By Doug Draper
The next time the Niagara Health System – the body responsible for administering most of the hospitals across Niagara, Ont. – wants to host an ‘Open House’ for the public, why not hold it in a bowling alley. And preferably on an evening when there is a tournament on.
Niagara Health System CEO Debbie Sevenpifer and Welland resident Joe Somers try to converse in noisy corridor of Y complex
It would probably be less noisy and chaotic than it was on a Monday evening, this Jan. 18, as about 40 or 50 Niagara residents tried to crowd into a corner of a corridor a crowded Welland YM/YWCA building, between a swimming pool, gymnasium and staircase leading up to exercise rooms, for an opportunity to discuss their concerns about the region’s hospital services with the health system’s president and CEO Debbie Sevenpifer.
For most of the evening, beleaguered Y staff felt forced to remind those standing in the corridor, waiting to speak with Sevenpifer or standing around in groups near the NHS displays and conversing with each other, to squeeze further into the corner so groups of children with their parents and others could stream by from one recreational area to another. Media representatives with cameras were repeatedly asked not to take photographs of the open house event if children were walking by, which they were almost all of the time.
Meanwhile, the area was so noisy that one person could stand within four feet of a conversation Sevenpifer was having with someone else in the community and hardly hear a word they were saying.
One after another, residents left the open house, calling it everything from a “joke” to a “scam.”
“This organizational disaster once again reflects badly on a much-criticized NHS,” said Sue Salzer, a Fort Erie resident and leader of a citizens group called the Yellow Shirt Brigade pressing the Sevenpifer’s health system not to cut hospital services in south Niagara. “One lady asked (Sevenpifer) how she could manage the hospitals when she could not even organize a proper open house.”
“Once again, the NHS has shown a complete lack of respect and accountability to the people of the southern tier of the region when they arrogantly held an ‘open’ door meeting in the hallway of the ever-busy YMCA in Welland,” concluded Welland resident Joe Somers. “We walked out thoroughly pissed off with this disgusting travesty, this attempt to scam the people when we know we are but the pawns being used in their empire building.”
Someone suggested in the midst of all the chaos that the NHS could have possibly used a room off one of the corridors in the Y building for this event, and why it didn’t remains a mystery.
I’ve got an idea though. The next time the NHS wants to host an open house, I’d be happy to rent out the basement of my home. I’m sure it would be less noisy, even if I had Bruce Springsteen cranked up on my sound system.
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Niagara At Large 
Open Letter to NHS CEO as Letter to the Editor
Pat Scholfield 905-835-8249
71 Lakeshore Road West
Port Colborne, ON L3K 2S2
—– Forwarded Message —-
From: Pat Scholfield
To: lpollard@niagarahealth.on.ca
Cc: Sue Salzer
Sent: Mon, January 18, 2010 9:40:03 PM
Subject: ER wait times
Dear Mrs. Sevenpifer,
Last night I, along with a number of other citizens, attended the NHS Open House in Welland at the YMCA in the lobby.
First off, may I say, there were somewheres in the neighbourhood of 30 to 40 members of the public in attendance around 6:30p.m. It was hard to tell because there were so many other people wandering in and out to use the facilities. The commotion made it very difficult to communicate and we were told by staff at the YMCA they could set up the NHS in the “green room”, which was more private and quiet. You chose not to accept this offer, making meaningful conversation almost impossible.
Secondly your flyer to announce the Open House stated there would be information on Programs and services at Welland Site now and in the future and also the Hospital Improvement Plan. On the kiosks set up by the NHS they spelled out the new services coming to WGH under the HIP, which are Opthamology and Diabetic Education…..both disciplines which in the U.S. are often located in clinics. The NHS said nothing of the potential 5 or more departments which have been slated to leave WGH; such as orthopedics, obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, mental health and possibly urology. When I asked you about this, you said that is under discussion. It is the loss of these services that caused the physicians of Welland to express concern about the viability of WGH and their emergency department.
When I asked you about ED waittimes being outdated on the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care MOHLTC website, you stated they were posted up to date on the NHS website. I checked. The MOHLTC website has ED wait times as of Aug. 09. The NHS web site is July 09. Neither one are anywheres up to date.
