The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance released its 2014 operating budget and nearly 25 positions will be affected by restructuring.

It’s unclear if jobs would be lost, but the hospital says it’s working with its union leadership and staff to minimize the impact across the CKHA. The five year plan will see changes on every campus, including the Sydenham campus in Wallaceburg.

Several changes were laid out in a statement from the hospital:

- “Consolidation of Complex Continuing Care onto the Chatham campus and a reduction of beds in operation, which is anticipated to be offset by shorter but higher acuity patient stays. Furthermore, the consolidation to the Chatham campus will allow the organization to provide enhanced access to select patient services, such as seven day coverage of allied health services.”

- “Medicine beds in Sydenham remain status quo, however, they will be relocated to be adjacent to the 24/7 emergency department for ease of access to staff and physician resources.”

- “Continued realignment of lab services, with full implementation of point of care at Sydenham campus and the decommissioning of the core lab equipment, which will now be redundant.”

- “Consolidation of endoscopy (which became a quality based procedure this year) onto the Chatham campus.”

- “Slight reduction of medicine beds in Chatham but with an equal increase in rehab beds in operation. CKHA also continues to work with the (Erie St. Clair Local Health Integration Network) to build community capacity to support transitioning patients from hospital to community through the reallocation of assess/restore resources, including funding, to community providers.”

- “Ambulatory Care will be reviewed for appropriateness of hospital-based service delivery. CKHA recognizes there is an opportunity to ‘right size’ ambulatory care to accommodate the increasing services the community needs, such as medical daycare.”

- “CKHA will be going to market for retail food delivery.”

A third party will be responsible for the long term care facility requested by the LHIN. Five medical beds will be open in the emergency department.

The hospital says the quality of patient care will not be affected.

Officials say the hospital went from a $4-million deficit to $2.2-million in 2013.