‘Bringing home’ patients essential to maximize hospital’s funding

WINCHESTER (WDMH) – Winchester District Memorial Hospital is involved in discussions with the Champlain Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) regarding local and regional plans for the next fiscal year beginning April 1, 2010.

“Ontario continues to face a significant economic challenge which has made it very difficult for the Government of Ontario to provide hospitals with planning targets for the 2010-11 fiscal year,” said Trudy Reid, WDMH CEO in a media release.  “At this point, we do not know when planning targets for hospital operating funding will be confirmed.”

Like all Ontario hospitals, WDMH has been asked to undertake scenario planning on the basis of 0%, 1% and 2% increases in hospital operating funding in 2010-11. These scenarios are meant to help guide further discussions between hospitals and LHINs in the next several weeks.  

To date, the following information is confirmed:

• WDMH estimates a balanced budget from operations - “if and only if - we can maximize our post construction operating funding,” explained Reid.  “This is a funding envelope of approximately $5 million that was approved to support the opening of the new acute care hospital with its accompanying increase in patient activity.  The funding is added to base budget of $26,347,573 if patient activity increases.”

• WDMH is on target for the projected increase in activity in emergency services. “In fact, we are over target,” said Reid. “We are also confident that the projected increase in surgical day care services will be maximized by the end of March 2011.”

“Our major areas of concern, and subsequent potential funding loss, are inpatient services and obstetrics,” continued Reid.

“We are working with the LHIN and hospital partners to repatriate or ‘bring home’ patients who can receive their services at their local WDMH hospital. For example, we have estimated that over 600 normal obstetrics cases are going to the city when WDMH offers a full service program with midwives; family doctors; obstetricians; pediatrician and anaesthesia (pain management) coverage.”   Hospital officials are predicting a 25% increase in deliveries to the end of this budget year (2010) but need to grow by an additional 75% or approximately 125 deliveries by the end of 2011.

Like any organization, a surplus from operations is required to purchase or replace equipment and technology.  As a result, like other health care organizations in our region, WDMH has concluded that fund raising is no longer a once in a decade objective.  It is an annual reality, particularly for rural communities who want care delivered close to home.