– Vance Badawey Calls For Need For ‘Local Patient Care’ In South Niagara Coommunities
A Report from Port Colborne Mayor Vance Badawey following the January 13th announcement from Ontario’s Health Minister for building another new hospital in Niagara.
Port Colborne, Ontario Mayor Vance Badawey, a long-time voice for coming up against the Niagara Health System to keep acute care health services in South Niagara.
The Honourable Deb Matthews, (Ontario’s) Minister of Health and Long Term Care announced today that the Niagara Health System will receive a $ 26.2 million planning grant as the next important step toward a new South Niagara hospital.
The Minister also announced that Niagara’s community-based Board of Directors for the Niagara Health System has taken on its full responsibilities. The Board has also recommended that Dr. Smith continue in a leadership capacity to finish the job he started, and the NHS has entered into a management services agreement with St. Joseph’s Health System, keeping Dr. Smith on as CEO.
Having remained relatively silent on the issue of a new “South Niagara Hospital”, I now feel compelled to point out some issues in regards to servicing the citizens of South Niagara and maintaining a service level that is appropriate and compatible with available services at the new site in St. Catharine’s.
I expect these issues will be addressed within the $26.2 million planning process.
On Page 10 of the report to the Honourable Deb Matthews from Dr. Kevin Smith, entitled Restructuring of the Niagara Health System, he states that he recommends a new facility in the QEW and Lyons Creek area of Niagara. Dr. Smith goes on to say that “Two additional freestanding UCC’s site and location to be determined, can be supported…” I have seen nothing from the Niagara Health System or the LHIN requesting a capital funding request for this, and nothing from the MOHLTC or Dr. Kevin Smith regarding this.
As noted by Dr. Smith in his report, “I cannot stress enough that the southern Mayors are unanimous in their support of a southern Niagara hospital being built.” May I be clear – Regional Chair Burroughs and the southern Mayors were only in agreement in principle of this new hospital plan with the assurance that our UCC needs would be met as per our recommendation. The recommendation was very clear…”
Geographical areas, being described as QEW and Lyons Creek area, and East Main Street and Highway 140 area be considered as short-listed locations for the proposed development of a south Niagara hospital complex, conditional that Urgent Care Centres continue to operate in Port Colborne and Fort Erie. I remain committed to that assurance, and am requesting further clinical site plan analysis of this component of the continuum of care. Transition plans of care with the existing UCC ‘s are not enough to move forward with capital funding plans. We are expecting to be a part of the explorations of innovative models of care, we support the expansion of paramedic programming, and support the expansion of enhanced models of primary care. We are simply requesting this component of the recommendation be addressed with a clear rationale for prompt care in South Niagara and once again, expect this to be a part of the planning process!!!
Today’s announcement also deserves a response of insistence based on the effect of consolidation of inpatient beds, outpatient clinics and regional programs. Simply put – what we are dealing with TODAY!
We are strong supporters of best practice standards being developed and implemented. From infection control to staffing with best human resource allocation to EMS to appropriate distance to travel for care are all important aspects to consider.
However, we do need to look at our primary care funding now!! We will rely even more on our providers being able to look after their patients post discharge, being able to develop better care management, and all of this will require far greater funding to some of the primary care models that are currently in the smaller rural communities.
We have to implore the MOHLTC to fund better diagnostics and lab services at the primary care level. We need to provide mid-level care provision and after hours urgent care in a model that retains our physicians in our small rural areas like Port Colborne. We need to ensure that our ambulatory care needs of our demographic are being met, and we will ensure that these benchmarks are being met at the local, LHIN, and Provincial level.
In order to retain and attract business and lifestyle, we have to ensure best practice care is being delivered right in our own community.
We have been working diligently to offer new clinics, new and innovative ways to bring specialty care into Port Colborne and the surrounding areas of South Niagara. Our medical professionals within our community and throughout south Niagara deserve a great deal of credit as they have worked with us to ensure proper planning.
We look forward to being a part of this planning process to inject into the process what we have already developed, as well as developing local patient care experience questions to ensure our citizen’s voices are heard, and that their needs will be met.
Once again, I expect the work that has already been established will be taken into consideration throughout the $26.2 million planning process, as well as a response to local patient care experiences. And finally, I expect the planning process will ensure the locations for any capital investments will be based on clinical site plan analysis that takes into consideration a continuum of care and best practice standards.
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