IS THE MEDICAL VALUE OF THE PERSONAL TOUCH BEING UNDERESTIMATED AS COSTS ARE CUT

Those involved in health care planning and the possible closure of hea lth care facilities should remember that patients must have confidence and feel secure with the health care team in order to achieve rapid r ecovery. Dr. Jack Rothstein, staff surgeon at a Montreal hospital that has been slated for closure, points out the medical value of personal ized, attentive care delivered by community hospitals. At a time when patients are being given more responsibility for managing their own ca re, he argues, elements of the health care system that help achieve co ntinuity of care patient empowerment should be protected. The issue is important in Montreal because the government has announced plans to c lose seven hospitals with 1224 acute-care beds.