One of Eric Hanna’s last duties as Chief Executive Officer of Arnprior Regional Health was to shine the Arnprior Council table with a report on whether the pandemic was drawing the local hospital more into the Ottawa orbit, at the expense of its traditional Valley roots.
The ARH CEO says that while it may be the public’s impression more people are visiting the local ER from the West Ottawa region and further into the City, statistics show numbers are consistent with their pre-pandemic share.
On the other side of the coin, Hanna says without Ottawans attending ARH, the facility would not have a meaningful day surgery program based on local numbers alone.
He says residents are still able to attend Pembroke Regional Hospital for services unavailable locally if that is their preference.
The ARH CEO says under the new Ontario Health Team regimen soon-to-be-announced, our area can breathe easier, in that three of the component areas of the equation have a rural focus.
Council thanked Eric Hanna for his service, as the ARH CEO retires at the end of this month.