by Ralph Plath
Northern News Services

FORT SIMPSON (June 13/97) - The Department of Health and Social Services is getting closer to a decision on its restructuring plans for the Fort Simpson Hospital.

The village recently received a letter indicating that the most cost-effective plan is to renovate the hospital to include a new long-term care wing.

Regional health administrator Nick Sibbeston said he is hopeful a decision will be made in the near future. "I feel very positive because we're beginning to get a lot of local support and consensus for the renovations," he said.

The hospital would continue to have full-time physician services, four acute-care beds, and other services. In addition, the long-term care wing would accommodate 20 patients in a setting similar to that of the Stanley Isiah Seniors Centre.

"It will be comfortable for them -- not an institutionalized setting," Mayor Norm Prevost told village councillors at a regular meeting last week.

In turn, the current senior centre, which is owned by the NWT Housing Corporation, may become independent-living housing for seniors.

Preliminary architectural plans have already begun with a tentative start to the project next spring, as public consultations and ministerial approval still has to be done.

"It seems like a workable plan," Prevost said.

Health boards in Hay River, Fort Smith and Yellowknife have given their verbal support for the plan as long-term care clients will have to move to one of those communities if more space isn't made available in Fort Simpson.

The Stanley Isiah Seniors Centre is currently running at full capacity.

But the department admits even that a re-structuring plan would require a substantial amount of money -- about $5 million. And that has some councillors worried, even though the Department of Health and Social Services maintains it will pay all of the costs.

"I don't want it to affect our funding," said councillor Owen Rowe. "I want to see it in writing, the support and plan for funding."

Mayor Prevost is also worried a shortfall in funding may compromise the potential new long-term care wing, and its clients.

But Prevost would like to address the problem council sees in the process used in hiring Sibbeston to oversee health and social services restructuring for the region.

"There's still that first issue that we have to resolve," Prevost told councillors.