' 26 - Horth Shore News — Sunday, October 1, 2000

Annette Martin
Contributing Writer

* ALTHOUGH the North Shore
Health Region (NSHR) faces a $2
million deficit this year, health
region officials say they are making
strides towards keeping up with -

~ inereasing demands on the medical
system.

“Working Together to be the Healthiest
Community'i in North America” is the NSHR's
mission statement. Board chairman Grant Spitz
opened the NSHR’s annual general meeting

Wednesday ‘at Lions Gate Hospital by saying,
“We are pleased with progress.”

proximately 70 people, including the ;

7 NSHR board members and other stakeholders
atzended -the session held in the hospital's
Medical Day Care Centre gym.

° Spitz “acknowledged: MacLean’s magazine's
annual health report, which named NSHR the
number one health region in Canada. Said Spitz,
-. “We're going for the U.S. now, but we also have
: some: significant health problems (within the”

= “Introducing ; the NSHR’s financial report for
1999/2000, i Bryden, chairman of the oper-
ations. and. audit committee, noted. that the.

"Ministry of Health provides 80% of the region's

funding ($156 million). But even with a recent:
11.2% increase ($17.6 million) in that govern-
ment funding, the region has gone forward with
‘a $2 million deficit. Toral funding for the region, : -
cluding private sources in the Bsc
2000 is $191.8 million.’

Bryden aad Spitz outlined the two main rea
sons for the deficit: The first is the cost of oper
ating, : the’ neurosurgery, unit, which - remains
infunded by the government although 60% of

. patients’ are from “outside. the | region. ‘The:
Ministry. of. Health concentrates most available
money on the: more frequently needed heart,
cancer and renal surgeries...) ~ :

ost of intens récruiting programs to ‘address an:
ute shortage of nursing staff: These measures -
include : upgrading * services : for existing. staff,

encouraging entry level Positions and aggressive: °

y recruiting at job fairs.
There’ just: aren’t- enoiigh (
‘ound,”.: said ,, health < region : = CEO, : Bruce”
‘re even recruiting | back past staff by
resenting our region as a different place to work

~edge.”* He

py: Doe verything | ‘ou need |

jo.require a huge

ffort?: Have you been feeling
: re ‘thai

uiffers from depression
Individuals 'can experience.’

cal year 1999: :

aurses) to go %

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NEWS photo Julie WNerson.

; GRANT Spitz, North § Shore Health Region board chairman, address-
“The’second area of financial concern is. the « es those gathered at the annual general meeting on | Wednesday.

explained. that while the provincial gov ermMnent
. had approved 406 new traning, spaces at colleges

- and universities, hospitals won't see the benefits -

in additional nursing statf for several years.

. Resident John’ Parks, noting the increase in
government funding and the board’s new goals
that, will | require even more funding, challenged

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