Preliminary Results of Referendum Show Majority of Peterborough County Residents Vote No for the Privatization of Hospitals

The preliminary numbers show a total of 9,345 citizens from across Peterborough City and County voted NO for the privatization of public hospitals in the cross-Province citizen-led referendum held on May 26 and 27 and online.

file photo.

“The numbers are great. It was a massive effort that far exceeded our expectations,” said Peterborough Health Coalition co-chair Marion Burton.

Volunteers counted the in-person votes on Sunday, which saw No votes totalling 4,866, and Yes votes totalling 65. These totals include some workplace votes.

Online voting results from Douro Dummer, Keene, Lakefield, Millbrook, Peterborough and Selwyn totalled 4,479 No votes and 35 Yes votes.

At press time, Peterborough’s preliminary total of No votes is 9,345 and 100 Yes votes.

There are still some workplace votes that remain to be counted.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Ontario Government Providing Additional Funding for On-Call Care at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre

Member of Provincial Parliament for Peterborough-Kawartha Dave Smith announced Friday that the Ontario government is investing $3,471,232 into the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) to support more on-call funding for doctors working after hours.

photo courtesy of dave smith, facebook.

This funding will help patients to continue to get the care they need in-hospital, right when and where they need it.

“This funding increase will help PRHC by increasing the number of physicians available for patients when the hospital needs that extra support.” said Dave Smith. “This is just one more step the province is taking to ensure the right level of care is available when it is needed and further help reduce wait times for the people of the greater Peterborough area.”

This funding follows through on previous agreements between the Ontario Medical Association and Ontario Ministry of Health to increase dedicated funding for physicians on-call. This funding will support on-call coverage at nearly 100 acute-care hospitals in Ontario.

This funding will support after-hours care at PRHC and allow for more stable after-hours coverage. This investment recognizes the efforts of health care workers, especially those who provide on-call services in addition to their regular working hours whenever hospitals need it.

“On behalf of PRHC, I want to thank MPP Smith, Ontario Health and the Ministry of Health for today’s exciting announcement,” said Dr. Lynn Mikula, president and CEO of Peterborough Regional Health Centre. “This funding for on-call support will have benefits for both our physicians and our patients, and help to ensure that the people of our community and region have better access to the care they need, when they need it.”

This funding includes a $12.5 million investment from the 2021 Physician Services Agreement with the Ontario Medical Association which will also commits to a fundamental re-design of the Hospital On-Call Coverage program into a burden-based funding model. This ensures equitable distribution of funding across physicians providing on-call services.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

PRHC Closing COVID, Cold and Flu Clinic March 31; Alternative Assessment and Treatment Available

With declining patient volumes and a shift from acute crisis management to an integrated chronic approach for treating COVID-19, the Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s (PRHC) COVID, Cold and Flu Clinic (previously the COVID-19 Assessment Centre) will close on March 31.

file photo.

PRHC’s COVID-19 Assessment Centre opened in April 2020 to respond to the community need for COVID- 19 assessment and testing. Since then, it has provided safe and timely access to PCR testing, clinical assessments by nurses, paramedics and physicians, and treatment for COVID-19.

In December 2022, the clinic expanded its services to provide assessment, testing and treatment for patients with respiratory symptoms, including COVID-19, cold and flu.

“The work done to launch and operate PRHC’s COVID, Cold and Flu Clinic over the last three years represents a truly community effort, with a number of healthcare partners coming together to make this service possible for patients,” said Dr. Lynn Mikula, PRHC’s current Chief of Staff and incoming President & CEO. “I am incredibly proud of the work of this clinic, and I want to thank everyone who has been involved in its success – including every physician and staff member who stepped forward to provide their service and support at a very challenging and uncertain time for all of us.”

The Assessment Centre will remain open through to March 31. After this date, community members are encouraged to take advantage of one or more of the following services:

• Primary care provider (family doctor)

• For those individuals without a primary care provider, visit PRHC's website to see a list of care alternatives in the community for unattached patients.

• Call 811 or visit the Health811 website for safe, high-quality care from a registered nurse.

• Visit a local pharmacy. Many prescribe and dispense Paxlovid and offer onsite PCR and rapid testing.
  As respiratory illnesses continue to circulate in the region, vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to protect against viruses. All approved COVID-19 vaccines used in Canada are effective at helping to protect against severe illness, including hospitalization and death from COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines remain available to the public through Peterborough Public Health and participating pharmacies.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Local Service Clubs Launch ‘We Can’t Wait’ Campaign for Campbellford Memorial Hospital Redevelopment

Various local service clubs have launched the ‘We Can’t Wait’ campaign, supporting the redevelopment of the Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) as part of a larger Campus of Care.

