IHA apologizes to Kaslo over process in ER changes
By Erin Perkins
Interior Health Authority CEO Dr. Robert Halpenny apologized to Kaslo residents for the lack of community consultation in the reduction of emergency room hours at Victorian Community Health Centre.
Several members of the newly formed seven member Negotiating Solutions Team met with Halpenny Monday (September 24), to discuss their concerns over the lack of community consultation and their desire to work with IHA to find another way to continue providing adequate emergency room services to the village and surrounding communities of about 2,500 people.
Last week IHA announced they would be reducing the ER hours at the centre from 24 hours a day, seven days a week to Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as of November 1, 2012. Not having enough doctors was part of the reason for their decision.
The negotiating team had planned on hosting a press conference at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria this afternoon, but we’re happy with the outcome from their meeting with Halpenny earlier that day.
“I’m feeling optimistic,” said Kaslo mayor Greg Lay while in Victoria for theUnion of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) 2012 Convention.
“IHA appears to have realized they should have consulted local politicians and that there was a lack of public consultation in the initial stages of making that decision.”
Halpenny appointed Dr. Allan Stewart, IHA senior medical director for community and residential services and Linda Basran, community director for IH East to work with the team to develop some strategies to improve services at the care centre.
“The challenges we are facing in operating a 24/7 Emergency Department remain real and are significant,” said Karl Hardt, communications officer with Interior Health East in an email statement.
“That being said, Interior Health believes it is important to have further discussions with community representatives and our physicians (current and incoming) and staff about the best model for services in Kaslo. Today at the UBCM meetings in Victoria, Interior Health committed to the mayor and regional district to having that dialogue.
“The team will work with the (IHA) to come up with a model that more closely resembles the community values, so that was a win in my mind,” said Lay.
Lay recognizes the challenges IHA faces in terms of recruitment and funding and he knows there will be compromises made on both sides.
The team had originally requested a six-month moratorium on the decision to have enough time to research options that would allow for remote consultation.
While they didn’t get an answer about that during their meeting with Halpenny, they know they have at least until November to get something started.
“We’ve got October to try and work something out,” said Lay.
In addition to working on the ER solution, Lay would also like to see the community involved in future staff recruitment processes so they can better match medical staff to the community.
He said if the ER is closed down to 40 hours a week, “IHA is driving a stake through our economic development”.
“We’re afraid that if they shut down the ER it will never open again,” said Lay.
No specific discussions have been scheduled yet between the team and IHA but Lay anticipates something will be scheduled soon.
