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Thin On Ideas

June 23, 2009 22:06

It was a bruised but resilient Ontario Health Minister David Caplan who made a recent stop in Orillia.

In town to help wrap up 100th anniversary celebrations at Soldiers' Memorial Hospital, Caplan no doubt looked forward to a few hours away from Queen's Park, where he was taking a verbal beating over the eHealth scandal. And he was in a chipper mood, fielding only one softball query about the issue that saw project Chair Dr. Alan Hudson resign over revelations that consultants were charging as much as $3,000 per day.

But Caplan did address an issue of greater importance and relevance than e-health - in a manner that may have left more questions than answers: Hospital deficits.

Barrie's Royal Victoria Hospital had a $2.6 million deficit over the past fiscal year, while the North Simcoe Hospital Alliance faces a $1.5-million deficit and is looking at service and job cuts.

Orillia's hospital is predicting a $6.9-million shortfall and the Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare group, which operates two hospitals, is looking at a $2.5 million deficit. Stevenson Memorial is projecting a $1.1 million shortfall this year.

Far from blaming hospitals, Caplan recognized that a lack of long-term beds is putting pressure on the system. "We do know that there are growing needs, we know that there is an aging population and we do want to reward the excellence that we do see in place," he said.

Aside from a vague promise that the provincial government is working to address the challenges facing hospitals, Caplan offered little in the way of concrete ideas.

Since hospitals are required by law to balance their budgets, administrators across the region have no choice but to look everywhere possible for cost savings. But, this is no time to be adding healthcare workers to the unemployment rolls.

The provincial government needs to work collaboratively with hospitals, addressing funding needs, while minimizing the impact on workers and communities. In an economic environment that has seen governments perform financial backflips in order to bolster industries, Queen's Park should consider relaxing the no-deficit mandate for hospitals.

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