The updated model of care at St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital results in the loss of 26 PSWs

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital is updating its model of care, which will result in the elimination of 26 full-time Personal Support Worker positions.

The announcement came on the same day that London Health Sciences Centre indicated more than 200 nursing positions will be eliminated through voluntary resignations or retirements over the next three to five years.

According to a hospital spokesperson, there will be no media release outlining the rationale behind the model of care changes or additional details on what these changes might look like.

The method of care update at STEGH is designed to better meet the needs of patients whose medical conditions have become increasingly complex.

The spokesperson advised in a text message that more patients now require frequent nursing assessments, complex medication management, and timely clinical interventions

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Celebrating The Annex in St. Thomas: ‘When the pain of quitting is lower than the pain of continuing to use, that’s when people are ready for success’ – Executive Director Mike Toth

The Annex, the addictions resource centre and outreach program of the Grace Café, is dedicated to helping individuals access addiction services, programs and supports.
We last wrote about the Talbot Street facility two years ago this month on the occasion of its first anniversary.
The goal of The Annex is to positively impact the lives of individuals facing the many challenges of substance dependency.
It does this through addiction support groups, substance abuse resources and addiction counselling.
In a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental environment.
We caught up with Executive Director Mike Toth this week, on the third anniversary of The Annex, the brainchild of Ginny and Don Trepanier.

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Future tourism signage: Come and enjoy the sun, sand and surf at the County of Elgin’s smoke-free beaches

With the blistering hot weather steamrolling into southwestern Ontario this weekend, Lake Erie beaches likely will prove a popular destination to seek relief from the heat and humidity.
However, is that quality outdoor time sprawled on a beach towel atop the sand negatively impacted by a blue haze of cigarette smoke wafting in the breeze?
The Smoke-Free Ontario Act (SFOA) prohibits smoking in many public areas; however, municipal bylaws are still needed to cover the gaps in places like parks and beaches.
Many municipalities have smoke-free park bylaws, but beaches in the Southwestern Public Health region remain unregulated.
All of that could change by as early as next summer.

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