In Oct. 2021, Campbellford Memorial Hospital announced that local farmer Jim Curle had donated nearly 50 acres of land for the proposed redevelopment of the hospital. Photo courtesy of Campbellford memorial hospital.

In addition to a new hospital, the proposed development will also contain a new Long-Term Care home, a Community Mental Health Clinic, the Geriatric Assessment and Intervention Network and future plans for supportive senior housing.

With various plans to build a new hospital talked about for decades and formal negotiations with the Province nearing the ten-year mark, executive director of the Campbellford Memorial Hospital Foundation John Russell has seen his share of starts and stops when it comes to redevelopment in his ten years with CMH.

“It really feels different this time. We have the land secured, we have partnerships in place, a local Long-Term Care home ready to redevelop alongside us, and even leadership donors who are beginning to indicate their financial support,” said Russell. “Local governments across the region have expressed their support, we’ve really never been this prepared to move to the next step.”

That next step, CMH says, involves securing a planning grant and the Provincial Government’s approval to move the project forward. Although the approval will not only provide the funds required to plan and design the new facility, it will provide the needed regulatory authorization.

“Simply put, we’ve gone as far as we can without that planning grant,” Russell continued.

photo courtesy of CMH.

Lawn signs in support of CMH can be seen throughout Trent Hills and the Kawarthas, directing residents to visit the CMH website to learn how they can help support the redevelopment process and join the We Can’t Wait campaign.

“We’ve always been huge supporters of the hospital,” said president of the Rotary Club of Campbellford Dave Sharp. “We wanted to find a way to help and right now what we need most is to show the Provincial Government that our community is behind this project one hundred percent.”

Sharp and the Campbellford Rotary Club are one of the local service clubs behind the We Can’t Wait campaign.

This sentiment was echoed by president of the Campbellford Lions Club Don May. The Lions have also shown their support behind the campaign.

“We wanted to do what we could to support this project. The proposed redevelopment will be a huge benefit to our community and everyone who lives here,” said May. “Our population continues to grow, continues to age, and we need this project approved now.”

Neighbouring Rotary Clubs in Stirling-Rawdon and Brighton are also supporting the campaign, and CMH says We Can’t Wait signs will soon start popping up in those communities.

photo courtesy of CMH.

A recent analysis of CMH showed that over the next ten years the hospital will need between $25 and $30 million in renovations and repairs to keep the facility up to current standards, and even if approval of a planning grant comes, it will still take up to seven years until a new facility is ready to open.

Over the past year Public Health has closed admission at the hospital twice during COVID-19 outbreaks as the hospital lacks the infrastructure to maintain private rooms and meet modern outbreak control standards. CMH says certain parts of the facility are 70 years old and as a result lack the accessibility, technology and patient flow designs that would typically be found at newer hospitals.

“It really comes down to one of two things; do you continue to spend money maintaining a limited facility, or do you invest that money to build a modern, state of the art hospital that will be able to recruit top talent and continue to provide the exemplary care our community needs,” explained Russell.

Residents who wish to learn more or get involved with the We Can’t Wait campaign can visit the website.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Peterborough Regional Health Centre Names Upcoming President, CEO

Dr. Lynn Mikula has been selected as President and CEO of Peterborough Regional Health Centre, taking on the new position starting March 31 announced in a virtual press conference on Monday.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre.

She holds an MD CM from McGill University and a surgical residency and fellowship at the University of Toronto. She also has an MSc in cancer genetics from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Management from McGill.

The hospital in a press release says she “brings with her a vast wealth of knowledge, experience and strong personal and professional connections with both the Health Centre and the Peterborough community she calls home.”

During her time at PRHC she has held the roles of Chief of Surgery, Chief of Staff, Chief Medical Executive and Executive Vice President. She lives in Peterborough with her husband and their three children.

“I am thrilled and honoured to have been selected,” says Dr. Mikula. “I am constantly inspired by the people of PRHC, who bring so much dedication, passion and skill to their work every day. The last few years have had their challenges, but working together, I’m confident that we will emerge as a regional hospital that is leading the way with partnership, innovation, and above all, a focus on excellent care. I’d like to thank the Board of Directors for their confidence in my leadership and my vision. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity.”

Throughout the recruitment process, the PRHC says they received a number of submissions and conducted interviews with multiple candidates. While the competition was substantial, they say Dr. Mikula ultimately demonstrated herself to be the frontrunner.

