the winners of the 2002 Scholarships for Graduate Studies in Health Administration,
the winners of the 2002 Article of the Year contest.
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NLHBA SAYS NAPE TRYING TO GET THE PUBLIC TO PANIC: HERE IS THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION
Tuesday, April 13, 2004: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association takes strong exception to NAPE’s latest news release asserting that the provincial government is telling Health Boards what to say to the media. “The reality is,” says John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director, “that there is no interference by the provincial government in the messages from Health Boards. On the contrary,” he continues, “the CEOs and communications staff meet daily by conference call to monitor the situation in each region in order to give an accurate briefing to the Minister of Health and Community Services. Our briefings reflect to the public and Government the actual situation each day in the health and community services system.”
“Because of the strike, Health Boards have had to reduce their services, addressing emergency health issues and child protection services as a priority, and suspending all other routine procedures and non-urgent matters until after the strike,” says Peddle. “It is clear that NAPE is trying to promote a public emergency. We do not agree that spreading unnecessary panic in the public is appropriate. Hospitals are still cleaned regularly and basic patient needs are being met, but by teams of managers, non-union management support staff and essential employees instead of the regular workforce,” Peddle confirms. “Cancer cases are being monitored and yes, some surgeries have been postponed when deemed by the attending physician not to be an emergency. Health Boards are very concerned about their patients, clients and residents and want to ensure that the most pressing needs are addressed first.”
“Yes, the public is being inconvenienced,” said Peddle. “This is because NAPE and CUPE have withdrawn their services.”
WORKING WITH YOU – YOUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING IS OUR FIRST CONCERN
Tuesday, April 13, 2004: In the second week of the strike, the health and community services system continues to provide a safe level of service to patients, clients and residents, within the resources available.
“Patients, clients and residents are experiencing delays,” explained John Peddle, Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA), “but they are receiving the essential services. Our priority is to focus everywhere on services first for those with the greatest need,” he continued, “and so routine diagnostic and other procedures have been suspended. However, where resources are available in a board, other services may be offered. People can find information on what is available in their region through advertisements, websites and special telephone lines.”
The NLHBA is monitoring the situation and will continue to monitor events on a daily basis. “We thank the public for their co-operation and ask for their continued understanding and help,” said John Peddle. “We also want to remind the public that hospital emergency services should be used only for emergency care.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all fourteen Health Boards in the Province. All health services, both in facilities and in the community, and all community services, including health promotion, child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador. The NLHBA advocates on behalf of Health Boards to Government and the public of the province, and offers services and programs to Health Boards.
CARING FOR YOU – DOING OUR BEST: ONE DAY AT A TIME FOR HEALTH BOARDS
Thursday, April 8, 2004: Over the past week, Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador have activated their Strike Contingency Plans in order to address health needs of the public during a strike situation. NAPE and CUPE members, including Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), social workers, Laboratory and X-Ray technologists, nutritionists, intervention service workers, kitchen, housecleaning and maintenance staff and clerical workers, went out on strike on April 1. This means that managers, management support and small teams of essential union employees are working round the clock to keep a restricted level of health and community services in operation.
“The first thing to realize,” explained John Peddle, Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association, “is that Health Boards cannot offer the same level of service as usual with only a skeleton staff of managers, management support and essential employees working. As it is, fatigue is starting to set in but they are still coping.” He continued, “During the strike, therefore, Health Boards have committed as their first priority to addressing only urgent and emergency health issues and child protection services, and have suspended all other routine procedures and non-urgent matters until after the strike. Health Boards are very concerned about their patients, clients and residents and want to ensure that the most pressing needs are addressed first. They are taking it one day at a time.”
Issues referred over the past week to local or provincial union representatives are being co-operatively resolved in the best interests of the public. Both unions have worked with Health Boards over the arrangements for essential employees in order to continue to offer emergency health and community services during the strike.
Health Boards have been working on keeping the public informed while the strike continues, and will maintain that communication as they gear up their operations after the end of the strike
December 11, 2003: Another distinguished Newfoundlander from the provincial health and community services system has been appointed to a national health organization. The Honourable Anne McLellan, Federal Minister of Health, and the Honourable Colin Hansen, British Columbia Minister of Health Services, on behalf of provincial and territorial Ministers of Health, announced the establishment of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) on December 10, 2003. The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association congratulates George Tilley, the CEO of the Health Care Corporation of St. John’s, on his appointment to the CPSI Founding Board of Directors.
“It is very gratifying to see George Tilley join the other distinguished Board members in this important national initiative,” said John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director, “and to see another renowned Newfoundlander recognized in the national arena in this way. We are benefiting from a vast amount of emerging knowledge on the topic of health care safety and we hope that the work of the Canadian Patient Safety Institute will ensure that patients, clients and residents receive the best possible care in our province.” He continued, “The NLHBA send our best congratulations to George Tilley and look forward with interest to the work of the CPSI.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all fourteen Health Boards in the Province. All health services, both in facilities and in the community, and all community services, including health promotion, child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador. The NLHBA advocates on behalf of Health Boards to Government and the public of the province, and offers services and programs to Health Boards.
