Grand Forks Group Caucus Presentation

CONCERNED CITIZENS FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE

PRESENTATION TO THE BC RURAL CAUCUS

AUGUST 29, 2011

GOOD MORNING.   

MY NAME IS CHRISTINE THOMPSON; I AM A GRAND FORKS CITY COUNCILLOR AND COUNCIL’S LIAISON TO THE CONCERNED CITIZENS FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE.

“FAMILIES FIRST” AND “LISTENING TO THE ELECTORATE” APPEAR TO BE TWO VERY IMPORTANT ISSUES IN PREMIER CLARK’S PLATFORM.  AND, THAT IS WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY; WE ALSO BELIEVE IN FAMILIES FIRST AND WE ARE ASKING THAT YOU NOT ONLY LISTEN BUT HEAR OUR CONCERNS AS IT RELATES TO THE DELIVERY OF HEALTH CARE IN OUR COMMUNITY.  WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REMIND THIS GOVERNMENT THAT THEIR POLICY OF PRIVATE/GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIP SHOULD BE APPLIED TO BROADACRES.

YOU HAVE TOURED A FACILITY TODAY (BROADACRES -- FOR THE MENTALLY CHALLENGED) THAT WAS BUILT BY THE COMMUNITY WITH DONATED MATERIALS AND LABOUR, AS WAS THE FORMER HARDY VIEW LODGE WHICH WAS BUILT ON LAND DONATED BY THE LATE YASUSHI SUGIMOTO.   SUGI LOVED THIS COMMUNITY AND DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO IT   AND WAS A CITY ALDERMAN AND THE CITY’S MAYOR FOR OVER 20 YEARS.

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING A CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR HARDY VIEW LODGE FOR 6 YEARS.  WITH THE RECENT SALE OF THE HARDY VIEW LODGE FACILITY FOR ABOUT $250,000.00, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THIS PROPERTY WAS SOLD BELOW MARKET VALUE.  PRIOR TO MR. GUSTAFSON PURCHASING THE BROADACRES PROPERTY, HE ENQUIRED AND WAS TOLD THAT BOUNDARY LODGE WAS NOT FOR SALE WHEN IT IS WAS FIRST CLOSED AND TOLD THE SAME THING AGAIN WITH HARDY VIEW LODGE WHEN IT CLOSED.  WHILE WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS CURRENTLY NOT A MARKET FOR THIS TYPE OF PROPERTY, THE FACILITY YOU ARE IN TODAY WAS PURCHASED BY A LOCAL INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS INVESTED 1.3 MILLION DOLLARS IN THE RENOVATIONS AND RETROFIT OF THIS BUILDING.  WE ARE VERY CONCERNED THAT A LOCAL BUSINESSMAN, WHO HAS LIVED AND WORKED IN OUR COMMUNITY AS A REGISTERED NURSE AT BOUNDARY HOSPITAL, AND TOOK THE STEPS TO INVEST HERE SHOULD NOW BE IN SUCH A VULNERABLE FINANCIAL POSITION.

WITH THE SEEMING EROSION IN HEALTH CARE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE HEALTH AUTHORITIES, WE WOULD SUGGEST THAT MORE ENTREPRENEURES WILL BE LOOKING TO PURCHASE ABANDONED PROPERTIES SUCH AS HARDY VIEW LODGE AT, WE WOULD HOPE, IS A FAIR MARKET VALUE AND A FAIR RETURN FOR THE TAXPAYERS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.

RECENTLY INTERIOR HEALTH DETERMINED THAT 9 TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL CARE BEDS WERE NEEDED IN THE GRAND FORKS AREA.  COINCIDENTLY, BROADACRES IS LICENCED FOR 10 BEDS, AND RATHER THAN WORK WITH MR. GUSTFASON TO UTILIZE THIS FACILITY, THEY EXPENDED $65,000 OF TAXPAYERS MONEY IN TEMPORARY RENOVATIONS TO BOUNDARY HOSPITAL AND REDUCED THE ACUTE CARE BEDS AVAILABLE BY ONE IN ORDER TO MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS.  AT A MEETING HELD IN MAY WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF INTERIOR HEALTH PRESENT, THIS VERY QUESTION WAS ASKED “WHY NOT UTILIZE BROADACRES”; AND, THE RESPONSE WAS THAT “IT IS NOT MY JOB TO MENTOR”.  THE CAVALIER WAY THAT INTERIOR HEALTH HAS SPENT TAXPAYERS MONEY IN FURTHER RENOVATIONS TO BOUNDARY HOSPITAL RATHER THAN WORKING WITH MR. GUSTAFSON HAS MANY IN THE COMMUNITY UP-IN-ARMS AS EVIDENCED BY THE ATTENDANCE AT RECENT MEETINGS REGARDING HEALTH CARE ISSUES.

WE EXPECT BASIC SERVICES THAT WILL PROVIDE OUR CITIZENS WITH A REASONABLE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THEIR COMMUNITY.  WE DO NOT WANT TO SEE THEM HAVING TO BE SENT OUT OF THE AREA, AWAY FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS THEREBY CAUSING UNNECESSARY STRESS TO ALL INVOLVED.

WE HAVE VERY SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE APPEARANCE OF A SHIFT IN PHILOSOPHY BY THOSE PARTIES ENTRUSTED TO DELIVER THE NECESSARY HEALTH CARE SERVICES WE EXPECT.