“I think what we can say about Dr. Mikula is that her energy, drive and vision for this organization were unmatched during the search process, and that her reputation and track record as a leader are second to none,” says Robert Gibson, chair of PRHC’s board of directors. “She has an in-depth understanding of the current challenges in healthcare and a clear vision for acute healthcare in Peterborough, and she sees a path forward to a vibrant and exciting future for PRHC. We are so pleased to have identified a candidate who embodies all of the qualities we and our stakeholders have been seeking, and to have found those qualities in an individual who has a strong, established history with PRHC and our community.”

Dr. Mikula is taking the role of the current CEO Dr. Laughlin, who is planning his retirement after working at the hospital for 17 years.

Campbellford Memorial Hospital Introduces New Chief of Staff

Dr. Dimitri Louvish is the new chief of staff of Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) after its Board of Directors announced the decision on Friday.

Dr. Louvish brings more than 17 years of medical leadership experience. Photo courtesy of Campbellford Memorial Hospital.

“Dr. Louvish’s invaluable combination of experience in rural medicine and healthcare leadership and administration is an incredible benefit for CMH,” said Kevin Huestis, Chair, Board of Directors, . “During this challenging time in health care, Dr. Louvish’s leadership will be instrumental in delivering exemplary care and outcomes for our community.”

Louvish is responsible for chairing the Medical Advisory Committee and providing physician leadership and oversight for the quality of care and services according to a press release. He is also joining the CMH’s medical staff team responsible for supporting the 24/7 Emergency Department. 

“It is an honour to be appointed Chief of Staff at CMH, and I look forward to collaborating with the leadership and physician teams to improve the quality of care and access to services for the community,” said Louvish.

Dr. Louvish completed his medical degree at McGill University in 2002. He has worked in urban and rural locations and gained extensive expertise in general and emergency medicine, public health, occupational medicine, sports medicine, musculoskeletal disorders, mental health and addictions and chronic pain management. He is also an examiner with the College Family Physicians of Canada, a peer assessor and physician member of the Disciplinary and Preliminary Inquiry Committee, and a physician member at the Consent and Capacity Board, Ontario Ministry of Health.  

Louvish is continuing his physician practice in Richmond Hill while serving his role at CMH. He took over the role from Dr. Eshay Elia, interim chief of staff after Dr. Bruce Bain retired in July last year.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Campbellford Hospital Situation Reaches Lowest Point After Oct. 27 Outbreak

The COVID-19 outbreak first declared on Oct. 27 has reached its lowest point at the Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) with the South Wing of the Inpatient Unit having been declared over, announced on Tuesday.

File Photo.

Visitor restrictions remain in place until the outbreak on the East Wing is lifted. Due to continued capacity issues and difficulties in isolating COVID positive patients, the Endoscopy Surgical Suite remains closed until further notice as the Day Surgery area remains repurposed as patient rooms to help alleviate capacity pressures on the Inpatient Unit.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Hospice Peterborough Speaks On Medical Assistance in Dying

When the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) legislation was introduced in Canada in 2016, Hospice Peterborough formed a committee made up of clients, Board of Directors members, community palliative program staff and palliative physicians to support the service.

File photo.

They determined that Hospice Peterborough will not stigmatize those who choose MAiD, and that staff will follow the professional health colleges’ guidelines which allow health professionals to talk about MAiD if the client introduced the topic and asked for help in accessing more information.

In 2019 Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) developed a program to support people who were at the end of their life in exploring the decision to enact MAiD. Hospice works with PRHC to provide Peterborough access to MAiD, and impartially support those who are considering this by answering questions and helping to navigate the choice.

“The Board of Hospice Peterborough respects and supports a person’s choice for medical assistance in dying. Therefore, the Board requests the creation of an operational plan for medical assistance in dying at Hospice Peterborough,” said Hospice Peterborough Board of Directors in a statement.

The 2021-2025 Hospice Peterborough Strategic Plan was developed last year to reinvestigate and redefine Hospice Peterborough’s position on MAiD in their ten-bed hospice residence. A working group was formed and an internal process was launched to review MAiD.

This process included staff, board education groups and focus groups while considering feedback from the community. Review of provincial and national standards from palliative care organizations including the Ontario Palliative Care Network, Hospice Palliative Care Ontario and the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

Emergency Department At Campbellford Memorial Hospital Closed For The Night Due To Unexpected Nurse Shortage

The Emergency Department at Campbellford Memorial Hospital (CMH) will be temporarily closed from 6:30 p.m. on Thursday until 7:30 a.m. on Friday due to an unexpected nursing staff shortage.

File Photo.

According to a statement by the hospital, a contingency plan has been implemented to deal with this temporary closure to ensure the impact on patient care is as minimal as possible.