December 10, 2003: On December 9, 2003, federal Minister of Health Anne McLellan announced the 25 members of the new federal Health Council, two of whom are from Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) is delighted that this province’s health system has been recognized in this manner.
“Dr. Ian Bowmer has just completed his tenure as Dean of Medicine at Memorial University,” John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director, points out, “and Ms. Fry has just been welcomed back to the Department of Health and Community Services for a second term as Deputy Minister.” He continues, “It is national confirmation of the very high quality of the people who make their careers in our health system. The NLHBA is sending our warmest congratulations to Dr. Bowmer and Ms. Fry and looks forward to good results from their participation in this initiative.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all fourteen Health Boards in the Province. All health services, both in facilities and in the community, and all community services, including health promotion, child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador. The NLHBA advocates on behalf of Health Boards to Government and the public of the province, and offers services and programs to Health Boards.
November 21, 2003: At the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) Annual General Meeting today, Verdon Young, NLHBA President, welcomed two distinguished guests. The Honourable Elizabeth Marshall, Minister of Health and Community Services, brought greetings from the Department and presented the four awards for the 2003 Article of the Year competition. Minister Marshall was followed by Dr. Ian Bowmer, dean of medicine, who released the Memorial University Faculty of Medicine’s annual report, Reaching Out to the Community in 2002-2003.
For the 2003 NLHBA Article of the Year Awards, Minister Marshall presented First Place to Lisa Browne, Peninsulas Health Care Corporation, for her article, Using Service Cues to Enhance the Client-Provider Relationship; Second Place to Andrea White, Health Labrador Corporation, for her article, The Travelling Health Show: A Cancer Prevention Initiative in Labrador; Third Place to Maureen Meaney, the Health Care Corporation of St. John’s, for her article, Disability Management in Health Care - flavour of the week or strategic organizational program? and an Honourable Mention to Trudy Read, Health and Community Services Western, for her article, Can Newfoundland and Labrador Sustain its Informal Caregiving System? All these articles have been posted on the NLHBA website and in past years winning articles have been picked up for publication by national health publications.
"It is a great pleasure to celebrate the achievements of the health and community services system in this province," said Minister Marshall, "This public recognition supports and applauds the innovative initiatives in Health Boards."
"I am proud to represent Health Boards through this highly regarded organization," said Verdon Young, NLHBA President for 2003 – 2004, as he presented the NLHBA Annual Report. He will be leading a Board composed of the Chairs of all fourteen Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador. All health services, both in facilities and in the community, and all community services, including health promotion, child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador. The NLHBA advocates on behalf of Health Boards to Government and the public of the province, and offers services and programs to Health Boards.
October 17, 2003: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) is delighted to support National Pastoral Care Week, October 19-25, 2003. Pastoral/spiritual care is an integral part of the multidisciplinary approach in the delivery of health services with established standards, education and advocacy.
Throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, hundreds of trained pastoral caregivers of all faiths minister around the clock in communities, congregations, and highly-specialized settings, including hospitals, long term care facilities, correctional services, mental health systems and community based programs. They bring spiritual healing resources in the care of thousands of people in our province.
John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director stated, “We honour all caregivers by celebrating Pastoral/Spiritual Care Week, October 19-25. The theme, “Pastoral Care: Celebrating our Multi-Faith Community”, touches on the diversity of culture and creed and speaks to the spiritual concerns of every person regardless of their race or creed.” He went on to say, “Pastoral/spiritual care crosses institutional, economic, cultural and ecclesiastical boundaries demonstrating a dedication to human dignity, with an appreciation of individual and cultural differences. The Association wishes to express its appreciation to all persons for their time and commitment to pastoral/spiritual care in the province.”
The week will begin with a provincial gathering of Pastoral Care Allied Health Group members, clergy, laity and health care employees for continuing education at The Clarenville Inn, Clarenville, October 19-21, 2003.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all fourteen Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
October 10, 2003: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) announced today the completion of their review of the NLHBA attendance management policy and of the recent decision by the Human Rights Commission on the provincial Department of Justice’s attendance management policy. The purpose of the reviews was to determine whether this particular human rights decision would impact on the policies that are currently in place in the health and community services system.
“We are glad to report,” said John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director, “That the NLHBA’s attendance management policy is significantly different than the Department of Justice’s policy that was the subject of the recent Human Rights Commission decision. In the health and community services system,” he confirmed, “the goal is to accommodate those who are legitimately sick, and we fully support the benefits in the current policy.” He went on to say that the NLHBA will therefore not be recommending any policy changes at this point.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all fourteen Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
September 15, 2003: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) is reviewing the decision by the human rights commission on the attendance management policy of the provincial Department of Justice and will also be looking at the attendance management policy itself.
“This will allow the NLHBA to determine whether this particular human rights decision will impact on the policies that are currently in place in the health and community services system. The human rights decision is over 120 pages long and we want to make sure that we thoroughly understand the arguments presented there,” explains John Peddle, the NLHBA Executive Director. “In the health and community services system we are very concerned about employee wellness,” Peddle continues, “and the benefits available under the collective agreement are fully supported for employees who have legitimate illnesses. Until we have completed our review, the current attendance management policies will remain in place.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all fourteen Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
December 20, 2002: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) congratulates the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information (NLCHI) on leading the way for Canadian provinces in health information systems.
