Massive governments cuts alter the face of healthcare in B.C. But Whistler’s service are untouched.
There are no immediate direct impacts to health care programs and services in the Sea to Sky corridor despite massive redesign plans for other parts of the province, according to the strategy plan for the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.
"The good news is that there is no loss of programs in the Sea to Sky Corridor," said Sandy Bauer, steward coordinator with the BC Nurses Union in Squamish.
But while there may be sigh of relief from many health care workers in the corridor for the time being, there are still genuine concerns about the future.
"I think it's still pins and needles for most people," said Bauer.
The redesign plans are sweeping in other parts of the VCHA, of which the corridor is a part.
In Vancouver, St. Vincent's and Holy Family hospitals are closing, in addition to the closure of the emergency ward at UBC.
G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre might be moving its services from its current site to Vancouver General Hospital.
And hundreds of hospital beds will be cut over the next three years.
Yet in the VCHA redesign plan there was no mention of any direct impact to the corridor.
To Gloria Healy, manager of acute care services for the corridor, the minimal impact here comes as no surprise.
"I guess that the major reason that there hasn't been cuts to the Sea to Sky Corridor is that we were not over-serviced," she said.
The interim CEO of the VCHA, Hugh MacLeod, said the strategy plan focuses on the other more immediate inefficiencies in the system and didn't have to focus on the corridor.
"We know the kind of quality of service that is being provided for example in Whistler," said MacLeod.
"And there is very efficient and high-end quality of service being provided there."
There are others who believe the services in the corridor will not be cut as long as Whistler is still in the running for the 2010 Olympics, in case it effects the bid negatively.
"There are some folks who are feeling that the delay in doing anything in the corridor is due to the Olympic bid," said the BCNU’s Bauer.
The redesign plans for the VCHA were announced on Tuesday along with the redesign plans for the other five authorities in the province.
"The status quo is no longer an option for us," said Health Services Minister Colin Hansen.
MacLeod reviewed a five component strategy plan for health changes in the VCHA at a conference with other health authorities and health minister earlier this week.
The five strategies are:
- Clinical efficiencies
- Operational Efficiencies
- Service Alignment
- Revenue Generation
- Health Promotion/Illness Prevention/Harm Reduction
He also discussed some highlights in achieving these strategies.
Within the clinical strategy, the authority plans to make greater use of new surgical techniques to improve efficiency in day surgeries. Some of these new techniques are less invasive and can reduce the amount of time a patient stays in the hospital.
Likewise, cost reduction and efficiency has already been found in the operational area of the VCHA.
In the past five months there has been a 25 per cent reduction of executive level positions and a 14 per cent reduction of management staff.
MacLeod said operational efficiencies will further extend to areas such as absenteeism to reduce the cost of sick time and overtime. In the redesign plan it states health care workers across Canada are absent an average of 11.8 days each year compared to 6.7 days for all other workers.
All of the changes will focus on patient care while endeavouring to eliminate a $136-million deficit over the next three years, he said.
This was echoed in the words of the VCHA Chair Keith Purchase.
"We must get our financial health in order," he said.
While there are no direct impacts in the corridor, there may be ripple effects from changes in other areas.
One of the major aspects of the plan is the closure of residential care beds.
In the North Shore there are 200 residential beds slated to be replaced by 160 assisted living beds.
In Powell River 81 residential beds will be replaced with about 60 assisted living beds.
And in Vancouver there are currently 574 residential care beds. That number will decrease to roughly 360 over the next three years.
Bauer, of the BCNU, thinks the loss of residential beds will cause a back up in the corridor.
"I think the big one that is really short-sighted is the cut back in long-term beds," she said.
"If adequate care isn't given in the community, (people) will end up in the emergency room."
Bauer said many of the changes were not made with patient care in mind. Rather, she said, the VCHA is more concerned with the bottom line.
"Certainly systems can always be improved and efficiencies found," said Bauer.
"But I think these changes are driven by economics; too much weight is given to the financial."
The VCHA has a budget of $163 million over three years. But its’ expenditure base is almost $2-billion per year.
According to the plan, the total reduction is less than 1.3 per cent of the cost base.
The document states:
"In short, 98.7 per cent of our services across the VCHA will be retained or improved over the course of our three-year design plan."
To achieve these financial goals the authority also wants to bring money into the area through new business to business deals.
An example of how it will generate new revenue is through an exclusive supply arrangement with a soft drink company that can potentially generate $7 million.
Other opportunities will arise by providing health care access to out-of-country residents, many of whom think our health care is a bargain.
"While the costs of particular health services are generally not known by most Canadians, many non-Canadians are aware of the costs," said MacLeod on Tuesday.
"This awareness, coupled with the knowledge of Canada's medical expertise, has created a demand among non-Canadians for medical services."
This demand is already evident at the Whistler Health Care Centre.
Last year out of the 23,000 patients seen there, 6,000 were out-of-country patients.
The announcement means services and patient care will continue as normal in the corridor for the time being. That's not to say there may not be changes here in the future.
"In the Squamish area we'll be looking at ways to improve access to better living standards, assisted living etc.," said MacLeod.
"But I don't see on the acute care side, major changes, no."
The VCHA is the largest health authority in Canada with more than 1 million people - that's one quarter of B.C.'s population.
