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Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, October 12,1994 , Page 17 Hospital changes now nolude 'regional role Whitby General Hospital. has to adapt te survive, says chief executive officer Elizabeth Woodbury (formnerly Barton). Provincial governnients are "forcing hospitals to look at their roles," she says. 'We are now in an era of regionai planning." No longer can hospitais in Ontario afford to malce plans te serve only their specific communities. They now must become part of a larger regional- population. The Whitby hoepital must "determine how we can best meet the needs of the community," she says. The goal is te "centribute" in a positive way te the health care needs of the region. These thoughts are precipitated as a result of the acute care study which recommends the Whitby hospital become a rehabilitation hospital as a part of a Durhamn-wide scheme. However, the hospital is hoping te include acute care as a continuing part of its new CHIEF EXECUTIVE off icer Elizabeth Woodbury (left) confers with administrative assistant Moira Fenner. Woodbury says WGH has ta adapt ta the era of regional planning if it's going ta survive. Photo by Mark Reesor, Whitby Free Press direction, poesibly on an eu-atient bass o"Taxpayers cnn t afford hatcare at the rates they have risen in the last 10 or 15 years," says Woodbury. As an exemple, she says that the hospital could use a magnetie resonance imaging machine. However, the meney simply does flot exist for Vvtby tohave al that it needs. In fact,, Durham Region, which is one of the fastest-growing areas in the province, does not have an MRI machine. Change has been the operative word in the Iast decade. Some of the things that have characterized WGH's transformation include technological upgrades, a change in- the types of health care workers, as well as a teamn-oriented approach te health care. Technology improvements have been one of the greatest changes in the Iast decade. This has helped in patient care, but costs have risen astronomically. Anotheir change has been with the staff at WGH and other hospitals in Ontario. Woodbury says that certain professions, such as midwives, have etmatured," thus prompting a change in legisiation. "Oily by working together" with the community can the hospital survivie these radical changes, says Woodbury. What she plan s on doing as the CEO te help manage this, shift in health care is te keep the community abreast of what is geing on inside the hospital. "'Uncertainty creates anxiety,' she says, which -is just one of -the reasons why somne of the cemmunity is currently up in arms over proposed changes. But lately-it has net been al doom and gloom. There have been some additions made that shouid heip forge a new period in WGH's health care capabilities. In the past year, there, have been some new clinics. Among them are fracture, orthopedic, endoscopy and gastroenterciogy. The hospitai continues te support the community by offering space for pre-natai and other courses. A new concept that wili be implemented in the ceming years is shared services. H ospitais have in the past had informai ereements on such things as bulk purchasing, but these will become a vital part of the new regime. Last year, Durham hospitals entered into a formai agreement. 'We cannêt afford te have unneoessary duplication," says Woodbury. Hopefully, innovative cost-cutting methods such as .shared services can reduce deficits, she says. Woodbury describes WGH as a "terrific resource te the region' which will become an important - component te the region's future health care requireirnents. SEE PAGE20 Communit spirit bulýit Whitby's hospita ByL Brian Winter Town of WhitIby Archivist For several years in the 1920s there was an unsuccessful attempt te build a generai hospital in the tewn, but even with a legacy from the estate of Col. J.E. Farewell and a site donated where insmen Park is new, there was not enough money available te rnake it happen. The stery of Whitby's 25-year-old 'general hospital begins with the late Dr. Joseph O. Ruddy, who came te the tewn in 1944 te 'open a medical practice at Brock and Mary streets. Neariy 50 years ago he began te crusade te establish a general hospital in Whitby. As early as 1949, Ruddy proposed that the old Ontario County House of Refuge, which was replaced by Fairview Lodge, be converted into a general hospital. No-action was taken at that time. For the next 10 years, supported by newspaper publisher Carl Mantz, Ruddy tried te interest the citizens of Whitby i.n establishing a hospital. He pcinted eut that in the 1950s, Whitby with a population cf about 10,000 was t he largest tewn in Ontario without its own general hospital. By 1959, the Town council began te take an interest in the project. In October 1960, a citizens' meeting was called at AIl Saints ' parish hall. The resait was the formation cf a steering committee headed by Ruddy te look into the possibilities cf proceeding with construction of a hospital. Afler much investigation, an application was made for a charter for the Whiitby Hospital Association, which was granted in November 1962. It was signed by 100 people who subscribed $100 each te start it ofT. On Feb. 28, 1963, the first board of gevernors was formed, consisting of 18 members with Ruddy as president. When the board of governors was, formed, it was teld by the provincial government that there were enough beds already at the Oshawa and Ajax-Pickering hospitals te last until 1972, but this did net deter the efforts in Whitby. Consultants were hired te examine 22 proposed sites. On a suggestion by Ontario Minister of Health and local MPP Dr. Matthew .Dymond, a site adjacent te the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital was chosen because the two facilities could share'laundry, steam, sewage disposai and electrical facilities at a saving of $250,000. In March 1965, Ruddy was named general chair. and Cordon Richards, plant manager at DuPent in Wihitby, campaign manager for a drive te, raise haif a million dollars, Whitby's share cf the hospital cost. Hundreds of Whitby residents, many of whomn stili reside in town, contributed to the public campaign, which was the first of a large. scale te, be conducted in Whitby since the tewn was incorporated 110 years before. By June 1966 the fund was within $30,000 of its goal. At that time, Toronto architects Craig Zeidler and Strong were chosen te design the building, which is as niuch a large concrete sculpture as a hospital. It was designed for easy expansion on a site that consisted of 15 acres. The contract was signed in Octeber 1967 with Ilurley Gregoris Construction of Toronto and on Nov. 15, 1967 Dymnond turned the sed of Whitby General Hos pi tal. * Pictured with him at the brief ceremony were Ruddy and Dr. Ken Hobbs. Hobbs was chair of THE WHITBY hospital shown under construc- tion in September of 1968. The first patients the hospital's site selection cemmittee and chair. cf the building committee. During the past 25 years, he has served as chief cf staff and chair cf the hospital's board cf governors, and has taken an active part in the current debate on the hospital's future. On April 25, 1968 the hospital w-as. named by the board of governors afler Ruddy, but the name was changed back to Whitby General Hospital in December 1986. Four cf the founders cf the hospital, Ruddy (posthumously), Hobbs, Bill Nurse and George Lofthouse, were presented with the Peter Perry Award as were admitted in December of 1969. Whitby's outstanding citizens. Several other winners cf the award have been involved in the development cf the hospital over the past 25 years or more. In March 1969, as the hospital's walls began te flse from an cld hay field north cf the psychiatric hospital, it was announced that another fund-raising campaign was needed te complete the building. Increased building costs and interest payable on borrowed money made it necessary te ask the citizens cf Whitby for another $300P000. Twice in four years the people cf Whitby came forth with the money required te ensure the completion cf their general Whitby Archives photo hospital. The first patients were admitted te the Whitby General Hospital in flecember 1969 and on May 14, 1970 it was oflicially opened by Ontario Premier John Robarts. One person who did net witness these historic events was Ruddy, whose energy and persistence led te that opening. He died on July 27, 1969 cf cancer at age 69. Whitby General Hospital bas faced xnany problems over the past 25 years. In 1976 the second floor was closed by. provincial cutbacks, but after another public caznpaign for funids, it was reopened in 1984 as a continuing care unit. * ~ t~ V t ? t t I t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t 1 i t fît t t t t t t i t i it t $ $1 t t t t