From: Health, HLTH HLTH:EX
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2012 2:30 PM
To: mailto:editor@mozey-on-inn.com
Subject: Ministry of Health Response - 927675
927675
Diane Sterne
editor@mozey-on-inn.com
Dear Ms. Sterne:
Thank you for your email of May 2, 2012 and your follow-up email on May 23 in reference to the Princeton Emergency Department¹s physician staffing. I've been asked by the Minister's office to respond.
Specifically, you queried whether consideration has been given to create a salaried physician position at the Princeton Emergency Department (ED) to address the night closures the hospital's ED is experiencing.
The operation of a 24 hour ED requires a commitment from a sufficient number of physicians to provide coverage throughout the year.
Because ED volumes are typically low in smaller communities, the practice has been for physicians in and around the community to share the responsibility and take turns providing 'on call' support to the ED. The Ministry of Health (the Ministry) through collaboration with the BC Medical Association (BCMA) provides a Medical On Call program paying a group of physicians $225,000 per year to commit to providing this 'on call' support. The Ministry and BCMA have also agreed to provide a further $200,000 for fee for service physicians in rural BC communities to commit to ensure their ED remains open to the public. In addition, there are a number of additional ongoing incentives for physicians to live and practice in Princeton including a Rural Retention payment of $14,000 per year to each physician plus an ability to charge an additional 16% premium on fees for all services provided.
Despite offering significant annual incentives, it has been difficult to find physicians willing to come to Princeton to support the ED.
The Government and the BCMA have established a standing committee of rural physicians, health authority staff and Ministry of Health staff to examine challenges in delivering health care services in rural communities and to develop and implement initiatives to attract and retain physicians to address these needs. The advice of the rural physicians who contribute to this committee is that money - whether paid in the form of fees plus incentives or as salaries - is not a sufficient or sustainable solution to attracting physicians to live and practice in rural communities and to support the hospital ED. After having spent many years studying and training, physicians look for professionally fulfilling careers with a balanced work / personal life. Paying a single physician a salary to dedicate themselves to providing services in a low volume ED does generally not meet these requirements. For this reason, physicians in rural communities have found that the most professionally and personally satisfying approach is to share the responsibilities for covering the ED with a number of other physicians.
The Ministry has and continues to work with rural physicians, the BCMA and Interior Health Authority to seek solutions to the challenges in providing sustainable access to emergency care in communities like Princeton.
Sincerely,
Rod Frechette
Executive Director
Physician Human Resource Management
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"Paying a single physician a salary to dedicate themselves to providing services in a low volume ED does generally not meet these requirements."
ReplyDeleteNot that they would know, because they won't actually POST the position. Perhaps a doctor who is trying to scale down things, or a doctor who is a parent to a young child would find a salaried position in the Princeton ER very appealing. Unfortunately, we will never know because, like the IHA, the Ministry of Health has no intentions of helping the Princeton ER. They will carry on with their excuses and praise all their efforts (which continue to be useless) while they collect their fat paycheques for doing nothing.
It is time to face reality. Unless we can somehow motivate the Ministry of Health to do something, they will continue to do nothing. I have no ideas on how we could motivate them, but right now it is in their best interests to do nothing. They save tons of money not hiring anyone and keeping the ER closed most of the time and if a few older locals die, it means no pensions for the government to pay. Win - Win for them! How sad our country has become. Happy Canada Day?!
Hmmm....Maybe this Canada Day everyone should hang their flags UPSIDE DOWN (the sign of distress). It would certainly catch people's attention. Just a thought!