Hub Staff

Grey Bruce Heath Services (GBHS) will be in the red to a tune of $17 million dollars by 2019-2020 following provincial funding cuts, said Board and Executive members at a Public Information Session held at the Plex April 5.

A recommended plan of action to consolidate elective day surgeries currently performed at Southampton, Meaford and Markdale hospitals into the surgical program at the Owen Sound Regional Hospital, which features nine operating rooms, could see a potential cost savings of $550,000 a year and potential $3 million in Capital. The amount of $15 million, a deficit they don’t yet know how to fix, was then used as the project deficit throughout the session.

Endoscopy procedures, which are performed about 324 times a year at the Southampton location, are said to remain there.

Judy Shearer, VP Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Executive for GBHS said that 82 percent of endoscopy services are performed on local residents. It was later explained that that number also included child dental surgeries which could be moved to Owen Sound.

Executive members said that Registered Nurse layoffs would not take place at the Southampton location, however hours would diminish and eight RN positions at the Meaford and Markdale hospitals would be impacted.

Through a power point presentation, GBHS representatives said there will be a cost of $2 million at the Southampton location for new sterilization equipment and HVAC systems.

Nadine Dickie, a physician who uses the sterilization equipment, refuted spending money on new equipment as the current sterilization equipment works and is up to standard. Judy Shearer said she would look into the new information presented by Dr. Dickie.

It was stated that 38 hospitals in Ontario have been negatively impacted by the province’s new system and that GBHS, which operates six hospitals, is at the top of the list.

Ron Goldsmith, Officer-at-Large for GBHS, said that in the Fall of 2016 GBHS had the “ear of the Ministry” (Ontario Ministry of Health) in terms of understanding the funding situation and has been waiting for a response since. When asked by Saugeen Shores resident Richard Lee what happens when we run a $15 million deficit, Goldsmith went through a “chain of speculation” but ultimately said that in other cases “the Ministry has sent people in” to deal with it, which could result in job loss or consolidation.

Saugeen Shores Deputy Mayor Luke Charbonneau asked what has kept GBHS from making the efficiencies of moving the day-surgeries before, to which Rebecca Cummings, GBHS Chief of Human Resources replied, “We haven't actively been looking on how to reduce rural care but we’re in tough times right now and we need to make choices that we feel don’t restrict, don’t reduce services to the population we serve.”

Saugeen Shores Councillor John Rich made mention of the Major Component Replacement at Bruce Power and how Saugeen Shores is estimated to grow by 5,000 people over the next 10 to 15 years, which would bring the Saugeen Shores population to under 19,000 people, on par with Owen Sound’s current population of 21,000. Rich then asked if the current changes at the Southampton Hospital take this growth into account.

Goldsmith said that GBHS have background reports, not specifically related to the demography of Saugeen Shores but to the entire catchment of GBHS and said, “The question that this answers is, does the Owen Sound Hospital have the capacity, not only to meet current demand but the growing demand for the area? And the answer... we have been told is yes.”

A question from Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation member Tony Sheard was in regard to politicians at Queens Park “who do not take into consideration the needs of the area,” and how GBHS could avoid “death from 1,000 cuts.”

“What do you recommend we do as a community to support you in trying to get some of theses decisions reversed,” asked Sheard.

Goldsmith suggested that people ask their local municipalities and Members of Provincial Parliament to put pressure on the Ministry and said that he wished he knew how to “shake the tree and make things happen.” Goldsmith said if we don’t act, “we will be forgotten but GBHS will not let that happen.”

Charbonneau said he liked Goldsmith’s idea to “shake the tree.”

“I have an idea on how you could ‘shake the tree’,” he said. “You could resist. You could not play their game. Their game of making you conform, squeezing you and squeezing you into this tight funding formula, you could say ‘No’ and shake the tree that way.”

Charbonneau suggested to make it clear that “we’re not playing this game,” and added that the Ministry may threaten GBHS by taking over and then “all the rest of us will say ‘No’.”

Members of GBHS said they will take the comments and suggestions to their next Board Meeting on April 26.

Additional questions were asked by Doctors Nadine Dickie and Tara Lynn Somerville, as well as Saugeen Shores Councillors Neil Menage and John Rich and Saugeen Shores Vice Deputy Mayor Diane Huber; some of which were not directly answered.

Saugeen Shores resident Richard Lee felt like his questions were answered but said that he doesn't want to lose his local hospital. “We can’t afford to have a 17 million dollar deficit. Because the province will come in and take it and they will close our hospital.”

Following the session, Charbonneau said he understands what the board has to do. “I don’t blame the board of health, they gotta do what they do to keep this thing rolling along,” he said, adding that communities need to contact the Ministry as well as local and provincial governments “and we’ve got to say it now.”

Questions and suggestions from the public are welcomes by GBHS and can be made by phone at 519-378-1587 or by e-mail at Back2Balance@gbhs.on.ca.

Grey Bruce Health Service's Officer-at-Large Ron Goldsmith addressing the crowd at an information session April 5.

Dr. Nadine Dickie asking a question at the GBHS information session held at the Plex April 5.