Health authorities putting us at risk.

[I Think]

Here is one example;.
An automated system for cleaning bedpans was installed, at Nanaimo General, but it didn't work particularly well. Each cycle took 13 minutes, during which time they couldn't be left unattended since the same bedpan had to be returned to the same patient. The nursing staff hadn't been consulted on the purchase.
Another;
Privatizing hospital cleaning is probable cause of deaths from C difficile as demonstrated at Nanaimo.
Wait times for such things as joint replacements are longer than the first ministers guidelines established years ago, why?

The politicians like Health Authorities because they take the pols out of the line of fire.
Managers at the health authorities tend to be highly paid patronage appointments, rather than competent experienced managers.
Why do we need these very costly health authorities when the province has only 4.6 million people?
BC people had a reputation for not putting up with garbage from politicians, now we seem to be ready to accept any trash we are served.

[Retrosnap]

Managers at the health authorities tend to be highly paid patronage appointments, rather than competent experienced managers.

Got any examples? I didn't think so.

This statement alone shows you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

Here's the Senior Executive

http://www.interiorhealth.ca/AboutUs/Leadership/Pages/SeniorExecutiveTeam.aspx

And here's the Board

http://www.interiorhealth.ca/AboutUs/Leadership/BoardOfDirectors/Documents/Board%20of%20Director%20Members.pdf

Are all of the positions perfect? Who knows? But generally speaking, I think most of the individuals bring more to the table than you could possibly imagine.

[I Think]

And how much does this wonderful board of managers and directors cost each year?
Which ones are not patronage appointments?
What do they do that could not be done for less money in a central Health Authority at much reduced cost?
Why have they built a new wing at VGH with two new operating theaters that remain unused?
Why are they trying to privatize cleaning, laundry etc, when it is clearly understood that reducing housekeeping costs by using low cost labor resulted in deaths in the Nanaimo General caused by C diff outbreaks due to unsanitary conditions?
If these people are such good managers, how come wait lists far exceed the first ministers guidelines?
Give me a break, has any one of them had to scramble to cover payroll on a friday afternoon.
Has any one of them had to plead with the bank to keep the doors open, for just a few more days?
Management develops through hard knocks.

[Retrosnap]

Well, since you asked...

And how much does this wonderful board of managers and directors cost each year?

Executive Team
https://www.interiorhealth.ca/AboutUs/Accountability/Documents/Executive%20Compensation%202014.pdf

Roughly $2M. Same cost of 20 clinicians (nurses, pharamacists, sonographers, etc). Is that a lot? I don't know,' but a glance at the RoomToGrowBC website suggests that there are already far more than 20 unfilled vacancies for these roles. It's not like they aren't trying to hire them

Board compensation
https://www.interiorhealth.ca/AboutUs/Accountability/Documents/Board%20Remuneration%202014.pdf

Not exactly Mike Duffy numbers for steering an entity with a $1.5B budget

Which ones are not patronage appointments?

None of the Senior Executive team are patronage appointments. Donna Lommer in particular is a long term employee who rose up within the ranks

As for the board, it's not clear

Who appoints the Board?

Board members are appointed through the provincial government's Board Resourcing and Development Office which rests within the Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services on behalf of all Ministries. The current Chair of the Board is Erwin Malzer, who has served on the Board since 2007 and was appointed as Board Chair January 2015.

Is there anyone on the board who has credentials that are suspect? Who is "owed" something from Christy Clark? Seems to me to be a broad cross section of business and community leaders from the entire IHA region.

What do they do that could not be done for less money in a central Health Authority at much reduced cost?

Alberta tried that. It was an expensive failure. The current Health Authority is already a central health authority that was previously 6 smaller health regions (North, South and Central OK, Thompson Cariboo Shuswap, East Kootenay and Kootenay Boundary

Interior Health and Northern Health collaborate on numerous things to save money. Much of IT is managed on a provincial basis by IBM, and the entire Supply Chain is under a single entity called HSSBC (Health Shared Service BC), which supports all health authorities.

The time may well come when more centralization occurs. When it does, how will you feel when decisions that affect the Okanagan are made in Vancouver or Surrey or Victoria?

Why are they trying to privatize cleaning, laundry etc, when it is clearly understood that reducing housekeeping costs by using low cost labor resulted in deaths in the Nanaimo General caused by C diff outbreaks due to unsanitary conditions?

So that the limited funds available get allocated to direct patient care. If, in fact, low cost housekeeping is responsible, a return to high cost housekeeping reduces the limited funds available for the front lines

If these people are such good managers, how come wait lists far exceed the first ministers guidelines?

Too many factors to count...not enough money in the budget to fill every operating room, not enough money for 24/7 MRI and CAT scans, aging population, unexpected outbreaks, cost of materials and utilities which increase at a rate higher than inflation, unions which ensure that wages for non-clinical staff are higher than their private sector counterparts, etc, etc

Give me a break, has any one of them had to scramble to cover payroll on a friday afternoon.
Has any one of them had to plead with the bank to keep the doors open, for just a few more days?
Management develops through hard knocks.

And perhaps that is why the senior executive and the board members have achieved success in their lives...they've EARNED it, through blood, sweat, tears and intelligence

Good, fast and cheap. Canada has chosen good and cheap. It's not perfect, and unless someone figures out a way to put more money into the system, it's the best we've got.

