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Show VOL.74, NO. 40 THURSDAY. DEC. 29, 1977 City Officials To Take Oath Of Office Mon. Mayor Malcolm H. Beck and Donald Fox, councilman, coun-cilman, incumbents will be sworn into office along with the newly elected councilman coun-cilman Norman Shumway on Monday, January 2, 1978 at 12:00 noon at American Fork City Hall. The general public is cordiallv invited to attend. roues uable ion rora A contract between the BFM Cable Company and American Fork City was approved during regular council meeting Tuesday after a prior public hearing was held to discuss the plan and the cable television ordinance. There were only three people at the public hearing. No objections ob-jections to the cable television plan were raised, but questions concerning the types of movies to be shown, and the installation in-stallation of the cable were asked. Mayor Malcolm H. Beck said there are enough safeguards in the ordinance and in state and local ordinances to prevent obscene material from being shown on the channels. It was also noted that the public can turn the set off if they don't like what they see. Installation of lines will be underground wherever possible, it was noted. However, an agreement will be worked out with the utility companies when it is necessary to have above ground installation. In other business, the council accepted the audit for fiscal year ending June 30, 1977. Mayor Beck announced there will be an installation ceremony at the city hall Monday at noon for himself, Councilman Donald Fox and newly-elected Councilman Norman Shumway. He welcomed Mr. Shumway to the council meeting. In related action the council presented out-going Councilman Coun-cilman Rodney Turner with a Community Service award for the eight years of service he has given to the community. A service award will also be presented to the former chairman of the American Fork Hospital board, Wayne Winters. Mrs. Winters served as a member of the board for five years, the council noted. There are openings on city boards and commit tees, Mayor Service Awards to AF Hospital Employees Service awards were presented to employees at the American Fork Hospital at the annual Christmas buffet held at the hospital on December 22. Irene Rawlinson received a certificate of appreciation for 35 years service to the hospital, with Julia Pixley receiving a watch and certificate for 25 years service. Others honored were Mildred Christiansen, 20 years; Alice Batchelor, Monica Johnson, Jessie Mart, 15 years; Edna Lois Cardon, Clarine Jensen, Verda Pierce, Doris Pulley, Dorothy Sorensen, 10 years; and Ruth Morton, Raye Newby, Jean Sagers and Helen Webb, five years. The certificates of appreciation ap-preciation were given by Mayor Malcolm H. Beck, a member of the hospital board of trustees. r 1 I 1 as M I i 7 r ( EE? CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION-lrene Rawlinson, superintendent of nurses at American Fork Hospital, receives certificate of appreciation from Mayor Malcolm H. Beck of the Hospital Board of Trustees. Mrs. Rawlinson has worked at the hospital for the past 35 years. f- msmzitt ,mm Mm V V r "i tl -J t I Beck said, and the council would appreciate having people submit names of residents who would be willing to serve. The council adopted a resolution scheduling the dates and times of standing committees and boards during 1978. The council moved to change the time of the regular city council meetings from 8 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The council meetings will be held at the council chambers of the American Fork City Hall on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month unless a different date is advertised in advance. The planning commission will meet the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the city hall. The hospital board will meet the third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. in the hospital board room. The board of adjustment will meet on the third Turesday at 6 p.m. Other meetings, such as the Steel Days, shade tree, and beautification committee meetings, will be scheduled when necessary and the date, time and place will be advertised. ad-vertised. Annexation Approved The Rustic Hills Subdivision plats "B" and "C" were approved. ap-proved. The planning commission com-mission had previously approved ap-proved the subdivision, it was noted, but final approval was withheld until the water shares had been transferred to the city. Final approval was given to a four-home subdivision as requested by Stan Street and Heber Grant Ivins. The subdivision sub-division is located at 500 North at about 50 West. The council approved annexation an-nexation of the Thomas Crooks property on U.S. Highway 89. The property contains about 11.6 acres. No action was taken on the proposed Circuit Court Ordinance. Or-dinance. Ray Harding, city attorney, was out of town at the time of the meeting, so the discussion was postponed until next council meeting. A proposed change in the hospital by-laws was also tabled. Mayor Beck said the hospital board consists of five members plus the mayor, and a member of the medical staff. The change in the by-laws would allow the member of the medical staff to vote rather than being an ex-officio member. '3, ' ; I - - "- r ' 'v r I ! BABY-When tiny Nichole Holdawsy grows up she can tell her friends that she was delivered by Santa Claus. Here he places the tiny miss in the arms of her mother, Mrs. Rick Holdaway at the American Fork Hospital. Santa is actually one of Mr. Claus's helpers and in real life is Dr. Jack Batchler who delivered Nicole before donning his suit. The baby was born on December 22. Barratt School Dedication Open House Slated Jan. 5 Barratt Elementary School will hold a dedication service and open house on