New CKHA payment option, Great Lakes protection, new field house

Morning Coffee – By Aaron Hall

Weather forecast for Thursday, November 23, 2017

Today – Mainly cloudy. Wind becoming southwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 this morning. High 6.

Tonight – Clearing this evening. Wind southwest 20 km/h. Low minus 1.

Wallaceburg blood donor clinic today

A blood donor clinic is being held at the UAW Hall in Wallaceburg on today (Thursday, November 23) from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

For more information or to book an appointment call the Canadian Blood Services at 1-888-236-6283 or visit blood.ca.

New convenient payment option at CKHA

Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) is offering a new and accessible option for patients and families to pay incurred hospital invoices for fees not covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) or health benefit plans.

A 1-800 number was recently implemented by the organization’s Finance Department to offer a convenient payment method simply by using a telephone keypad.

By dialing 1-800-378-3641, patients can now pay their hospital invoices by following a clear and easy-to-understand automated system.

“It’s nice we are able to give our patients a new accessible payment option,” stated Marcia Soto, accounts receivable clerk, in a press release.

“The ease-of-use of the 1-800 payment system means one less stress to contend with, particularly for patients who live out of town.”

When dialing in to the new number, patients must have a copy of their invoice which contains their account number and a credit card available. The 1-800 payment system accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Visa Debit and Mastercard Debit with an option to receive a confirmation code by text message at the end of the payment process.

“I am pleased patients and their families are taking advantage of this new and easy option to pay hospital invoices,” stated Darlene Tetzlaff, director of finance, in a press release.

“This new option is proving to be a success already with approximately 20 payments coming through the 1-800 number per day.”

Traditional invoice payment methods for patients are still available at CKHA, this includes in person at the Cashier’s Office located in the main lobby of the Chatham Campus and at the Sydenham Campus Admitting office, through telephone by speaking with an Accounts Receivable Clerk at 519-352-6400 ext. 6319, by mail or online at www.ckha.on.ca under the Patient Care page, Discharge Planning section.

Patients who have questions about their invoices are advised to call the Business Office at 519-380-2883.

Group calls for more Great Lakes protection

On Wednesday, mayors, businesses and NGOs gathered in Ottawa to call for a collaborative process to amplify and accelerate Great Lakes and St. Lawrence protection and restoration, at their second annual Parliament Hill Days.

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence advocates requested that Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna establish an Independent Panel of Stakeholders to undertake a strategic review of federal Great Lakes and St. Lawrence investments and programs with a view to increasing investment and improving programing to protect the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence.

“We cannot overestimate the importance of immediate decisive action to ensure the long-term health of the Great Lakes,” stated Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope, in a press release.

“This is not a situation where we get a second chance. There comes a tipping point when damage is irreversible. We cannot afford to reach that point.”

“Despite years of effort by all levels of government, we are not keeping up with the compounding stressors and new threats to the Great Lakes,” added Tony Maas, of Freshwater Future, in a press release.

“We need to up our game to combat the impacts of climate change, agricultural and urban run-off, new chemicals, invasive species and habitat loss.”

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, Freshwater Future, Council of the Great Lakes Region, Strategies Saint Laurent and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission and other key stakeholders met with Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna while in Ottawa, to propose a Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Collaborative Strategy to find ways to accelerate and amplify the impact of investments and programs to protect and restore the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence.

“We are inspired by the success of the US Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which demonstrated how federal commitment and financing transformed the shorelines and communities of the Great Lakes,” stated Paul Dyster, Mayor of Niagara Falls New York and Chair of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, a binational coalition of mayors.

“We are committed to working together to achieve the same success here in Canada.”

The groups are proposing the creation of an Independent Panel of Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Stakeholders to undertake a strategic review of federal programs and investments to better support the existing Structural Programs, such as the St. Lawrence Action Plan and the ZIP Program, to meet commitments and priorities identified under existing Great Lakes and St. Lawrence intergovernmental agreements and plans.

The Independent Panel would then consult with stakeholders on recommended investments and programming to address the priorities effectively. Given their critical stake in Great Lakes and St. Lawrence management, the Governments of Québec and Ontario and First Nations and Metis political leadership would also be asked to participate in this process.

“A healthy Great Lakes St. Lawrence Region is essential for the success of the Canadian economy,” stated Mark Fisher, President and CEO of the Council of the Great Lakes Region, in a press release.

“Our global competitiveness and our ability to attract talent rests on protecting our greatest asset – our high quality of life on the shores of the greatest freshwater resource in the world.”

The connection between the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence as one ecoregion is of particular interest to the Collaborative partners. There is currently no plan that tackles the greatest threats to both systems, particularly the risk of introducing Asian carp into the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes system via Lake Michigan.

“The waters of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence play a critical role in sustaining the health of one-fifth of all fish species in North America,” stated Robert Lambe, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.

“Asian carp pose an existential threat to indigenous fish and recreational and commercial fishing in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence.”

For more information on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Collaborative Strategy, visit: www.glslcities.org/collaborative

Christmas Kettle Campaign starting in Wallaceburg

The annual Christmas Kettle Campaign is set to begin for the Salvation Army in Wallaceburg today.

The Kettles will be going until December 23.

Anyone interested in volunteering in Wallaceburg can call Heather at 519-627-8257.

Construction begins on soccer field house

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent has started construction on a new field house behind the Health and Family Services Building on Lark Street in Chatham.

The project is the result of a partnership between the Municipality, the Chatham Youth Soccer Association, Community Living Chatham-Kent, and the CK Public Health Unit.

“We’re very fortunate to have such a great working relationship with our community groups,” stated Deborah Veccia, supervisor for Chatham parks and horticulture.

“They not only identified an important need, they assisted with the funding and ongoing operations.”

The field house will provide fully accessible washrooms, a canteen, and a new storage area for the Chatham Youth Soccer Association. The soccer fields are currently serviced by four portable toilets, while youth soccer equipment is stored off site. The new canteen will be operated by Community Living Chatham-Kent as part of their skills training program.

The Chatham Youth Soccer Association looks forward to the building’s completion to meet their growing demand.

“The facility provides a service to 1,250 boys and girls weekly,” said Martin Aarts, the Administrative Director of CYSA. “Up to 800 players and spectators can attend on a soccer night.”

The $420,000 project received contributions of $75,000 and $35,000 from the Chatham Youth Soccer Association and the Public Health Unit respectively.

Public Health is delighted to see this project move forward. Several years ago, the Public Health Unit had funding within it’s Cancer Prevention Program for shade initiatives; this was a great opportunity to increase access to shade for the many children and families who attend events on the soccer fields.

The balance is funded from the 2017 Capital Budget and Parkland Reserve.

The field house is scheduled to be open by spring 2018.