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Graham Kennedy offered Grace, Rick Evans led us in Oh Canada, and we toasted the Queen and Canada.
President Larry Iggulden introduced the head table - to introduce our speaker, Betty-Lou Souter; Art Wing, District Governor; Bob McKay, President of the South Club; Nadia Lepere, President of the NOTL Club; Angela Carter, President-Elect of Welland Club; Dr. Shragge, Chief of Staff, Niagara Health System; Willie Heidbuechel, President of St. Catharines Lakeshore; Bernie Triebe, President of St. Catharines Lakeshore; Peter Lumsden, Sergeant at Arms.
President Larry announced that happy dollars and birthdays would be postponed to next week to accommodate today's tight schedule of announcements.
Leading off the announcements, president Larry announced that the downtown club has organized an hour long "Fireside Chat" meeting after next Thursday's lunch meeting to bring new members up to speed on Rotary.
District Governor Art, announced that all Rotarians are invited and encouraged to participate in the Rotary District 7090 Annual Conference being held at the Quality Hotel Parkway in St. Catharines on May 5-7. Registration deadline is May 3 rd . Bowling, hospitality suites, Taste of Niagara Gala, Literacy Walk, Takin' it to the Street, Partners Program. Check it out at www.rotary7090.org
Ross Burns has scheduled a Ribfest Committee meeting April 11th at Rodman Hall.
Niagara-on-the-Lake Club reminded us of the "Annual International Rotary Bike Trek" on May 10 th . (Call 905-351-3807)
Rotary South Club reminded us of their "Annual Diamond Gala" at Club Roma on May 13 th . (Call June @ 905-684-7681).
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Diamond Gala Announcement
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Dr. Shragge |
Betty-Lou Souter was called upon to introduce our guest speaker. In her view Dr. Shragge has a clear focus and view of health care issues in Niagara. His background prepared him for his role as Chief of Staff for the Niagara Health System. After graduating from medical school, Dr. Shragge completed postgraduate work in cardiovascular studies in 1976. He was a practicing heart surgeon and was also a professor of surgery at McMaster University in Hamilton.
Dr. Shragge began his talk by describing the experience of a Niagara patient who had chest pains in 1986. After a cumbersome diagnostic procedure it was determined that the patient had one of three arteries blocked. He had open-heart surgery and one bypass was performed. A few weeks ago, the same patient returned with angina pain and it was quickly determined that the bypassed artery put in 1986 was clear but the other two were blocked. A catheter and balloon were used to open the two blocked arteries and two stents inserted. The whole procedure took 26 hours in a Hamilton Hospital and the patient went home.
Dr. Shragge used this example to describe five lessons to be drawn and discussed.
The first lesson is one of change. The changes in the medical field are dramatic and ongoing at a seemingly faster pace. The medical staff and administration feel the anxiety and the patients are confused by it. The reality is that this change will not stop and the challenge is how we deal with it.
The second lesson is in regard to the effect of this change on our hospitals. Hospital stays in 1970 were 10 to 12 days. In 1985 the stay times were reduced 7 to 8 days. Today the average stay is 2 to 3 days. In 2010 there will be fewer beds per capita and fewer days stay in hospital.
Lesson three is the effect of technological change. We have gone from invasive surgery to non-invasive procedures. In our example, from major surgery to the use of MRI scans combined with catheters inserted with balloons to unplug arteries and the use of stents to keep them open while leaving a small puncture wound in the groin. Also, our scanning technology is improving rapidly as we go from analogue to digital.
Lesson four is in the area of communications. We have gone from film to software, from wires to wireless, we are also going paperless but sharing information is important.
Lesson five is in regard to the system. All systems are moving at a faster pace. In our example, the patient did not have a heart attack. The patient went from diagnosis to resolution of symptoms in 26 hours.
The message is that all this is stressing the system and the staff and patients who work in it. Dr. Shragge expressed the view that we have to deal with this anxiety and to deal with it, it is important that we communicate. He was glad that he had the opportunity to do this today.
He said that they are developing plans for the new hospital, which will open in 2010 but it will also be treating patients in 2020 so it has to be a living building that can change with time. They are also building a state of the art emergency room in Niagara Falls.
Dr. Shragge said we cannot do all medical procedures in Niagara. It is important for us to focus on things that make sense for us to do in the area of medical care. We will use centers of excellence elsewhere for special procedures and we will find partners to fill in the gaps.
In summary, Dr. Shragge is confident we can improve the system; we can go where the anxiety is and we can communicate and work together.
District Governor, Art Wing, thanked the speaker for his fine presentation and in appreciation, President Larry presented Dr. Shragge with a certificate indicating that a donation had been made in his name to the Canadian Landmine Foundation.
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Dr. Shragge and Larry Iggulden
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The meeting was adjourned.
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