Despite the never-ending search for qualified physicians and the constant scramble for funding, the mood at the recent annual meeting of the Headwaters Health Care Centre was decidedly upbeat.

Addressing those in attendance at the Monora Park Pavilion, outgoing president and CEO Bob Baynham declared: "We're enjoying, perhaps, the most stability we have had in years."

Most noteworthy is an improvement in the hospital's funding.

Headwaters entered the fiscal year with a projected budget deficit of just under $1 million. Following discussions with the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and a subsequent peer review, Headwaters received an end-of-year allocation of $1 million.

As well, an announced $1.7-million increase in base funding for 2008- 2009, (the hospital's fiscal year ends in March), enables Headwaters to plan for both a balanced ledger and additional investment in such areas as the emergency department.

In spite of the windfall, Dr. Baynham and board of directors chairman John McDermid presented a note of caution in the centre's annual report.

"Headwaters continues to receive funding at a lower level than many comparable hospitals and at a significantly lower level than our neighbouring hospital (William Osler Health Centre in Brampton) in the LHIN. We are committed to continuing to pursue a move towards equity."

Other forward-moving incentives at Headwaters include the development of clinical partnerships with area hospitals to facilitate referrals for acute, non-acute, or elective patients.

The hospital is also an active participant in electronic information systems, or "e-health" projects. Among other things, the e-health initiatives allow emergency department physicians to access drug information, view pertinent reports from the admissions, laboratory and radiology departments, and track the impact of nursing care on patient outcomes.

There are also encouraging statistics in regards to emergency wait times, the reduction of which has been a goal of hospitals across the province.

In the last quarter of 2007-08, Headwaters launched what it calls a LEAN initiative, designed to improve patient satisfaction, decrease emergency department (ED) visit time, decrease overtime, maintain off-load ambulances at 30 minutes, improve staff satisfaction and improve inter-department processes and communication.

In 2007-08, over 80 per cent of patients in EDs were treated within a sixhour time frame.

The hospital launched its heart function in clinic in April, 2007 and the outcome has been reduced ED visits and readmissions to the hospital for the patients who participate in the clinic.

The meeting ended with the presentation of the Dr. David Scott Award to Dori Ebel. The award is given to the person a hospital panel feels has made the most outstanding contribution to the overall health and well-being of the community.

Through her work with the IODE, Ms. Ebel has worked with hospital fund-raising programs. She is also an active member of the Dufferin chapter of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and started the chapter's Curl for Heart and Stroke fundraiser which has generated almost $79,000 for research, as well as emergency equipment.