“Infoway has identified NLCHI as an emerging national leader in the development of the electronic health record in Canada,” said John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director. “NLHBA is proud to support NLCHI in their innovative projects, which have the potential to add significant value to the health system, add to evidence-based decision making and enable services to be delivered in the most effective and efficient way. Congratulations to NLCHI!”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all fourteen Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
November 29, 2002: the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association congratulated the Royal Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada (the Romanow Commission) for reflecting core Canadian values in its final report, released November 28.
“We strongly support the comprehensive focus in the Romanow Report on strengthening access to the health system based on need, not the ability to pay, and the confirmation of the value of the Canadian publicly funded health system to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada,” praised John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director. The Romanow Report stresses that no evidence was presented to show that privatization of the health system would be effective either in lowering costs or in improving access for the Canadian public. Peddle called for the provincial government to start discussions with the federal government as soon as possible, offering the assistance of Health Boards to craft solutions. He pointed out that the emphasis on primary health care reform is a major strategic direction in the provincial Strategic Health Plan, which positions our province at the front of the line for the recommended targeted funding. “We are looking forward to working with the provincial and federal governments on rolling out the health system of the future,” he said, “And are ready to start tomorrow.”
A cautionary note was sounded by the NLHBA, however, on the Romanow new funding proposals, none of which is intended to support today’s health system. The NLHBA strongly supports dismantling the CHST in order to produce separate federal health funding, which will be transferred to provinces on a cash basis. However, the proposed five new, short term, targeted federal funds are conditional upon matching funds from provinces and three of those are to be distributed on a per capita basis. This could mean that funds will need to be redirected from current health services in this province, in order to provide the matching funds needed to access federal funding. In addition, calculating funding to go to a province on a per capita basis, based solely on the size of the population and not on their needs, could result in significantly lower funding for Newfoundland and Labrador, where the population has been shrinking for almost a decade. The NLHBA will be following with great interest the details of the funding negotiations arising from the Romanow Report.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all fourteen Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
November 15, 2002: Three scholarships for graduate studies in health management were presented at a ceremony at the Annual General Meeting of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) today.
Gail Downing and Sandra Gear of the Avalon Health Care Institutions Board and Julie Nicholas of Central East Health Care Institutions Board received their certificates and the first instalment of their scholarship from Des Dillon, NLHBA President. “We are proud to have the opportunity to honour three of the fine managers in this province’s health system,” explained Dillon, “and through these Scholarships, the NLHBA is supporting management development and further education on behalf of Health Boards.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
November 15, 2002: Four awards for the 2002 Article of the Year competition were presented at the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) Annual General Meeting today.
The NLHBA President, Des Dillon, presented First Place to Katherine Walters, Grenfell Regional Health Services Board, for her article, Increasing our Capacity to Gather Client Feedback: A Quality Improvement Opportunity; Second Place to Kim Larouche, Health Care Corporation of St. John’s, for her article, Home Care for Everyone; Third Place to Denise Haskell, Health and Community Services – St. John’s Region, for her article, Living Large on the Rock: Obesity in Newfoundland; and an Honourable Mention to Cheryl Faseruk, Health Care Corporation of St. John’s, for her article, A Goal in Mind. All these articles have been posted on the NLHBA website, www.nlhba.nl.ca and in past years winning articles have been picked up by national health publications.
“It is a great pleasure to celebrate the achievements of the health system in this province,” said Des Dillon, “This public recognition supports and applauds the innovative initiatives in Health Boards.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
November 12, 2002: The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, November 15, 2002 in Boardroom A, Board of Trade Building, second floor, 66 Kenmount Road, St. John’s.
During the AGM, the winners of the 2002 Scholarships for Graduate Studies in Health Administration will be announced. The following presentations will be made by the outgoing NLHBA President:
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the winners of the 2002 Scholarships for Graduate Studies in Health Administration, |
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the winners of the 2002 Article of the Year contest. |
The NLHBA Executive Director, John Peddle, the current NLHBA President, Des Dillon and the new NLHBA President will be available for interviews following the AGM.
October 15, 2002: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association made an urgent appeal today to the NLMA and Government on behalf of their sick, frail and elderly patients. Pressure from the NLMA intended for Government is weighing heavily on sick people in this province.
“The Association is extremely concerned about the growing risk to patients. There are people out there waiting for tests, waiting for results, getting sicker, who are unable to cope while physicians continue their dispute with Government,” explains John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director. “For example, a senior citizen, already diagnosed with cancer, suffering quietly at home, who can’t keep food down, doesn’t know where to turn,” he goes on, “His doctor is on strike, he doesn’t feel it’s right to call an ambulance, and he keeps getting sicker. There are emergency departments in this province right now where such a patient cannot even be seen after midnight. We are issuing an appeal to physicians not to leave these patients without medical care.”
“In the name of patients at serious risk,” Peddle added, “We are calling on leaders in the NLMA and Government to deal with this situation. It is crucial that everyone is clear about the real costs of this strike to the people of this province.”
October 1, 2002: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association says that the first day of the physicians’ strike has shown that individual local physicians will not let their patients be at risk.
