Kevin Smith Ph.D., a political appointee, raised hopes to improve local health care.

Like a “new broom,” he started to “clear the deck” and through public participation and increased transparency, he raised public confidence in the process for advancing health care for local people.

Dr. Smith’s challenges, in addition to his expected report and recommendations, should also clearly ensure that beneficial health services will actually be delivered and readily available for local people. The question of “where (location), may be solved locally, however the “when” (timeline) will be the determining factor to actually make things happen.

The added complexity will be the open- ing of the new St. Catharines hospital, expected to be Niagara’s showpiece and resulting in the transfer of some local health services.

The added challenges, to make things happen properly, will also include the realities of the present difficult economic times and the possibility of further political reviews which would result in excused delays.

Let’s hope Dr. Smith’s expected positive views will be reflected as the best feasible health care for local areas and after public reviews and acceptance will somehow be cast in stone. Otherwise the ‘when’ may become ‘maybe,’ even later as an ‘if’ and eventually disappear with the sunset.

Let’s also hope that for taxpayers there will be greater recognition, by the decision-makers, that good health care is not a luxury but a necessity. Excellent health care can be economically viable by prioritizing public/government expenditures and noting that in global terms, Ontario is still a relatively rich province.

Let’s continue to hope and expect the very best, since the quality and longevity of some of our lives will depend on the actual outcome.