Defend Public Healthcare

The Sault Area Hospital has yet another outbreak of hospital acquired infections (HAIs), the Sault Star reports . In fact the MRSA outbreak was declared September 7, and 22 patients have now tested positive. Hospital president Ron Gagnon pointed to overcrowding as a contributing factor. "It's showing over-capacity is an issue," he added. As per government policy, the hospital is trying to reduce bed occupancy by developing new programs to move patients back to home.  And the hospital has achieved some modest success.  As of last week, 99 "ALC patients" (typically patients in medical or surgical beds who no longer require a medical or surgical bed), down from an average 103 in September. However, the majority of these patients  -- 73 -- are awaiting placement in long-term care and cannot benefit from these programs. As elsewhere, long-term care spaces are scarce in the community. And as elsewhere, the problem of high bed occupancy and the high number

Sault Ste. Marie has won  its battle to maintain funding for seven mental health beds the Sault Area Hospital was scheduled to lose when it moved to its new facility this spring.  The move is expected to save three or four jobs at the Sault Area Hospital and keep service at current levels. Other modest victories were achieved in Ottawa . The Ministry of Health and LTC has agreed to fund four beds for babies who need extra care at birth at both the Montfort Hospital and Queensway Carleton Hospital. The annual cost of the initiative totals $2.6 million. (Perhaps I'm just a cynic, but we are getting closer to an election, aren't we?) Less helpful was an editorial in the St. Catharine's Standard .  The piece notes that the Regional Municipality of Niagara will likely consider the Ontario Health Coalition's proposal that the province investigate the Niagara Health System (the NHS -- which has made a hash of things by cutting Emergency Rooms among other things). 

The Sault Area Hospital board of directors got a frank report on Tuesday of hospital hallways crowded with patients, fire code violations and cancelled surgeries, the Sault Star reports .  "It's a very difficult situation for our staff, but really for our patients, because they don't have the privacy they deserve in the hallways," according to Marie Paluzzi, the hospital's interim vice-president and chief operating officer. The facility has 31 over flow beds in rooms and 10  in hallways and sunrooms.  All of them are filled with patients. Paluzzi says the fire inspector indicates SAH is in violation of fire code regulations. "He really does not appreciate having beds in hallways." Some elective surgeries have had to be cancelled because of a lack of in-patient beds. Health Minister Deb Matthews has left hospital CEO Ron Gagnon with the message, "Don't look for more long-term care beds as the solution. My impression from her was that tha