“We were very concerned about the possible risk to patients,” explained John Peddle, Executive Director, pointing out that the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association would only commit to “attempt” to keep emergency services going in rural areas. Peddle stated “In the absence of an overall agreement in principle with the Medical Association for emergency services in the province, Health Boards are going to have to rely on the goodwill of individual physicians to cover emergency services. So far, so good,” he added, “thanks to individual physicians at the local level who have agreed to staff Emergency Departments at this point.”
The Health Boards Association will discuss service delivery issues with the Health Boards tomorrow and provide further updates at that time.July 26, 2002: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association is pleased to announce that a tentative agreement has been struck between Government, the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association and the Professional Association of Internes and Residents of Newfoundland (PAIRN).
"This agreement should offer the general public a degree of comfort in that the intended withdrawn of services will not be implemented" said John Peddle, Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. On behalf of member health boards, the Health Boards Association advocates to Government and the public on priority issues and provides quality programs and services to members. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
July 24, 2002: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association is working with Government to attempt to resolve the current situation with PAIRN, the Professional Association of Internes and Residents of Newfoundland, and to ensure there is no disruption in service to members of the public.
"The Internes and Residents play an important role in the delivery of health services" said John Peddle, Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association. "In addition to providing health services as a component of their academic requirements, many work in hospitals across the province in areas such as emergency rooms".
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. On behalf of member health boards, the Health Boards Association advocates to Government and the public on priority issues and provides quality programs and services to members. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
April 20, 2002: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) are happy to announce that a tentative agreement has been worked out with the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union. The agreement covers three years, with salary adjustments retroactive to July 1, 2001.
John Peddle, Executive Director of the NLHBA, is glad that Health Boards were able to reach an agreement with the nurses without disrupting patient services: "Our major focus during these negotiations was to put patients first," he emphasises, "We wanted to minimize the risk of an interruption in care to the patients, residents and clients of the health system." He went on to say, "Our hope now is that the Health Boards can proceed with their mandate to offer the best possible health services to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador."
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
April 12, 2002: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association are looking for some strategic thinking from the federal government. At their presentation on April 15, 2002 to the “Romanow Commission,” as the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada is known, the NLHBA will focus on the need for overall strategic planning in the Canadian health system with a focus on wellness, and on an appropriate strategic funding framework.
“We are calling for a Strategic Health Plan for Canada,” says John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director, “based on and supporting the values of the Canada Health Act.” He continues “The Strategic Health Plan should be built upon wellness principles, as it will be here in our province, and must include a strategic funding framework to make sure that health funding is allocated according to the same principles. “ The NLHBA emphasises that for the federal government to regain and legitimize their leadership role they must give more health cash to the provinces to run the health system.
There are many ways for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to contact the Commission:
Mail: Commission on the Future of Health Care
in Canada
P.O. Box 160, Station Main
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Canada
S7K 3K4
Telephone Toll Free: 1-800-793-6161
Email: jbayne@hcc-css.ca
Website: http://www.healthcarecommission.ca/. Under Consultations there is a Consultation Workbook for giving opinions to the Commission.
March 4, 2002: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) have been having a frustrating time in negotiations with the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union (NLNU). The usual process in negotiations is for parties to prioritize items for discussion. The senior people who make up the NLHBA negotiating team were ready and had expected to be well into these discussions by now. This has not happened.
“The NLNU have refused to set priorities for their items,” says John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director, “They maintain that all the items are of equal importance so it’s difficult to make a start on negotiations under these conditions.”
“This means,” he explains, “that, at this stage, almost all of the NLNU proposed items are still outstanding and we can’t arrange to make a start on addressing them. In contrast to other unions, they want all the items on the table at once.” He adds, “The majority of the outstanding items would have direct monetary costs to the health system and would increase the cost of health services to the public.”
The nurses’ union has now walked away from face-to-face discussions and asked for conciliation.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
March 1, 2002: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) was surprised and disappointed during recent collective bargaining by the unwillingness of the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union (NLNU) to consider any proposed changes to meet the needs of patients in today’s provincial health system. Nurses characterize all changes proposed by the NLHBA to improve our health system as “concessions,” even such suggestions as standardizing arrangements for overtime payment/time off with that of other health professionals.
“Talking about all employers’ proposed changes as “concessions” stands in the way of progress in the health system,” says John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director. “Having said that, we did initially have a proposal on a new way to deal with paid leave such as family leave and compassionate leave, but we took that off the table and it is no longer part of the employers’ position.” He gave as an example of proposed improvements the idea of including public nurses in appropriate parts of the collective agreement, rather than keep them in a separate section. “This move reflects and facilitates the reality of delivering these health services in today’s team-based, patient-centred continuum of services. We would like to achieve this in a collegial way that works towards the best health system possible for the population of the province. Clinging to outdated sections of the previous collective agreement does not help us to move forward to meet the needs.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
February 28, 2002: After 15 days of negotiations with the Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union (NLNU), the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) negotiators are frustrated with the lack of preparation for negotiations and willingness to come to the table by the NLNU negotiators. With more than 75 union proposals outstanding, the NLNU has now walked away from face-to-face discussions and asked for conciliation.
