A Niagara At Large Editorial by Doug Draper
Unintelligent people always look for a scapegoat.
– the late British labour minister Ernest Bevin
The scapegoat for the moment over the mess we call hospital services in this region is Debbie Sevenpifer, the now ousted president and chief executive officer of the Niagara Health System.
Ousted Niagara Health System CEO Debbie Sevenpifer
As news circulated through Niagara, Ontario this January 19 that the board of trustees of the NHS – the decade old body responsible for operating most of the hospital services in the region – had suddenly replaced Sevenpifer with now acting CEO Sue Matthews, the phone calls, email and even the odd voice across the street from some of my neighbours came in, celebrating her departure with lines like – ‘It’s about time’ and ‘Maybe things will run better now.’
One of Niagara At Large’s readers even talked about mixed the rum and coke, and celebrating. But maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to break out the drinks and party balloons.
Sevenpifer, who has been the flamboyant face of the NHS for the past eight years and who’s six-digit salary alone has been a target of derision, may have been the most obvious body to toss out the door for an NHS board and a provincial government that has been beleaguered by public criticism over the way hospital services have been managed in this region over the passed number of years. But will her departure really make any difference or, as Fiona McMurran, a representative for the south Niagara chapter of the Council of Canadians, put it in an interview with Niagara At Large upon hearing the news, is it just a “cosmetic change?”
Indeed, Betty-Lou Sutter, chair of the NHS board, has already told NAL and other area media that there will be no major change in direction, no reconsideration of the closing of the Fort Erie and Port Colborne’s hospitals’ emergency rooms, and, last but not least, Sevenpifer’s ouster “is not about reopening the HIP” – the NHS’s controversial Hospital Improvement Plan that calls for consolidating most of the critical hospital services in the region at a new super hospital being built in the north end of the region, in west St. Catharines.
At the same time, Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews has told reporters that the province’s Liberal government has no plans to heed renewed calls from Niagara citizens, municipal leaders and even from one of the government’s own members, Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor, for an investigation into the way the NHS manages our hospital affairs. She was quoted in the Niagara Falls review this January 19 saying; “The hospital board has shown some leadership … moving forward with recommendations from the hospital improvement plan. … That work is underway and I think we have to keep it up.”
They have to keep it up, the minister says, even if a critical mass of residents and municipal officials in Niagara think it is the wrong plan for managing the region’s hospital services now and well into the future.
At the end of the day, Sevenpifer may be gone, but it might do all us well to remember the lyrics from the old Who song ‘We Won’t Get Fooled Again’ – “Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.”
We might also do well to embrace a comment made this January 19 by Pat Schofield, a south Niagara resident who has been fighting for equitable hospital services in the region for a number of years; “We have got to keep their feet to the fire.”
(Visit Niagara At Large at http://www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to residents in our greater binational Niagara region.)
Niagara At Large 
And so its business as usual at the NHS.
There is still a glimmer of hope…Every single Board member was hand picked by Sevenpifer and Souter,,,Perhaps now they can start to have some original thoughts about the devastation they have caused to Community Health Services . One look at the HIP destruction and perhaps they may decide to re-evaluate before it goes any further.
The HIP, like Debbie, has reached a “Crossroad” and its time for a new direction.
Off with its head.
LikeLike
You are absolutely right Doug as Debbie is not the only person that made the drastic cuts and changes. She has a strong group of people that had to work with her, to accomplish the disaster that they have turned our health care into as she was only one voice, albeit a strong one. Ms. Souter is another force that should be looked at.
We all have the opportunity to sit in on their Board Meetings, even if some of them show that the decisions have been made before they open the meeting. (Like the LHIN meetings)
The Minister of Health is another issue, as she does not listen and repeats the same catch phrases all the time, to the point that they are meaningless.
It is not just Debbie Sevenpifer that should go and will go if we keep on fighting for the rights of the people living in Ontario and who’s lives have been put in jeopardy.
LikeLike
If the Health System were run like the businesses or corporzzations as Ms. Souter says, not only would the head be fired , they would be bankrupt …just like the System is taking us in that direction!!Ms. Mathews is pondering the facts that overtime & sick leaves are escalating & funding increasing ….. what did she think would happen when staff was reduced and burnout inevitable??????? If they knew what they were doing, all this would have been factored into the equation and we wouldn’t have this HUGE PROBLEM!!! Perhaps they should ask the CEO”s from WalMart what their strategies are they’re MAKING BILLIONS !! Locally our reps are saying they don’t know what “transpired” ……. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE??
LikeLike
Anne, I know you said that sarcastically, but it is exactly the Walmart mentality that is destroying health care in this region, province ,country.
I agree with Fiona that this is just a cosmetic change. Sevenpiper is a convenient scapegoat for the moment.
Doug and The Who are right too: so far the new boss is same as the old boss.
LikeLike
Sevenpiper’s gone, but the ER’s are still closed.
LikeLike
Instead of insisting all the citizens of Niagara adjust to the change and embrace the HIP, Minister Matthews needs to take a fresh objective look at what is happening in all of Niagara….not just St. Catharines. Then adjustments need to be made to the HIP to enable all Niagarans including those in the southern tier have timely access to acute, emergency and life saving services. We know it is emotional and difficult for them to change their original ill thought out plan, but we need to all work together.
LikeLike
Mark, I agree with you…. (facetiousness reared its head)…. to me they have shot their messenger in hopes to appease the situation! However I do expect more from those who are elected &/or paid to keep us & themselves on the cutting edge. They are HOPING this will subdue the situation & maybe it will go away at least partially. We must not let that happen. Thanks for your input!!
LikeLike
Approximately two years ago Sue Matthews was brought in (By Who)? presumedly (according to the NHS press release) to eliminate the tension between the NHS and the ONA who had censored them repeatedly over several years. She immediately assumed the role of Vice President Clinical Services and her salary was over $200,000.. There was NO Dr. attached to her name at the time but I find that she does have a Doctorate of Public Health
A course requiring pre-requisites, a three year in classroom or a five year correspondence course for DrPh designation.
My concern is does Sue Matthews having attached the Dr. in front of her name have a Medical Degree as a Doctor or is this just a Doctorate thing???
LikeLike
As a matter of interest do we know whether Ms.Sevenpifer gets a severance package & if so, if it’s in the same league as Eleanor ??, who made a fortune after being “let-go” from Hydro a few years ago?
Let’s not hold our breath to see what happens under the “new” CEO, at least not until the next provincial election!
LikeLike
If you change the Captain of a sinking ship, will it still sink?? I think so…
LikeLike
My wife broke both her bones at the ankle seven years ago and was ambulanced to the St. Catharines General Hospital. What a mistake! She had to wait 5 days for surgery drugged on morphine. To this day she uses a cane. My father-in-law and I were outraged and demanded to see the CEO who was Debbie Sevenpifer. We found a 5 day wait for a broken foot ridiculous. She said that was up to the doctors and there was nothing she could do about it. We asked her how much she was paid. She said, $330,000 per year (at that time). We claimed that as CEO she should be responsible for the efficiency of the hospital. How could she be worth that much money? She said, she was worth every penny. My father-in-law and I found we could do nothing against the system to get an earlier surgery time on my wife’s broken ankle. We were at the mercy of a big machine! The bedside manner of my wife’s orthopedic surgeon was not good. Service will not change if the same personnel shifts over to the brand new hospital. Seven years ago, the experience at St. Catharines General was a nightmare for us. Even if a new CEO comes in, will things really change to get the best and quickest care with the most experienced and nicest professionals?
LikeLike