I gave you a list of questions to answer. Over a month ago in Port Colborne I gave you a different list of questions to answer. I have not received a reply to the first list and would appreciate it if you publish our two lists with your responses, not online as many elderly people do not have access to computers, but in the newspapers would be more accessible.
Pat Scholfield
People’s Healthcare Coalition
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Ms. Sevenpifer:
How much money does the NHS expend on these shameful, useless shams (scams)?
Better save it and put it toward your future exit dinner, me thinks!!!!
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That’s just pathetic. What was the lady thinking? Did she get it for free or was the opportunity to avoid questions and meaningful conversation to good to resist?
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Was the Welland NHS Open House reflective of the organizational, administrative and communication skills of the Niagara Health System ? When asked about why the NHS chose the YMCA hallway as the site for its Open House, Ms Sevenpifer responded that the NHS felt that more people would be able to participate. They had a concern that the other open houses in the area had not been well attended. This is a strange conclusion to arrive at since there were over 100 people at the Port Colborne Open House, over 40 people in Stevensville and Fort Erie. The Open House was to showcase the present changes and the upcoming changes to health care at the Welland hospital site. There were 3 visual boards – none of which addressed the reasons for having the Open House. There was little print information on the changes. The majority were upset The noise level was incredibly high- it was difficult to speak with the NHS representatives. The allotted space for the public to view and ask questions was miniscule. The way it was set up reminded me of the old Westerns were cattle were herded into the corral.
In the end, the NHS is faced with a public relations fiasco. The Open House was well attended by those who came specifically for information. They made time in their busy lives in order to get good information on changes to hospital services in their area. They returned home empty handed and many were upset . The Open House was poorly organized and appeared to have been thrown together at the last minute.
In view of what has occurred, the NHS should perhaps be looking at reducing its administrative, public relations and communication staff and use those savings to keep services and beds in Niagara’s hospitals.
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How disappointing can a CEO be who continues to ignore the very constituency she serves? I cannot help but question the value we receive from Debbie Sevenpifer compared to the value lost in layoffs and bed closings. When I’m ill and need to go to hospital clearly I want doctors and nurses to look after my health care not a high-priced CEO who is doing more to destroy the system than repair the bodies that must use it.
That the whole system is broken is clear. When will it be fixed and by whom are questions to be answered. Certainly Ms. Sevenpifer and her associates aren’t the ones to do it.
One must surely question the layers of bureaucracy that govern the system and the waste of money they represent. Consider, for example, how well Fort Erie’s Douglas Memorial was doing — in the black no less — while the rest of the system was going down the tubes.
Now, as hospitals in the smaller communities close to make way for yet another hospital in St. Catharines, and that far from so many who will need it, we have to wonder whether we will have a system at all in a few years. Will we even have a few years before we get beyond repair?
Is there no one in government with the political will to clean up this mess?
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I attended the carbon copy of an information session put on by the NHS. The carbon copy part of the “dog and pony show” was that the had the same presenters showing the same information – same propoganda. It was set up in the busiest section of the Welland YMCA and although it looked well attended most of the people were trying to fight their way to their “Y” programs, not listend to the pat lines given by the NHS actors. Standing up to a foot away you could not hear or speak, and although they were offered a quiet area in a room, they openly refused it. Guess it made it look better insofar as numbers went and their pat replies blend into the din.
Remember though, the members of the NHS are well paid and every dollar counts. It takes a different type of person to willfully and heartlessly cut off the lifeline of a community.
Joy Russell
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Regarding the ceo of the niagara health system I have a couple of questions that I think should be answered or need some clarification by Ms. Steffenpifer herself.
My first question is , prior to becoming ceo of the health system what other experience do you have at a ceo of any other company or a birthday party or an sandbox convention of 6 and 7 year old children. I doubt there is none, so at least give the public some inkling of your qualifications to be sitting in the position that pays almost double what the pay is for running this great country of ours .
From what I hear you where some sort of clerk at the Welland Hospital, is this true?
Who was on the selection committee that selected you for this position?
Are these people currently still sitting on the board, or are they employed by the N.H.S. in any capacity.
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