EMS and other emergency services are aware of the temporary closure and during these hours’ ambulances will take patients directly to the closest area hospital that offers emergency medical services.

In reaching this decision, CMH investigated all options available, including reaching out to regional partners who, while incredibly supportive, shared their own health human resource challenges.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the implications of the shortage of health human resources throughout the Province,” said Eric Hanna, President and CEO. “CMH is continuously re-evaluating our strategies to recruit and retain members of our team during these challenging times.” 

Anyone requiring emergency health care treatment during the closure should:

•  Call 911.

Anyone requiring urgent health care treatment should go directly to one of the following hospitals:

• Northumberland Hills Hospital, 1000 DePalma Dr., Cobourg

• Quinte Healthcare Corporation - Trenton Memorial Hospital, 242 King St., Trenton

• Quinte Healthcare Corporation - Belleville General Hospital, 265 Dundas St. E., Belleville

• Peterborough Regional Health Centre, 1 Hospital Dr., Peterborough.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.

PRHC Emergency Department Pressured With Max Bed Capacity and Staffing Shortages; Urge Patients to See Other Clinics If Possible

The Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is experiencing heavy pressure having to operate with staff shortages, deal with constant maximum in-patient capacity and have COVID-19 outbreaks announced in a Zoom conference on Thursday morning.

There were 191 patients admitted to PRHC on July 17 which is considered a high number. Photo by Luke Best.

Dr. Lynn Mikula, chief medical executive and chief of staff issued says the pressure has been ongoing for a number of months that preceded the pandemic but COVID-19 has made the situation more serious.

“We are seeing higher patient acuity meaning that more people who come to the emergency department (ED) are sick enough to need admission to the hospital,” she said.

On July 17, PRHC reported that 191 patients needed to be admitted which is a high number according to Dr. Mikula. She continued saying last month would on average take a person eight hours from entering the ED to departure.

Dr. Mikula urges incoming patients to seek other forms of medical attention that can be treated outside the ED if possible but PRHC will not redirect patients if they deem an ED trip is not necessary.

She suggests using Telehealth Ontario to triage the severity of a condition to go to the emergency room or seek an alternative form such as a family doctor, walk-in clinic or virtual clinic.

“As a general rule of thumb, I think people know if they’re really ill,” she said. “If it’s a more mild condition that you would see your family doctor for, even if you can’t reach your family doctor, explore some of those other options.”

When questioned if Monkeypox has played a role in the contributing pressure, Dr. Mikula said it was an ‘evolving situation,’ they are not yet affected but will notify the public if and when it does.

PRHC has been dealing with staff shortages, especially in the nursing department but is also hiring ‘basically everybody’ according to Dr. Mikula. Roles include technologists, allied health staff and environmental and accountants.

As of June 2022, PRHC had a total of 275 vacancies with a 9.25 per cent vacancy rate for all hospital positions according to Michelene Ough, PRHC director of communications.

“Like other hospitals, we also have ongoing staffing shortages, said Dr. Mikula. “This has required us to focus our limited ED resources where they are most needed. The hospital is very full, operating at or above 100 per cent of its in-patient bed capacity.

On June 5, 2019, the provincial government imposed Bill 124 that wage-suppressed healthcare workers to only a one percent increase over three years. Dr. Mikula suggests that the bill partially affected the shortage but says they need a whole “coordinated system response” to help rectify the problem.

COVID-19 has been a contributing factor to the occupied bed capacity. PRHC reported an outbreak from two patients as of Wednesday and holds 18 people total who are infected with the infamous virus.

Dr. Mukula assured the public that PRHC is prepared in case of another COVID-19 wave or strain hits Peterborough.

“We continue to have our incident management system monitor COVID-19, meet regularly, look at the infection control measures and the other measures that we have in place. We’re ready to scale them up if needed,” she said. “I would say if that’s one thing the last two years have taught us, it’s that we need to be prepared to manage another wave at any time and there are a lot of people who are predicting another wave in the fall so ready and we’re waiting.”

PRHC stated they have explored several recruitment avenues such as the international nurse graduate program to help fill the void. They have been actively recruiting nurses during their pressured months.

“The problem is that every other hospital in Ontario is doing exactly the same thing so we’re all basically competing now for a limited pool but not only nurses but technologists and all the other support staff,” said Dr. Mukula.

Last fall, the federal government imposed mandatory vaccines for healthcare workers at the risk of losing their jobs for anyone failing to comply.

Mukula estimated over 95 per cent of healthcare workers were vaccinated at the time of the mandate and PRHC enforces a policy where all current employees are vaccinated.

“That is not one of the factors that have landed us in the staffing shortages situation we are facing today,” said Dr. Mukula.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.