Thursday, January 5, 1978 at 7:00 p.m. Principal of the school is Douglas E. Nicholes. Teachers at the school include, in-clude, Kindergarten, Teri Cook and Deborah Hickenlooper; first grade, Jeniel Howell, Deborah Bingham, Linda Erickson, Karen Haskell; second grade, Mary Nielsen, Julie Hasler, Lucinda McClean and Gail Trujillo; third grade, Sherl Miner, Terri Davis, Sheree Peterson; fourth grade, Beverly Brooks, Dorothy Furniss, Connie Robbins, Virginia Sokolowsky; fifth grade, Jerry Jacob, Dr. William Doxey, Marva Peterson; sixth grade, Fred Spencer, Ronald Pope, Kathleen Spencer; resource, Shirley Swenson; EMR teacher, Pamela Simpson; media, Lois Beck; aide, La Verne Neidin; secretary, Margie Terry; custodians, Tim Durrant and Danny Graff; school lunch, Virginia Gasser, Judy Robinson, Valynnne Spencer, Peggy Wall, Mary Wright; psychologist, Walter Brock; school nurse, Marguerite Carroll ; speech and hearing, Clarence Myrup. P.T.A. officers at the school are: President, Jim Hilton; vice pres., Joyce Boley; third vice pres., Carolyn Miner; secretary, Joy Wood and treasurer, Carol Lee Ford. PROGRAM Welcome Principal Douglas E. Nicholes Flag Ceremony Sixth Grade Boy Scouts Invocation Dale Gunther Songs Fifth & Sixth Grades Chori's "God Bless America" "Barratt School Song" Presentation Thomas A. Barratt Family Remarks Gareth Seastrand Remarks Superintendent Dan W. Peterson Songs Fifth & Sixth Grade Chorus "Bless This House" "Trusting" Remarks and Dedicatory Prayer Leland F. Priday Damage Placed at $4,000 IfaMais mil I to Am. FsrCi Sdirols 25 YEARS-Julie Pixley receives watch from Mayor Malcolm H. Beck, a member of the American Fork Hospital Board of Trustees. Mrs. Pixley was honored for 25 years service at the hospital. Two American Fork schools were damaged by vandals on Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, December 20, 21, with early estimate of damage placed at $4,000. Harold Jacklin, spokesman for the Alpine School District, said the American Fork Junior High School, 1120 North 20 West, and American Fork High School, 510 North 600 East, both had extensive damage. At the junior high school, vandals hammered out windows win-dows and doors, tipped over file cabinets, knocked over library stands and scattered books and papers. At the high school, damage was similar but not as extensive. ex-tensive. Principal Arlo Shelley If the women's lib movement move-ment becomes a reality, it is hoped the question is resolved as to whom will get the dog house. said a lot of glass had been broken in the building and that the communication system was damaged. At both schools, vending machines containing candy or school supplies were broken into, but apparently no money or supplies taken, Mr. Jacklin said. . He said this is believed to tc the first time schools in the district had been broken into with deliberate destruction as the apparent motive. Over the years, vandalism has been reported but things were stoken on these occasions, he said. In what appeared to be a related incident, Burrell Construction and Supply Company, 600 East Main, had a large semi-truck damagea. Officer Paul Durrant of the American Fork Police Department said some one had taken a hammer and broken the windshield and other glass in the truck including glass in the dash board. Damage was estimated at $700. 0 W lyii II The Utah Transportation Commission has adopted a permanent 55 miles per hour speed limit for the state. The action came Wednesday evening in Nephi at the conclusion con-clusion of the final public hearing on the proposed permanent rule. The other two hearings were this month in St. George and Salt Lake City. The commission made permanent an emergency rule which had been adopted in August after the Utah Supreme Court had struck down an earlier resolution setting the 55 mile per hour limit. n i Hi . IPSf!H al forth 1 V-m T F l-Wi 4Sn&Wk B : 0 a ill y U b B Hgil y HlMBJILOi (Editor's Note: This is the fourth in a five part series of articles concerning con-cerning the operation and future of American Fork Hospital. The series is published to provide our readers with an objective, factual view prior to a public hearing to be held at American Fork High School at 7:00 p.m. on January 11.) American Fork Hospital is faced with some hard facts in the wake of changing patient rates of occupancy, oc-cupancy, spiraling operational costs and new modes of patient care. Where occupancy rates climbed in 1975, they have diminished throughout the past two years. The hospital is now operating at about 50 percent occupancy, compared with 73 percent at this time in 1975. The year to date occupancy rate in October, 1975 was 71 percent; year to date occupancy rate in October, 1977 was 58 percent. This slipped to 53 percent in October, to 50 percent in November. The occupancy rate for 1976 averaged 66.21 percent. Occupancy Rate Decline What is the reason for the lower occupancy rate? Several explanations ex-planations have been given by hospital officials and members of the medical staff. The hospital completed com-pleted in 1950 was a modern, up-to-date facility for that time, but it has not kept pace with the changes in medicine, the medical staff claims. The most striking progress in this profession has come since World War II, with diagnostic techniques and treatments undreamed of at that time now commonplace. Equipment has been replaced and upgraded, but not in sufficient quantity. With the dramatic increase in the population of the service area covered by American Fork Hospital, it would be expected that occupancy rates would climb commensurately. They have not done so. Wayne McTague, hospital administrator, ad-ministrator, said that equipment requested by the medical staff has been considered on a priority and dollar availability basis. It is not possible to meet