[Donald G]

I think that I think has made an extremely poor job of attempting to bolster his/her already formed conclusion.

I think that Henchmen has clearly identified the many faults in the "argument" made by I Think.

Henchmen 10
I Think 0

[I Think]

Due to a past life, I think knows a number of doctors, nurses, physio's, med techs and other health care pro's. They are virtually united in their criticisms of the health authorities. Extensive management experience lends itself to being able to recognize sloppy management practices.

Re privatizing house keeping.

So that the limited funds available get allocated to direct patient care. If, in fact, low cost housekeeping is responsible, a return to high cost housekeeping reduces the limited funds available for the front lines

It has been shown that poor housekeeping leads to outbreaks of such things as C.Difficile which has killed a number of people, eg Nanaimo GH. With 'superbugs' out there proper cleaning is vital.

Have spent time in Mexican hospital and in BC hospitals, no contest, the Mexican hospital was much cleaner, very carefully cleaned, all surfaces wiped down daily etc.

The interior health authority was begun in 2001, how did we ever manage before?
More to follow, but work beckons.

[I Think]

Retro I Think you must have some relationship with one or more of the members of interior health, true or no???

[Retrosnap]

Retro I Think you must have some relationship with one or more of the members of interior health, true or no???

Relationship? No. Do I work at IH? Yes, in a non-clinical area. So what's your point? That my opinions are invalid because I work there?

On a micro level, IH is just like every large employer out there. There are good people, there are bad people. There are petty politics. There are dysfunctional teams, and there are teams that are accomplishing amazing things. On a macro level, they are doing well, given the ever increasing cost and demographic pressures. Show me a health region anywhere in Canada, that is 100% compliant with wait times...you won't find one, and no "manager who begged the bank to meet the Friday payroll" can change that.

[Donald G]

To Retro ...

It seems like people like yourself, who has hands on knowledge and daily communication regarding what is going on at the hospital are, according "I Think" not to help taxpayers understand the situation by making your knowledge known.

To I Think ...

Having first hand knowledge is an asset. Not a liability.

[I Think]

Holy crap batman, the top six employees at Interior Health took home $1.7 million in salaries and benefits in 2013.
Are you kidding me.
Do the brass at the other health authorities get the same kind of outrageous wages?
No wonder there is not enough money to put the new operating theaters at VGH into service.

The fact that Retro is an apologist for IH, indicates a strong bias.
I do not go into IH to work and suck up even more of the sugar daily, but as noted above, know a number of health professionals, nurses, doctors, therapists, and clinicians who almost unanimously fail the incompetence of the health authorities.

[I Think]

Some reports from IH workers.

Constant Restructuring - Lost job due to restructuring and have yet to get another without moving
Management hired who have never worked the job
Union Contracts not abided by - lots of grievances
Loose lots of qualified staff due to scheduling, seniority, management issues

Advice to Management
Stop with the make work projects for managers and start putting patients and staff first.
Helpful
Nov 1, 2014
“too many managers, not enough nurses ”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current Employee - Anonymous Employee in Vernon, BC (Canada)
I have been working at Interior Health Authority full-time (More than 5 years)

Negative Outlook

Pros
some of the nurses I work together with are like family.

Cons
Poor orientation for new staff.
Harassed when putting in for overtime.
Poor support from manager over workload. We ask for extra help and it is denied more often than not.
Staff don't feel valued. New grads cry they are so overwhelmed.
UNPAID Leave isn't often granted, due to 'operational requirements".
Constantly missing breaks, and get questioned over putting in for them. Most nurses can't be bothered anymore. Poor support for nurses. Everyone is getting burned…
Show More
Advice to Management
Care more about your staff than about finances. Retaining staff should be a priority.

[Donald G]

To I think ...

I will wait to hear what the professionals, nurses, doctors, therapists, and clinicians who (ACCORDING TO YOU) "almost unanimously fail the incompetence of the health authorities" have to say before deciding what to believe.

I could be wrong but I seriously doubt that they have asked you to speak for them. I also seriously doubt the validity of your all inclusive condemnation of IH since it does not seem to be repeated by a bit more objective people.

[I Think]

Well Donald, since you may not have read the above quotes, they are from health care workers who speak for themselves.
Your post says nothing, it gives no counter argument, no evidence that there is any error in fact, it simply tries to discredit.

Try to come up with counters to the fact of huge salaries, to the facts of disgruntled health care workers, to the fact of neglect related to privatized housekeeping, including deaths.
Try to explain the ridiculous wait times at VGH, for the unused new operating rooms.
You are entitled to your opinions but try to present facts rather than hyperbole.

[Donald G]

To I think ...

I do not see how the unexamined comments from two employees out of thousands can be put forth as a representation of what employees as a whole think.

The comments could be from knowledgeable employees or disgruntled extremists.

IMO, based on your collective comments, you definitely have a very one sided negative view of IH that you are attempting to get others to accept at face value.

[I Think]

DG sayeth;

IMO, based on your collective comments, you definitely have a very one sided negative view of IH that you are attempting to get others to accept at face value.

Still no counter to the facts of huge salaries for health authority managers,
Wait times that exceed first ministers guidelines,
Unused fully equiped operating rooms,
Privatized housekeeping allowing outbreaks of deadly pathogens,

It seems that Donald ducks the issues but slags this person.

At least Retro has opinions which he/she states.