Nurses challenge VIHA CEO to show leadership,
accept responsibility
In yet another PR disaster, the health authority is forced
to "apologize for an apology" for citing a new manager
for a decision to cancel urgent surgeries
Nurses say it's time for VIHA and its CEO to step up and take leadership to address health care deficiencies up and down the Island.
"Instead of pointing the finger at an individual when things go wrong, such as the cancellation of urgent breast cancer surgeries in Campbell River last week, VIHA CEO Howard Waldner should be standing up and addressing the real problems that are undermining patient care," says Melanie Leckovic, vice-president of the BC Nurses' Union. "Those problems include the shortage of beds and resources to provide the people of the Island with the health care they need."
Waldner's attempt to explain the cancellation backfired after he cited a decision by a new Operating Room manager.
Under the headline "VIHA apologizes for apology", today's edition of the Campbell River Courier Islander reveals an internal management memo at the hospital apologizing to staff for Waldner's statement, which was made in a radio interview. The memo says the CEO subsequently apologized directly to the manager.
"This is what happens when the health authority fails to show leadership," Leckovic said.
For example, VIHA says the patient load in the 59-bed hospital had reached 83 at the time the decision was made to cancel two urgent breast cancer surgeries last week. But they also said that 23 patients in those acute care beds were awaiting residential care or some other alternate level of care.
"Now we learn that at the time there were four beds available in the New Horizons facility where VIHA already pays for beds," Leckovic said. "Another problem is that VIHA closed down Sunshine Lodge entirely. Then there was the closure of 11 acute care beds at Campbell River Hospital itself between 2002 and 2004. This is very similar to the closure of Cowichan Lodge and other public long term beds mid-island."
"It's time for Mr. Waldner to take leadership on these issues and do whatever he needs to do to ensure the people of Vancouver Island have the care they need where they need it."
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