all requests on the current budget, he said. This condition has a domino effect by preventing new specialists and doctors from joining the local staff. The number of doctors on the local staff is the same as in 1947, while Utah Valley Hospital has added some 40 new doctors this past year! They are attracted by the larger facility, additional and better equipment and more patient care alternatives, the doctors say. In addition, those doctors remaining in practice at the local hospital are finding it impossible to expand their practice. Most are accepting no new patients unless they come highly recommended. One has gone to Geneva as their staff physician, practicing on a limited basis. While there is a medical trend to outpatient surgical procedures nationally, this has not been successfully suc-cessfully implemented locally due to lack of facilities. Plans for the new ancillary construction have taken this new mode of patient care into consideration, but it is not expected to affect the ongoing impatient occupancy rate to any measurable degree, doctors say. OTHER FACTORS Other factors are harder to accept. ac-cept. Many patients from the local area go directly to Provo or Salt Lake City for medical care if their case is complicated. Why? Specialists are staff members at the larger hospitals. Better facilities. The local hospital has only four private rooms in the entire facility. The patient rooms built in 1950 and 1967 have few connecting lavoratories and patients must walk out into the hall and some distance from their room to go the bathroom or shower. Rooms have been patched, pat-ched, mended and repeatedly repaired. The pediatrics department is especially outmoded. There is presently no separation for possible contagious patients and one nurse cares for all pediatric patients. The patient comfort included in planning of new hospitals like St. Marks, in Murray, for instance, make patients feel they are not getting their moneys worth locally. They pay approximately the same for local hospitalization and want to go where they will get the best. For example, during the month of September, American Fork Hospital had 303 admissions. But, at this same time, 205 patients from American Fork, Lehi and Pleasant Grove were admitted to Utah Valley Hospital alone. Doctors increasingly find it necessary to transfer patients to Provo or Salt Lake City for treatment treat-ment or diagnostic tests. Ambulance transfer adds to costs and inconvenience. in-convenience. Staff Favors Sale The medical staff favors sale of the hospital to Hospital Corporation of America. On Nov. 27 of this year, they submitted a petition to the American Fork City Council and American Fork Hospital Board strongly recommending the sale so that a new facility might be constructed con-structed as soon as possible. They cited urgent need for upgrading and expansion in our hospital facilities. "This expansion is needed to attract additional physicians into the area and also to meet the health care needs of the communities in Northern Nor-thern Utah County to provide proper patient care," the petition reads. HCA has stipulated that costs will be equal to but not more than other hospitals in the area. The medical staff feels that the hospital should be sold while it is still marketable and making a profit. The construction d the new Orem hospital constitutes a possible threat of attracting present staff members, further depleting occupancy of the local hospital, if we are not competitively com-petitively equipped to serve health care needs of patients and medical staff requirements. Board certified specialists now come to American Fork to perform necessary surgery on a consulting basis, though most prefer practicing in a larger, better equipped hospital. The doctors favor keeping the local hospital open as a convenience both to their patients and themselves, them-selves, feeling that the number of patients they could serve would be further reduced if they had to make several trips to Orem or Provo to see hospitalized patients daily, in addition ad-dition to maintaining their practice in this area. The medical staff, the hospital board and the administrative officers of-ficers of American Fork Hospital are united by a common goal: all want to serve the changing health care needs of North Utah County residents in an efficient, modern facility and at competitive costs. Next week: Sell or Stay - The Alternatives.???? Limit ikioptaa The commissioners said safety was the primary reason for making the speed limit permanent. Commissioner Clem H. Church, Panguitch, who earlier had opposed the speed limit, said he changed his mind because of the number of lives that had been saved by the 55 miles per hour limit. He said that in 1974, over 9,000 lives had been saved across the nation and that number represented more than the combined populations of Kane, Garfield, and Piute Counties. Commissioner Church made the motion to adopt the permanent limit. Charles E. Ward, Transportation Tran-sportation Commissioner from Ogden, seconded the motion saying that he had always been in favor of the speed limit for safety reasons. Commissioner Wayne S. Winters, Provo, made the vote unanimous. Commissioners R. LaVaun Cox, Salt Lake City, and Samuel J. Taylor, Moab, were unable to attend the last hearing. The 55 miles per hour limit was mandated by Congress in late 1973. States that do not aggressively enforce the 55 miles per hour limit have been threatened with the losi of federal highway construction dollars. If the state limit were more than 55 miles per hour, Utah could lose $77 million a year, which represents the bulk of Utah's highway construction budget. Governor Scott M. Matheson has said that he intends to recommend the Utah Legislature adopt a statutory maximum speed limit of 55 miles per hour. |