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"Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, November 27, 2001 - 3 Pay parking at hospital will begin in 2002, says COO By Rik Davie Port Perry Star Lakeridge Health Port Perry officials have con- firmed that parking fees will be introduced at the local hospital beginning in the new year. And, adds Chief Operating Officer Joseline Sikorski, the parking charges may be just the beginning. Ms. Sikorski took time last week to explain to The Star about the local hospi- tal"s battle to save services and rural health care that are forcing not just parking fees but other changes that may be in the works at the local health care provider. The COO stressed that she is in the midst of a battle to bring the Lakeridge Port Perry site up to the efficiency stan- dards of similar size health care facilities in" the province. "We are funded on a system that uses per- patient cost based on health facilities of the same size," Ms. Sikorski said. "There are extra dol- lars to be had from the ministry for attaining cer- tain. levels. of efficiency... 'and there are 'funding areas lost when we can not show that we are using all the funding areas open to us on a par with similar size facilities." What the funding for- mula -- for dollars that are assigned solely for the use of the Port Perry site -- means is that the total cost of the site's operation is broken down to a per- patient cost and sites that charge for parking, or other services, have a lower per-patient cost and therefore qualify for addi- tional funding. This is where the dan- ger lies for the local hospi- tal, says Ms. Sikorski. "Ninety-eight per cent Joseline Sikorski confirms that Port Perry hospital will introduce parking. fees | in January of the budget is funded through health care grants," Ms. Sikorski said. "That leaves, for us, nearly $160,000 annually that must be found through other efficiencies." Those efficiencies come from a wide area of services. "There used to be ser- vices, such as toiletries -- the little packets of tooth paste or soap or a tooth brush -- that a health facil- ity would supply to a patient," Ms. Sikorski said. "We, almost all hospitals, have had to discontinue that as an efficiency to show lower per-patient costs. If a hospital doesn't charge enough for the food in the cafeteria, if they allow free parking, all those things weigh against us for health care dollars and in the end it is the ser- vices we provide our patients that will discon- tinue or suffer if we do not adjust ourselves to what the sites we are marked against are doing." The cuts hit small hos- pitals where it hurts them the most: Patient services and staffing. "Keep. in. mind that 75 to 80 per cent of our costs here are staffing related and only 15 to 20 per cent are supplies and ser- vices," said Ms. Sikorski. "That is realistic with other centres and with the level of service we want to pro- vide to our community. Falling behind in finding efficiencies, that on their face are hard for the public to take, will result in not being able to provide the patient services here that we do now." The one thing that Ms. Sikorski wanted to get out to the public, in the hopes of making the pay-to-park situation easier to swallow, was that when parking fees begin in January of 2002 all the revenue will remain at A 17-year-old Port Perry male is facing a slew of charges after police fol- lowed up reports by the public. Durham Regional Police officers received reports that on Sunday (Nov. 25) around 10:30 p.m. a male subject was observed parked in a vehicle in the Prince Albert area where he was, Teen tries to sell shotgun, tools trying to sell several items, including a shot- gun and power tools. As a result of quick action by police a suspect was arrested and now faces charges of breach of probation, disobeying a court order, possession of stolen property, possess- ing burglary tools and unauthorized possession of a firearm in a motor the Port Perry site. "Every dollar, beyond expenses, remains here to offset per-patient cost at this site and no other," Ms Sikorski said.""We are look- ing at a cost of around $2 and we are looking at longer-term rates for those with family in long-stay sit- uations." When asked how the ripple effect may play out with word that the Medical Associates lot across from the hospital will also go to pay-to-park and that Scugog may see this as a green-light for paid park- ing in other areas of the township. Ms. Sikorski said that while they are working with the munici- pality in implementing the program, she did not on anyone else's plans "I know the reasoning behind our move, | do not know anyone else's plans in this area," she said. Ms. Sikorski said that figures from parking rev- enues, like all funding fig- ures, will be public and available to show how suc- cessful the program might become "The one thing that | want to assure residents of is that any savings or effi- ciencies that we realize will go towards increased findirig allowances that will remain right here in Port Perry for the benefit of our patients and their families," Ms Sikorski said. by Nygard, Haggar for Her, Park Hurst, Columbia, Point Zero, Icelandic, Jr. Kraze, Hollywood, llanco & more! FREE GIFT WRAPPING ° CIDER & GOODIES ON WEEKENDS Sale ends Monday, December 10, 2001 mecs DR@CKS 168 - 178 Queen Street, Port Perry for Kids 905-985-2521 www. brockstore.com according to allegations, vehicle. NY rs s. 1. AAA fa Vode . (I } ' LIE I I LE I AY RA RY EAA VUAARTERARY SNM ANY, . RY FAN ¥. WARY i. DN 2 b