“We have worked hard on proposals and responses for each meeting,” explained John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director, “Only to be met by the NLNU at the table without their homework done. They want to do all their preparation on the day of the negotiations, which cuts right into the discussion time and holds up the negotiation process.” He continues, “Unlike every one of the other unions that we negotiate with, the NLNU is expecting the NLHBA employers to pay them for any work or preparation outside the negotiations. This special status among unions demanded by the NLNU is way out of our budget and has resulted in an unprecedented lack of action on outstanding issues.” John Peddle is disappointed by this “We have very senior people on our negotiating committee who have put a lot into this important set of negotiations. The employer is willing to negotiate but both parties have to prepare for discussion and seriously address each issue.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
February 27, 2002: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) today launched the innovative Group Purchasing Online Tendering System (GPOTS). This technological advance allows authorized suppliers to submit tenders electronically via the Internet, offering significant advantages in accessibility, lower tender submission costs and security.
NLHBA Group Purchasing offers a high-volume contracting service for commodity groups and service contracts, such as pharmaceuticals, medical, laboratory radiology supplies, corporate travel or courier services. John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director, is proud of this future-oriented initiative, “To the best of our knowledge, there are no other province-wide Online Tendering Systems in the health sector in Canada. This groundbreaking model is particularly appropriate for Newfoundland and Labrador,” he continues, “because it is accessible 24 hours a day on our website - no more worries about distance and time zones making it difficult to meet tender submission deadlines.” Data security is protected in GPOTS: “User IDs and passwords will be provided on request,” Mr. Peddle explains, “and vendor information is encrypted by means of a ‘secure certificate’ system to ensure that secure information cannot be read or intercepted by unauthorized users.”
For further information about GPOTS, check Group Purchasing Tenders at www.nlhba.nl.ca
February 8, 2002: The Romanow Commission has just released an Interim Report on the fact-finding stage of its examination of the health system in Canada. The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) is pleased with Roy Romanow’s recognition of the importance of Medicare to Canadians. The NLHBA also supports his identification of the need to remodel the system to bring it up to date with the needs of today’s Canada and contemporary Canadian values.
John Peddle, NLHBA Executive Director, feels it is important to identify which health services are needed and preserve access to those services. “We live in a time when some wealthy provinces and individuals want Canadians to have to dig into their own pockets to pay for health services that are now covered by the tax system. This is a problem for less wealthy provinces and individuals. How will equitable access to health services be preserved in such a system? The NLHBA has found that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians still have to be convinced that this is the right way to go.” He adds “Our polling shows that six out of ten residents in our province are opposed even to small user fees, and are also against people having to pay for treatment of illnesses resulting from unhealthy habits such as smoking.”
The NLHBA looks forward to meeting with Mr. Romanow on his visit to Newfoundland and Labrador in April, 2002.
HEALTH BOARDS ASSOCIATION APPLAUDS DROP IN SMOKING RATES
February 6, 2002: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association welcomes the news from Health Canada that the number of smokers over the age of 15 in Newfoundland and Labrador has decreased by 5 per cent in the first half of 2001 as compared with the first half of 2000. Our province now has the lowest percentage of smokers in Atlantic Canada and ranks as the second lowest for smokers in Canada.
John Peddle, Executive Director of the NLHBA is pleased with the progress this province has made. “The NLHBA was one of the founding members of the Alliance for the Control of Tobacco and strongly supports the province’s multi-pronged approach towards reducing smoking through education and legislative restrictions.”
“From the Health Boards perspective, smoking is an unhealthy lifestyle that affects the health of smokers and non-smokers alike and results in significant costs to the health system,” adds Peddle. “The health system in this province emphasizes early intervention, prevention and health promotion. The decrease in smoking shows that this emphasis is the right way to go. Some areas in the province have more of a challenge, but we and our partners continue to move forward and hope for continued successes.”
HEALTH BOARDS ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS MINISTER IN DEALING WITH FISCAL CONSTRAINTS
December 12, 2001: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association supports the Minister in the development of a Strategic Health Plan, recognizing that current fiscal constraints require innovative solutions for future health services delivery.
John Peddle, Executive Director, says, “The public sector in the province provides high quality health services, and we believe the evaluation of publicly-funded health services is a reasonable course of action during the strategic planning process. Currently, some services in our health system are delivered by the private sector. For example, most physicians operate as small businesses.” He went on to say, “It is Government’s responsibility to set policy, whereas Health Boards manage and deliver health services. We, as an Association, will assist Government in evaluating new policy direction for improved health services.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. On behalf of member health boards, the Health Boards Association advocates to Government and the public on priority issues and provides quality programs and services to members. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
HEALTH BOARDS WELCOME MINISTER BETTNEY’S STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS
November 29, 2001: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association welcomes the consultation and planning process that Minister Bettney has been conducting through the Health Forums which have just concluded with a Provincial Health Forum held in Gander. The NLHBA has supported the development of a strategic health plan, and very much appreciates the Minister’s proactive strategic approach to managing the health system.
