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January 31, 2007 The Board of Directors of Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation held its regular monthly meeting January 29, 2007 at the Saint John Regional Hospital. The following are highlights of that meeting: Trauma presentation Heather Oakley, Administrative Director Trauma Program and Dr. Andrew Trenholme, orthopaedic surgeon and Medical Director of AHSC’s Trauma Program gave Board members and guests an overview of AHSC’s Trauma Program. They educated those in attendance on the criteria for accreditation as a Level 1 Trauma Centre by the Trauma Association of Canada and noted that Atlantic Health Sciences first achieved this distinction in 1996. As a level 1 Trauma Centre, AHSC must demonstrate Leadership in Trauma Education, Leadership in Injury Prevention and deliver Comprehensive care for all injured patients while participating in Research activities. Oakley also explained the Trauma Registry as a national database containing detailed information about each injured patient. AHSC Chairman William Teed, Q. C. recognized Dr. Trenholme for his evident passion and noted that an organization must have education and research programs to be accredited as a level 1 trauma centre. “I also compliment Heather Oakley for the excellent job she continues to do on the AHSC Trauma Registry and Injury Prevention,” Teed said. Report of the CEO In her report AHSC President and CEO Dora Nicinski advised members that Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation is continuing its efforts to ensure health services are available for patients in their official language of choice. "We have a new official languages coordinator working with us and we have had two project submissions approved through the Canada/New Brunswick Agreement on the Provision of French Language Services,” she said. Following completion of a successful pilot project evaluating the staffing the Emergency Department with a clinical pharmacist, the Pharmacy Department has modified its staffing assignments to make this part of its permanent rotation. Emergency physician recruitment is ongoing. “We are in the midst of an aggressive recruitment campaign that includes advertising in national professional journals and on websites geared to the medical profession,” Nicinski explained. Nicinski also alerted Board members that staff and patients on the 5C North Nursing Unit at the Saint John Regional Hospital were experiencing Norwalk flu-like symptoms. “As a precautionary measure the unit will be closed to visitors until further notice,” she explained. As part of her report, Nicinski explained to Board members that the numbers of non acute care patients in acute care beds continue to climb. “In December 245 patients in hospitals across this health region were currently awaiting Alternative Level of Care placement,” she said. That number is up from 144 patients one year ago. “This places extreme pressures on the hospital system,” Nicinski said. Public Question Period During the Public Question Period, Neil McKelvie asked if the presentation on the Trauma Program had been presented to Emergency Services consultants and to MLAs. Mr. Teed replied that it had. Professional Advisory Committee In his report on the Professional Advisory Committee, Chairman Ken Baird commented on the normal ebb and flow of patients seeking assignment to a family doctor. The closure of Dr. Golding's practice is having some lingering effect. New physicians opening practices in Grand-Bay / Westfield and the Kennebecasis Valley, as well as two physicians in Sussex area who continue to accept new patients, have been able to accommodate the majority of patients on the registry, reducing the current list of patients seeking a family physician to about 350. It is expected that the impending retirement of a physician in Eastern Charlotte will impact the registry numbers for patients in this region in the coming months. Finance Committee
The Finance Committee brought forward a motion to expand a parking lot at the Saint John Regional Hospital. The contract of $849,000 will be awarded to Fairville Construction Ltd. Other Board members agreed to loan the Millar Brittain mural to the Beaverbrook Gallery for an exhibit, which may become a national tour.
Contact: Patricia Crowdis Copyright © 2007 Atlantic Health Sciences Corporation. All rights reserved. |
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