32 - Wednesday, July 24, 1991 - North Shore News THE DICK IRWIN GROUP LTD. A NORTH VANCOUVER FAMILY STORY In February, 1969, 8.E. “Dick” Irwin founded Dick Irwin Chevrolet Oldsmobile Ltd. at its present location, 845 Marine Drive, North Vancouver. Although Dick was thirty-seven years old at the time, he had already accumulated close to twenty years experience in vehicle sales and management positions. Through Dick’s experience and dedication to serving the motozing needs of the North Shore population, the interests of The Dick Invin Group of com- panies have expanded in the ensuing twenty-two years. In 1974, Pacific Honda was opened at 725 Marine Drive and is now the oldest established Honda Dealership in Meiro Vancouver. In 1975, Timberline Leasing Ltd. commenced operations as an all-make vehicle leasing enterprise. In the same year, Dick Irwin Limited was founded te acquire and manage the various properties used by Dealership operations. From this strong North Shore base, the Group expanded into Alberta with the establishment of Millwoods Honda in Edmonton, Alberta in 1976. Westwood Handa, in Port Moody, was opened in 1978. In 1980, the need was identified for additicna! protection for vehicle owners requiring repairs which were not covered by Manufacturers’ Warranties. The Continuous Service Protection program was founded and has since provided this vital protection ta more than six thousand purchasers of vehicles from The Dick Irwin Group. Group dealerships have supplied more than 42,000 vehicles to valued customers since 1969. Expansion continued in 1969, although in a slightly different direction, with the establishment of Blackfish Marine which offers high quality motor yachts manufactured by Luhrs, Rampage and Cruisers inc. Since its inception, The Dick trwin Group of companies has been a family affair. Dick and Barbara trwin have collaborated on company matters during their forty year marriage and all of their children are involved in the family business. Sons Rick, Jack and Jim are al! senior, hands-on executives of the various Group operations while daughter Pattiiean Wachtman is serving in key directorship positions while busy raising her family. The traditional *‘Sun- day Dinners” which are gatherings of the extended family, provide an ex- cellent venue for the communication which is so vital to the administration of the widespread commercial interests. ‘The automotive business has become fiercely competitive and there is no end in sight,” says Dick Irwin, “We recognize that our future success depends on our ability to provide a satisfy- ing experience for our customers. In order to assure our customers of quality service, our goa) is to provide the very best of people with the very best skills in all of our operations.” DICK-IRWIN NORTH VANCOLVER,. | % "VANCO NEWS photo Cindy Goodman NURSE PAM Feustet take the temperature of a newborn undergoing phototherapy in the special care nursery at Lions Gate Hospital. Approximately 800 babies are admitted to the LGH special care nursery annually — 50% for observation, 50% for special care. More than 1700 babies were born at the hospital last year. Lions Gate Hospital takes steps to modernize facility DESPITE TOUGH financial times, Lions Gate Hospital is doing its best to keep pace with medical advancement and the changing needs of the community. One year after LGH unveiled its $130-milliion master plan for an expansion, the hospital is still By Elizabeth Collings News Reporter struggling to find enough dollars to start the design process. But LGH president Robert Smith said the expansion is needed because the hospital facility no a | 4& Make new business coutacts and friendships — increase your business network 4 Attend Chamber sponsored business events: monthly luncheons featuring guest speakers, Business After Business, After Hours, workshops, seminars and other social activities which expand business and personal knowledge. 4 Receive on informative monthly would you like todo more publication, the UPDATE’ anda yearly membership roster — valuable sales and marketing tools. a Receive upon request, resource materials such as community maps, tourist information brochures and economic studies directly related to the North Shore. 4 Obtain insurance benefits through our Group Insurance Plan. & Target your marketing efforts through the Chamber's publications. 4 Mail important information about business? your business at reduced rates to each member of the Chamber. & Share in a ready forum to present your ideas for dealing effectively with community programs and concems, and participate in the solutions. # Ensure that North Vancouver continues to be a progressive community in which to live and work. All these and (nore when you join the: i NORTH VANCOUVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 13t Fast 2nd St., North Vancouver, B.C. V7L 1€2. 987-4488 longer fulfills the needs of hospi- tai s‘arf and patients, nor do the cutdated buildings comply with many of the current fire and building codes. “The major footprint of the hospital represented what we knew about health care in the mid-’50s and ’60s. Health care has changed very, very dramaticaily in the in- _tervening period, so we have really to look at trying to deliver the care that’s expected of us from facilities that aren’t always neces- sarily just appropriate facilities,’’ Smith said. The hospital’s original building, the activation unit, dates back to 1929. In 1961, the main nursing tower was added, and then in 1978, the northern expansion was built. Two extended care units were built in 1971 and 1981. But the hospital has outgrown its surroundings in many ways. LGH is the largest employer on the North Shore: 2,500 people work at the hospital, the equivalent to 1,580 fuil-time jobs. Salaries and staff benefits for staff alone account for 75% of the hospital’s $90-million operating budget. The average salary for an LGH employee is 342,000. . Last year, there were 17,299 admissions to LGH, and 246,506 patient days. Although the number of patient days is decreas- ing (in 1986, there were 256,328), the intensity of care required by patients while in ihe hospital is increasing, Smith said. According to the hospital's master plan, the number of acute-care beds would increase from 461 to 475 and the number of extended care and discharge planning beds, would increase from 319 to 560. LGH is currently a 720-bed hospital. The expansion would also re- quire the addition of 170 full-time equivalent employees. The hospital is also facing the changes that come with advanced medical technology. Although medical technology is reducing the length of hospital stays, more intensive and costly care is required during the stay. According to Smith, the average patient stay at LGH is 7.2 days — less than half of what the average Stay was 20 years ago. LGH is offering more am- bulatory services such as the same-day surgery program and more home-care support to help patients adjust to shorter hospital See Original page 33