“We are very satisfied that the ideas and concerns of the Association and, indeed, of all stakeholders have been thoroughly discussed in the Health Forum context,” said John Peddle, Executive Director of the NLHBA, “It was exciting to have so many stakeholders examining these key principles and reaffirming the directions of the wellness model for the health system of the future.” He went on to say, “The next steps for the process will be further discussion with stakeholders on actions to implement change to the health system based on the results of the Health Forums.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. On behalf of member health boards, the Health Boards Association advocates to Government and the public on priority issues and provides quality programs and services to members. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
HEALTH BOARDS LOOK FOR LEADERSHIP FROM GOVERNMENT
November 23, 2001: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) is looking forward to the Provincial Health Forum to be held on November 27 and 28 in Gander.
“What conclusions will Government have drawn from the varied recommendations of the regional Health Forums?” asks John Peddle, Executive Director of NLHBA. “Invited guests were given a day at each regional Health Forum to voice their opinions on each of 20 questions in the government’s Health Forum discussion paper. It will be a challenge to come up with decisions based on evidence, not just opinions, that fit the health system to the funds available.”
He goes on to say, “Minister Bettney has told us that there is $1.4 billion available for the health system. If this is all we have, then we have to change the delivery of services. The time for tinkering with the system is past. What services can we afford in this province, and what services will we have to send patients out of province to access? Our birth rate is the lowest in the country. Does it make sense for our province to fund pediatric programs without enough child patients to keep them busy? Patients in hospital are more seriously ill than ever before, requiring specialist skills and costly health technology: we need a provincial framework for the strategic location of acute care services. In addition, Government will have to decide what facilities will be closed, and what programs and services will be offered regionally and in which regions.”
Many tough decisions face Government in the health system.HEALTH BOARDS ASSOCIATION AGREED TO TASK FORCE WITH NAPE
November 21, 2001: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association welcomes the reminder by NAPE’s Tom Hanlon of the independent task force into the sick leave issue. The public may not be aware, but Mr. Hanlon knows, that in the collective agreement signed by NAPE, Treasury Board and the Health Boards Association in 1998, all parties, not just NAPE, agreed to the appointment of an independent Task Force to:
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· Undertake an assessment of sick leave utilization in the health care sector, |
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· Compare sick leave utilization in the health care sector with utilization rates in comparable institutions in other jurisdictions, and |
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· Recommend measures to eliminate any differential between utilization in our health care sector as compared with utilization in other jurisdictions. |
Costs related to the Task Force were to be paid from a Labour Force Adjustment Fund. The NLHBA and NAPE appointed their representatives, but there has been no funding forthcoming for the costs of the Task Force.
John Peddle, Executive Director of NLHBA, said, “In the absence of funding for the Task Force, the NLHBA proactively engaged an outside consultant to prepare a report on sick leave in the health system in this province. This report will be completed shortly. In the collective agreement signed on July 10, 2001 the Government, NAPE and NLHBA have again agreed to establish a Sick Leave Task Force. If funding for the Task Force can be obtained, the NLHBA hopes that the report of the consultant can be used as part of the discussion. We look forward to NAPE’s initiative in addressing this serious problem.”
November 14, 2001: Minister Aylward says sick leave is a problem for all Health Boards. Paid absence from work by health employees in Newfoundland and Labrador totals upwards of 50 days per full time worker each year. That works out to approximately 10 weeks of paid absence from the job each year. This staggering total is made up of sick leave, leave for family reasons, vacations, professional development etc. Collective agreements in this province provide for the highest sick leave benefit in the country (24 days as opposed to 18 days in the next highest province) and the highest allowable accumulation of sick leave days at 480 days as compared to Nova Scotia at 125, PEI at 215 and New Brunswick at 240 days.
CUPE was reported today as stating that workers have resorted to using sick leave because they cannot schedule their annual leave. At times when employees cannot get annual leave, it is because of the pressing need for replacements for other people who are already off on sick leave. The health system cannot stop because its employees are not on the job – replacements must be found for almost all absent workers. Often exhausted employees must be recalled to replace absent co-workers, and may themselves become sick as a result. The cost to the health system of sick leave alone, together with replacements, amounted to almost $42 million in 2000. These are scarce health dollars that should be spent on health services to the public.
“During collective bargaining over the past ten years, Health Boards negotiators have consistently tried and failed to get NAPE, CUPE and Government to address this ongoing problem,” says John Peddle, Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association. “It is therefore not correct that Health Boards and the Government only complain about the high cost of sick leave during a financial crunch. NAPE, CUPE and employees must recognize that we should be working together towards creative solutions to address this situation for the benefit of the health system and health employees alike,” he states. “Health funds should not be spent in this way and health employees cannot continue to do double shifts to cover the work of absent employees. As it is,” he continues, “Government has to finance the cost of this absenteeism from funds intended for health services. The cost of sick leave usage and replacement more than exceeds the projected health deficit.”
November 5, 2001: Health Boards have identified some cost savings within their current operations by such measures as freezing education budgets and continuing bed closures throughout the winter months. These measures have amounted to approximately $10.6 million in savings, according to Minister Bettney.
