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Region’s hospital facing deficit, St. Joseph’s Care Group expects surplus

THUNDER BAY -- While the regional hospital is projecting a $5 million deficit, St. Joseph’s Care Group is expecting to see a surplus at the end of its fiscal year. Last March, St.
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St. Joseph's Care Group's chief financial officer Scott Potts says they are projecting a one per cent surplus in their budget this year. (Jodi Lundmark, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY -- While the regional hospital is projecting a $5 million deficit, St. Joseph’s Care Group is expecting to see a surplus at the end of its fiscal year.

Last March, St. Joe’s submitted a balanced budget to the North West Local Health Integration Network and the care group’s chief financial officer Scott Potts said they are ahead of that budget and projecting a one per cent surplus.

In addition to focusing on service delivery and quality, Potts said SJCG also takes fiscal responsibility seriously.

“We’re always looking for opportunities of improving our efficiencies, improving our financial performance. We’re a well-managed facility and I think it shows in many areas,” he said.

The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre attributes its deficit to its chronic gridlock problem. Funded for 375 beds, they see up to 440 patients daily.

Potts said they don’t have the same pressures as the TBRHSC when it comes to overcapacity and they work closely with the hospital.

“We’re running very close to 100 per cent occupancy at all times. The system is experience a significant long-term care shortage and that impacts the whole system so we see that in St. Joe’s hospital with the number of alternative level of care clients that we’re caring for,” said Potts.

On occasion St. Joe’s will go over the 224 beds its funded for, but Potts said they are more about flow through the system – getting patients to the appropriate level of care.


 





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