St. Marys Box Co., Inc.

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The first of two remaining chances for the community to speak up regarding changes in service at the local hospital is fast approaching. On Thursday, April 29, the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance will host the first of four town hall meetings at the Pyramid Recreation Centre from 7-9 p.m. The meeting will include a presentation and follow-up discussion. Senior staff with the alliance including CEO Andrew Williams, chair of the board of directors Leslie Showers, vp of clinical programs Mary Cardinal and director of corporate planning Anne Campbell are expected to be in attendance at the meetings. Williams says they will present to the public the key platforms in the alliance’s Vision 2013 plan with regards to emergency rooms hours and distribution of beds across its four hospitals, as well as provide data that supports the proposed changes. In a press release issued by the alliance this week, Williams adds the alliance is committed to finding evidence-based solutions that will meet the needs of all its patients and create new opportunities for health care professionals. Following the session in St. Marys, subsequent meetings will be held in Stratford Monday, May 3 at the Army, Navy and Air Force Veterans Hall, in Seaforth Tuesday, May 4 at the community centre and in Clinton Wednesday, May 5 at the Equine Agricultural Centre. These meetings will be followed up with two community talks: Monday, May 10 at Mitchell District High School and Wednesday, May 12 at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School in Clinton. Campbell explains these talks will be facilitated by an outside company to ensure complete objectivity, adding they’re hoping by not having administrative staff present from the alliance, participants will feel comfortable to express their opinions candidly. “It keeps it a very comfortable environment for the community to feel free to express themselves, but in a very coordinated way,” she adds. The alliance is holding these meetings as part of its commitment to engage residents in the discussion about changes to hospital services. To date, these activities have included community workshops, an online and phone survey, a newspaper insert and group and one-on-one discussions with the public, community leaders, interest groups staff and physicians. “We are encouraged by the communities’ recognition that hospital care needs to change,” says Showers. “We have a much better understanding of the issues and concerns people have and are ready to move forward to the next level of discussion.” To keep the public informed and encourage public participation, the alliance is undertaking what Campbell calls an aggressive advertising campaign in the coming weeks. It includes radio spots, newspaper ads, media releases and notices of the upcoming meeting dates posted in public areas throughout its four communities. Unlike the town hall meetings, participants in the community talks May 10 and 12 are being asked to RSVP in advance, which can be done by contacting Michelle Jones at michelle.jones@hpha.ca or 519-272-8210 ext. 2423.

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