John Peddle, Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association, says “There is no fat left in the health system. Further savings can only be achieved by offering fewer services and programs. Minister Bettney has tough decisions to make at this point in order to balance the health budget. The Health Care Corporation of St. John’s, for example, with the tertiary care mandate for the entire province, was only able to identify $2 million of savings that did not impact on access to service under their current service mandate. The Minister intends to commission another external operational review of the Health Care Corporation of St. John’s to help the Department identify measures which undoubtedly will have to include access to services to recover the current year’s projected deficit.” Mr. Peddle went on to say that the NLHBA Board and the Association welcome the review as several other reviews by the Government and by external consultants have failed to identify any significant savings within the current service mandate.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
October 3, 2001: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association announced today that their Fall Health Conference, scheduled for later this month, has been cancelled. The Fall Conference, co-sponsored by the Canadian Conference of Health Services Executives, Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter (CCHSE), was a victim of budget restraints as Health Boards look at restricting health operations in order to deal with their deficits.
John Peddle, Executive Director of the Health Boards Association, is disappointed that this decision had to be made: “Planning for the Fall Conference started at the end of last year,” he said, “And many people have generously given their time and effort in order to make the Conference a success.” He added, “However, the decision to cancel became inevitable with our member Health Boards having to make the decision to cut their education budgets and reduce or cancel their conference registrations. We very much hope that we can reschedule this important event for some time next year.”
Arrangements are under way to deal with all bookings and engagements related to the Fall Conference, and all presenters, speakers and panel members will be personally contacted. Registration refunds will follow shortly.
August 30, 2001: John Peddle, Executive Director of the Health Boards Association, is proud to announce that the three winning articles for the NLHBA Article of the Year Competition are now posted on the NLHBA website at www.nlhba.nl.ca:
1. Bruce Gorman, Director of Materiels Management, Health Care Corporation of St. John's, Non Clinical Savings Help Keep Dollars in Patient Care
2. Jocelyn Farrell, R.N., Staff Nurse, Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Center, Central Venous Access Devices Versus Peripheral Intravenous Catheters In the Oncology Setting
3. Mohamed Ravalia, Family Doctor in Twillingate, When is a Crisis Really a Crisis?
All three of these articles have attracted interest from the publisher of a national health publication. “This is not surprising,” states John Peddle, “in view of the very high quality of the entries that we receive for this competition. Every year it seems that the articles achieve a higher standard than the year before.”
The Article of the Year Competition is held annually by the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association with the application deadline in May. The competition provides an opportunity to showcase some of the most innovative and exciting health projects in the country, located right here in our own province. “We congratulate the winning authors on their accomplishments in the health system and their insights on new ways to look at provision of health services,” John Peddle said. “Promoting the best in our health system is a key aspect of our Strategic Plan and our mandate to advocate for a quality health system in this province.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
July 23, 2001: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association congratulates the Chair of the Freedom of Information Review Committee on an excellent, timely and balanced report on all aspects of a modern and comprehensive freedom of information policy for the province.
John Peddle, Executive Director of the NLHBA, says “The Association particularly supports the recommendation that separate health information legislation should be enacted that defines an appropriate balance between an individual’s right to privacy and society’s needs. Such legislation would address the collection and control of personal health information in all settings, public and private. We need a consistent approach to this so that the province can move forward with a health system for the future.”
The NLHBA looks forward to the two new pieces of legislation as a very positive policy initiative for the province and hopes that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador will approve the report in its entirety.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. On behalf of member health boards, the Health Boards Association advocates to Government and the public on priority issues and provides quality programs and services to members. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
July 3, 2001: After thirteen years of service in rural Newfoundland, Dr. Liam Gawley is moving to new challenges in his career in another province. The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) want to express their appreciation for his services to the health system in our province, and for the health benefits provided to the residents of the Burin Peninsula from his services to patients there.
“The recruitment process for a second surgeon in the Burin is well under way,” says John Peddle, Executive Director of the NLHBA, “And we hope that the replacement will also stay on for thirteen years or longer.” He points out that this province has been reasonably successful in recruiting for rural Newfoundland and Labrador, even taking into account the difficulty of attracting medical and health professionals to rural areas of our province. The reality is that after a while many professionals may move for reasons such as better compensation, a larger peer group or a different work environment. “The Burin Peninsula is not unique in this respect,” he continues, “The health system in this province has been lucky, however, in continuing to attract fine medical and health professionals for the rural parts of the province. They are special people who love living and working in a rural area and are prepared to make the most of it.”
April 4, 2001: the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association welcomes the announcement by the Federal Government of the Romanow Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada.
“We are pleased with this federal leadership initiative for the Canadian health system,” said John Peddle, Executive Director of the Health Boards Association, “The health system continues to be a key concern for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, as it is for all Canadians.” He continued, “The Health Boards Association looks forward to meeting with Mr. Romanow for discussions on future directions for the health system. We are ready to work with the Commission to provide our provincial perspective on these important issues.”
March 26, 2001: In Thursday’s Provincial Budget, $7 million in additional funding was allocated to base budgets on an interim basis for health and community services delivered by the four regional Health and Community Services Boards and the two Integrated Health Boards. A review of these key operations in the health system will be undertaken shortly by Government to determine the overall true cost of delivering these services in the health system. The final base budget for these services will be calculated according to the results of the review.
