Guelph General Hospital says if there was a theme to the past year, it would be ‘ongoing challenges.’
Guelph General Hospital (GGH) ended its fiscal year with a $1.5 million deficit, but a report to its board said it continues to be one of the most cost-efficient community hospitals in the province.
In the report, presented to the hospital board on Tuesday, administration said GGH operated more beds than it was staffed or budgeted for during most of 2018-19 and that Guelph’s population growth and aging population resulted in an increase in patient days at the hospital.
The report said the hospital is under increased pressure for hospital services and the operation of those unfunded beds.
“The teams worked hard to find savings,” said the report.
In mid-May, four administrative positions were eliminated and an additional position was reduced from full time to part time, said Perry Hagerman, senior communications specialist at GGH.
Due to privacy considerations, Hagerman could not say what positions were cut as a result of the positions being eliminated.
The goal, said Hagerman, is to continue to provide quality care and positive patient and staff experiences.
“We made changes to our leadership structure to assist in balancing our budget and to achieve our strategic priorities,” said Hagerman.
No changes have been made to the hospital’s programs and services as a result of the effort to find savings, said Hagerman, but he noted there was a slight increase in the cost of parking at GGH.
“Back in May the (provincial government) allowed up to a 2 per cent increase in parking rates which we implemented,” said Hagerman.
Currently, the rate to park at the hospital is $2.50 per half hour, up to a maximum of $12.25 per day. GGH offers free parking to vehicles parked for 20 minutes or less at the gated lots.
The hospital received a record amount of funding through donations this year, with $4.5 million raised through the GGH Foundation and an additional $8.2 million committed for future projects.
“Our two largest-ever gifts, from Linamar and the Hasenfratz/Newton/Stoddart family, and John and Barbara Wood were announced and celebrated,” said the report.
In total, donors funded more than 300 large and small items used in patient care, with a total cost of more than $2.7 million.
“Almost every dollar spent on patient-care equipment comes from a donor,” said the report. “that helped our team provide the highest quality care and experience for our patients and their families.”
“We could not provide excellent care without them and we are fortunate and privileged that they chose GGH. We are privileged to be working with so many very talented and dedicated people who make GGH such a great place to work and receive care. We want to thank all of the staff, professional staff, volunteers, our Foundation, donors and partners for their ongoing commitment and support. We look forward to our continued work together to improve the health and lives,” said the report.
The report was signed by GGH board of directors chair Dale Mills and Marianne Walker, president and CEO of GGH.
