.” said Maxwell. Healso said ensuring healthy. “The challenge for us patients don't tie up the “(Hospitalsl are tackling becomes not only do we emergency room was also quality and they’re look- have to become focused on criu'cal. ing at best practices and safety and quality, but we Last year, St. Mary’s cost savings, but one com- have to drive productivity,” became the first hospital in ponent no one seems to Maxwell said there needs the province and the second broach is there‘s got to be a E V E N T to be more investment in ~ in the country to post its point in time where there is - moving information from emergency room wait times a greater onus on the indi- emergency departments to online. vidual to keep themselves ‘ family physicians â€" in as He said the algorithm is healthyJ'Witmersald. SAV| N G S little as five minutes, be accurate about 90 per cent “Eventually (hospitals said. of the time. are) going to get as eficient , . The future of health care The site also lists altema- as they can get." ' u P 0/ fl To 0 ; ' Auras- Atthe ‘ , g ‘ , v A Newmanceosfow, UH (llbt,i)lllll|fll,(l llll,‘l~.titiriii- -- _ ~ ’ .. . , “ 5 W 99?me and Si‘!(:(l$r:(l “it!” mmirfi: ‘ ""‘ d-m cam. ‘ , "features the We have in ”new mum fut mm latestcmhlonlng , ..’,1i,‘,‘. ,,n.,1.;' _tecm°bgysoyou mum“ (l. _, mm t, in, get a smarter ride Hurry III [or Best Select/on without sacrificing comfort. it's the Mtyfitnduru..affard'afife prices!!! intelligent evolution of stability NEW BALANCE - CONESTOGA MALI. 519-954-4999 550 ”N6 WEE NORTHAWATEPLOO www.newboloncekw.com