In Brief: The Ottawa Hospital could lose eight per cent of its beds if a funding freeze takes place / Windsor Regional Hospital CEO crows of new jobs while layoffs continue to be issued / More

The Ottawa Citizen reported today that a funding freeze would require The Ottawa Hospital would lose 100 of its 1,200 beds, or eight per cent of its total capacity. In addition it would need to close six to eight operating rooms to cover a $43 million deficit on a budget of $970 million. In total, six Ottawa area hospitals would lose 163 beds and have to chop $65.3 million. … Amid layoffs at the Windsor Regional Hospital and the Windsor Hotel Dieu Hospital, a Windsor business magazine has run a cheerful story on how hundreds of jobs will be coming to the community through the expansion of the Windsor Regional Hospital. “It’s huge,” said hospital CEO David Musyj, telling the magazine there will be a “broad spectrum” of jobs, including RNs, RPNs, housekeepers, food and nutrition workers, porters, occupational and recreational therapists. One has to wonder whether Musyj has shared this with his HR department, who may have to spend heavily to recruit back those they are presently giving layoff notice to. … OPSEU VON home support workers may be hitting the picket line later this month if their employer insists on cutting back on their paid travel time. This is despite a huge geographic area covered by these workers.  … North Bay’s municipal council voted unanimously in support of keeping 31 psychiatric rehabilitation beds in their city. With the North East Mental Health Centre moving to the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) in about a year, a committee is looking at three options for the beds – send them to Sudbury, Sault Ste Marie or keep them in North Bay. Space for the 31 beds was never incorporated into the design of the new NBRHC. Loss of the beds would mean the loss of about 62 direct jobs. The committee is expected to make its recommendations at the end of March.