Questions For IHA From Princeton Businesses

What new services will IH introduce into our community to provide physicians with additional reasons to practice in Princeton?

Demographic change - During the last closure of the mine in 1996, a shift began demographically from a primarily working family base to a higher level of retirees entering Princeton. In addition, during the same period of time Mental Health and the Ministry of Human Resources made significant reduction in services in the lower mainland and encouraged the relocation of patients to smaller, less expensive communities such as Princeton. This influx of individuals with complex, chronic and acute problems increased burden on the physician base while services provided through IH were being reduced.

Today our community is faced with retirees looking to relocate due to lack of services, workers being transient due to the lack of services for families and businesses faced with difficulties recruiting and retaining skilled labor.

These facts are measurable, how do you intend to manage them?

With dozens of individual contractors providing workers to the mill, mine, chipping and pelletizing operations in town and with some of these workers being assigned to work remotely in the bush and further from Penticton Hospital, how will IH assist in redeveloping dozens of Occupational Health and Safety Plans to address the closures of the ED?

In addition, as the ED is not available 24/7 how will IH compensate businesses for the additional financial burdens of providing higher level first aid on-site and training the personnel to provide these additional needs?

Many individuals are simply unwilling or unable to call ambulatory emergency services for financial reasons. We have already heard many stories from our community members who have driven themselves to Penticton with chest pain and in labour (which has also resulted in birth being given without medical attention in a vehicle.) People may die due their inability to access local services. People may not seek appropriate care and die at home or may die enroute to care and cause additional risks to the general public.

How will IH manage the liability associated with these situations?

Princeton is designated as an isolated community and as such IH is mandated to provide 24/7 coverage. The statements made in regards to "our goal is to provide 24/7 coverage" beg the question of how this will be achieved if the opportunities for physicians remain status quo?

As business people we face the need to meet our objectives or lose our businesses. To do this as managers, we form business plans that are implemented and those tasked with their implementation are held accountable.