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10 - Friday, May 20, 1994 - North Share Nows

Impending LG

LIONS GATE Hospital (LGH) insiders say the loss of its internship program in June will have serious repercus- siuns for the North Shore.

By Kate Zimmerman News Reporter

Some LGH doctors claim that without interns, the hospital will: B be unable to tend tu patients as quickly at night and on weekends; Bi may lose severul accomplished members of its staff in addition to the interns; and will be unable to attract special- ists who prefer the stimulation of a hospital in which they can teach,

Already, they say, four special- ints are considering leaving the hospital for the U.S.

On-again, off-again patient Ascher Smith is equally alarmed by the changes at the hospital.

“What would we do without our interns?” he asked,

Smith is a West Vancouver businessman who suffers from heart problems and once spent 48 days at LOE being treated for prostate cancer, Several years ago, ain intern saved his life.

“The intern did injections to yet my heart back from beating too fast,” Smith, 74, recalls.

“If they get rid of the interns, what the hell's the doctor going to do? He can't be there day and night.”

UBC's Faculty of Medicine axed the 10-year-old program last year, effective June 14. The intea- lion is to start a teaching hospital in Prince George. That project is now on hold.

Smith feels the loss of the local interns ‘will result in the deteriora- tion of hospital. He is calling for North Shore residents to raise i ruckus over the situation and sup- port the hospital in whatever way they can. To Smith, saving the interns is tantamount to saving the hospital.

With the internship program in place, there are four to six young doctors “living” on the hospital premises for emergency purposes. They sleep on-site so they can rush to a unit when needed. Once there are no interns, LGH will have to rely on the physicians it has on- call.

“Nurses will have to phone around trying to find someone,”

Membershi

said a hospital souree.

But LO president and CEO Rob Smith says he dovsa’t think the lack of interns will be a big impediment, either lo operations or to the hospital's reputation.

fhe admitted that the hospital is currently seeking a neurosurgeon but said LGT staff is always in "a bit of flux.” Smith doesn’t think the lack of formal, ongoing teach- ing apportunities will keep speciil- ists from applying for positions.

“We were nota teaching hospi- tal in the normal definition of 4 teaching hospital,” he said. CA teaching hospital has medical resi- dents (enrolled in a four o¢ five- year program) and we doo't have medical residents here,

“The fact remains, we have extensive leaching programs.”

The president did nat dispute the fact that many doctors are attracted by the prospect of teach- ing atthe hospital where they prac. tice, He admilted that students are thought to keep doctors sharper.

“LE think in the bottom line we've got some gaps to run aad fill and put some fingers ia the dyke,” Smith said. "But don't think (Service to the puislic) will be seriously compromised.”

LGH doctors disagree. They point out that peaple doa't worry about the hospital until they become patients, wheo the lack of interns will became all too real, They also point out that Cions Gate will be the only hospital accessible in the event that an earthquake destroys the bridges to Vancouver.

Once the interns are gone, said one physician, “How can (LG) nat change?”

The intern positions which had belonged to Lions Gate will be shared by other hospitals with internship) programs in’ the province.

Meanwhile, the 12 current LGH interns who should have been eli- gible to become doctors after their one-year program are victims of the province’s recent stipulation that young doctors work as interns for two years before getting their license to practice or embark upon their specialization. ‘

After having completed one year, these interns had to find new places to get their second year of on-the-job training. The hospital's

president said they have all found’

spots —- two of them in the U.S. .

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THE LAST of Lions Gate Hospital's Interns share the concerns of many hospital doctors and patients, who wonder what will happen to the hospital when they are let go. LGH's internship program has been axed by UBC, leaving the hospital without any live-in doctors.

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