Category Archives: Health System

Ontario Ombudsman Andre Marin has completed his investigation into the process used in two key Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) decisions. The ombudsman received 37 complaints about the Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant LHIN from residents, community associations, health care professionals and a Hamilton-area MPP. The complaints stemmed from decisions to reorganize services at the Niagara Health System and at Hamilton Health Sciences. The Ombudsman’s office has told the media that the findings will be released in the next several weeks. … Dr. Alan Drummond, speaking on behalf of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, said national standards are needed in planning emergency care. “Let’s decide what we as a nation are going to accept in terms of time and and distance to effective emergency care, because that doesn’t seem to be defined by anybody,” he told the Canadian Press. Drummond was responding to the recent death of an 18-year-old Niagara woman who died before being able to reach the Welland Hospital. Her family believe her life may have been saved had she been able to go to the former Fort Erie hospital. Fort Erie’s ER was closed due to budget restraints last year. “Why don’t we take this opportunity of this tragic death to say, ‘look, let’s re-dedicate ourselves to planning effectively. Let’s not make health care decisions based on budgetary constraints within regional health authorities.” BC is the only province in Canada that has developed such standards. The province has stipulated that 98 per cent of residents in a region should be able to get access to an emergency department within an hour. … The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario has released a paper challenging the provincial political parties to adopt platforms that strengthen the health care system and improve communities. Creating Vibrant Communities: RNAO’s Challenge to Ontario’s Political Parties outlines key policy priorities for the nursing association. Copies can be downloaded from the RNAO web site at http://www.rnao.org/ …Dan Carriere, CEO of Southlake Regional Health Centre, will head up the Peer Review of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Carriere has been CEO of the Newmarket based hospital for 16 years. The final report is expected at the end of April. … Four hospitals in the Central East LHIN are getting additional money through the $10 million provincial growth fund. The fund is intended to make adjustments to the budget of hospitals situated in regions with high population growth. Lakeridge Health is receiving $1,054,400 – enough the pull the hospital out of deficit for the first time since amalgamation. Rouge Valley will receive an additional $236,400, Northumberland Hills will get $63,800, and Campbellford Memorial will get $55,400.

More hospital CEOs are warning of impending cuts should the province freeze funding to hospitals later this year. Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj told the Windsor Star  “if the announcement is zero, which is not going to be a shocker… there isn’t one hospital in this LHIN that is going to be able to balance (its budget) without making service cuts and job cuts.” Musyj told the newspaper wage restrictions are necessary to avoid job losses and service reductions. OPSEU continues to maintain a web site where those opposed to a funding freeze can write an e-letter to their MPP and copy it to the premier, health minister, and two opposition health critics. Go to www.avoidingzero.ca  ….  Family physicians will no longer be able to determine if a patient needs bariatric surgery, but will instead have to refer him or her to one of five designated assessment centers in the province. Bariatric surgery includes gastric bypass, a procedure which reduces the volume of the individual’s stomach. Ontario is trying to repatriate the OHIP-funded surgeries from the United States. More than 1600 patients travelled to the U.S. to get the procedure despite the fact that it costs the province $10,000 more per patient than had it been performed in Canada. Ontario is spending $75 million to expand the province’s capacity to perform the surgeries to 1470 per year from 244. At least four new “bariatric centres of excellence” will be established. At present there is none between Toronto and Ottawa and in the north. Before patients can be accepted for OHIP coverage, they have to fail a three-month lifestyle intervention to reduce their weight. … Advocates for a single payer health care system in the United States are upset about what’s left of President Obama’s health plan after it passed the House and Senate. San Francisco nurse Eileen Prendiville writes in an international health workers e-newsletter: “people will be forced to purchase high-cost, low coverage policies. Those who don’t will be fined. The proposed industry regulations offer major loopholes and no means of enforcement. The legislation attacks women’s rights by prohibiting any government-subsidized programs for providing coverage for abortion services. And the Senate version taxes existing workplace medical benefits, affecting one in every four unionized workers.” The U.S. National Nurses United and Physicians for a National Health Program strongly condemned both bills, warning that they will worsen the healthcare crisis. Prendiville reports that health insurance companies stocks have soared once it became clear the public option was basically finished. Go to http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/301992/e9fd74c7e8/1750500119/0f48ea2925/.