THE QUALITY OF MEALS BEING SERVED TO PATIENTS HAS DETERIORATED DRASTICALLY.  WE QUESTION ITS NUTRITIONAL VALUE WHEN IT IS PREPARED IN VERNON, FLASH FROZEN, TRUCKED TO GRAND FORKS AND THEN REHEATED IN THE HOSPITAL.  WE KNOW OF NO-ONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THESE MEALS COMMENTING HOW WONDERFUL THEY ARE.  THERE WAS A FULLY FUNCTIONING KITCHEN IN BOUNDARY HOSPITAL WHERE MEALS WERE FRESHLY PREPARED AND SERVED.   WHEN THE DECISION WAS MADE TO TAKE MEAL PREPARATION OUT OF THE COMMUNITY, NOT ONLY WERE JOBS LOST BUT THE IMPACT TO OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY WAS ALSO FELT.

BOUNDARY HOSPITAL HAD A FULLY FUNCTIONING LAUNDRY FACILITY WHERE LINENS AND PATIENT WEAR WERE DONE DAILY, FOLDED NEATLY AND STORED AWAY.   LAUNDRY IS NOW BEING TRUCKED TO NELSON SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK.  THAT LOSS OF QUALITY CONTROL BRINGS INTO QUESTION THE CLEANLINESS OF THESE ITEMS WHEN THEY ARE RETURNED WRINKLED, WITH MOLD DEPOSITS, THREAD-BARE AND BELOW THE STANDARED WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY ENJOYED BY THE PEOPLES OF GRAND FORKS AND AREA.  AGAIN, JOBS WERE LOST HERE AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY FELT THAT SPIN-OFF EFFECT AS WELL CARBON NEUTRALITY IS A BIG ISSUE FOR YOUR GOVERNMENT, AND WE WOULD EXPECT THE INTERIOR HEALTH AUTHOIRTY TO BE A CONTRIBUTING PARTNER IN THE REDUCTION OF GREEN HOUSE GASES BY BRINGING THESE SERVICES BACK INTO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL COMMUNITY RATHER THAN HAVING THEM DELIVERED BY TRUCK.

IT IS OUR WISH TO WORK WITH THE INTERIOR HEALTH AUTHORITY, AND TO FIND SOME COMMON GROUND IN WHICH TO WORK TOGETHER.

WE BELIEVE THAT THE ELIMINATION OF THE LOCAL HOSPITAL BOARD WAS A PURPOSELY DEMONSTRATED ACT IN TAKING AWAY ANY LOCAL INPUT IN THE DELIVERANCE OF OUR OWN HEALTH CARE IN OUR COMMUNITY, AS THE SAME WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES.  INTERIOR HEALTH AUTHORITY NOW HAS FULL AND UNOBSTRUCTED CONTROL AND WE HAVE NONE!  PERHAPS THE RETURN OF THE HOSPITAL BOARD WOULD BE A GOOD DEMOCRATIC STEP TO BE TAKEN NOW IN THESE DIFFICULT ECONOMIC TIMES.

CONSIDERATION IN CHANGING THE TERM “HEALTH AUTHORITY” TO HEALTH SERVICES OR AGENCY MIGHT REMIND THESE BOARDS THAT THEY ARE INDEED A PROVIDER OF SERVICES TO THE CITIZENS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.

 WE HAVE NOW RECEIVED A REPLY FROM DR. HALPENNY TO OUR SECOND LETTER DATED AUGUST 4.  WE ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED, TO SAY THE LEAST, IN THE LACK OF RESPONSE TO OUR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS.  EITHER OUR LETTER HAS NOT BEEN READ, OR THEY HAVE CHOSEN TO IGNORE US.  RATHER THAN AGREEING TO MEET WITH US, DR. HALPENNY HAS SUGGESTED THAT WE MEET WITH THEIR ACUTE CARE DIRECTOR FOR KOOTENAY BOUNDARY.  WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO MS. HAMPF, SHE IS NOT IN A POSITION TO ADEQUATELY ADDRESS OUR CONCERNS NOR TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD.  ACCORDING TO THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART FOR IHA, SHE REPORTS TO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF ACUTE CARE SERVICES.  WE DO NOT BELIEVE SHE IS IN A POSITION TO  ADDRESS OUR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS REGARDING THE EXPENDITURE OF TAXPAYERS MONEY, WHY SENIORS AND OTHERS REQUIRING HEALTH CARE SERVICES ARE LEFT AT HOME AND AT RISK; AND HOW INTERIOR HEALTH IS PREPARING FOR THE EMERGING GROUNDSWELL OF AGEING CITIZENS.  THESE ARE BUT A FEW OF THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS WE ASKED.

WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU, AS OUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, IS TO USE WHATEVER MEANS YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO FACILITATE SUCH A MEETING WITHIN NEXT MONTH. 

WE ARE NOT LOOKING TO ENTER INTO A PUBLIC CONFRONTATION WITH THE INTERIOR HEALTH AUTHORITY.  HAVING SAID THAT, WE WILL HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO DO SO IF DR. HALPENNY CONTINUES TO REFUSE TO MEET WITH US.  WE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE BC CARE PROVIDERS ASSOCIATION WHO HAVE OFFERED THEIR SERVICES TO US.

AGAIN, WE ASK YOU TO USE WHATEVER INFLUENCE YOU HAVE TO ASSIST US IN HAVING THIS MEETING.

THE CONCERNCED CITIZENS FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS OUR CONCERNS.