John Peddle, Executive Director of the Health Boards Association, points out “The Health and Community Services were originally set up in 1998 when services and programs were transferred from the Department of Human Resources and Employment to the Department of Health, and then to the former Community Health Boards. This integration was intended to provide a continuum of care in the community based on principles of prevention and early intervention and inter-disciplinary teamwork to support the goals of the provincial Strategic Social Plan.” “However,” Mr. Peddle continues, “there is not enough funding to support services linked to population needs for this broad mandate, and in addition, more services continue to be transferred to the Health and Community Services sector without sufficient funding for their delivery.”
The review of the Health and Community Services mandate and funding in the regional Health Boards involved will therefore allow Government to have a realistic look at the funding required for the mandated services.
March 26, 2001: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association is working hard on negotiations, hoping to avoid the strike that NAPE and CUPE have been threatening to call starting April 1, 2001.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
November 22, 2000: John Peddle, Executive Director for the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association, reports that arrangements are being made for Lab and X-Ray employees to appear in court on several different dates. “I have now had the opportunity to review the oral decision of 9 November, 2000 by Justice Richard LeBlanc in Corner Brook,” he stated, “And the NLHBA is pleased that the Court suggested accommodating discussion on a number of options to do with issues of service and appearance.” These arrangements are currently being discussed by legal counsel for the parties.
Lab and X-Ray employees from the Western Health Care Corporation will be appearing in court to face contempt of court charges in connection with their recent illegal strike.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
AMENDMENT TO PRESS RELEASE DATED NOVEMBER 22, 2000
Legal counsel from Corner Brook has now advised that Lab and X-Ray employees will be appearing in court at different times on the same date.
Please therefore amend the first sentence of the above press release to read: “John Peddle, Executive Director for the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association, reports that arrangements are being made for Lab and X-Ray employees to appear in court at several different times.”
November 10, 2000: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) are delighted to announce that, at their Annual General Meeting on Friday, November 3, 2000, Mr. Des Dillon was voted in as President of the NLHBA for the period 2000 to 2001.
Mr. Dillon has given generously of his volunteer time to the health system in this province. He serves as the Chair of the Health and Community Services Central Board, and is currently a member of the Board of the NLHBA and Chair of the Finance Committee for the NLHBA.
Mr. John Peddle, Executive Director of the NLHBA, is looking forward to working with Mr. Dillon over the next year: “We are lucky to be able to take advantage of Des’s skills and experience in health governance. We’ll make sure that we keep him busy!”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. On behalf of member health boards, the Health Boards Association advocates to Government and the public on priority issues and provides quality programs and services to members. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
October 25, 2000: the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) says that the grievance process with the NLNU takes up too much time. There are several reasons for this:
· NLNU and/or employees grieve all job postings in facilities as a policy – hundreds of grievances are therefore filed a year on job postings alone
· hearings with the NLNU require much lengthier hearings than with any other bargaining unit in the health system. NLHBA is currently involved in a discharge arbitration hearing with the NLNU, for example, which has already taken 25 days
· response time can be quite lengthy – the NLNU’s response to an offer of settlement submitted by the employer on a grievance in June, 1999, for example, was only received in July, 2000
· NLNU has only one employee responsible for presenting arbitrations.
John Peddle, Executive Director, NLHBA, explains that the employers have agreed to the union making its own choice of high priority grievances: “This means these priority grievances can then be scheduled one year in advance.” He adds, “In addition to the prebooked arbitrations, employers will also arrange for others to be scheduled throughout the year in response to requests from the union.” Mr. Peddle feels that the NLNU needs to review its grievance filing practice.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
October 23, 2000: NAPE is giving mixed messages to Lab and X-ray employees who have been out on a wildcat strike since last week. NAPE signed off on the collective agreement that is now in place and has begun the collective bargaining process for the next collective agreement. However, NAPE has yet to come out in public to appeal for Lab and X-ray employees to return to work since the strike is illegal and as such is not condoned by the union.
John Peddle, Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association, says that striking employees are understandably frustrated over the lack of accurate information from their union: “If NAPE agrees that the Lab and X-ray strike is illegal, they should say so publicly, and tell the striking employees to return to work. Employers have now obtained court injunctions ordering these employees back to work, and those not back at work within a reasonable time will be prosecuted.” Mr. Peddle went on to say, “If NAPE does not publicly encourage its members to go back to work, does this mean that NAPE supports this illegal activity? Will NAPE commit themselves to a clear position on this crucial issue?”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards. All health services and community services, including child, youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
October 20, 2000: health administrators and health professionals from all over Newfoundland and Labrador will be gathering in St. John’s for the annual health conference on October 26 and 27 at Holiday Inn. The theme this year is Accessibility and Sustainability: a Health System Challenge for the 21st Century.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) and the Canadian College of Health Service Executives, Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter (CCHSE) are hosting the conference. They will be welcoming distinguished Keynote Speakers Dr. James Nininger, President and CEO of the Conference Board of Canada and Dr. David Foot, author of the Boom, Bust and Echo publications, and Featured Speakers Gaston Levac, President and CEO of CCHSE, and Anne McGuire, the Nova Scotia representative on the Board of the Canadian Healthcare Association. Twelve concurrent sessions will showcase health research, health delivery innovations and policy initiatives from all over the province.
John Peddle, Executive Director of the NLHBA, is looking forward to the conference, “This is the most stimulating program that we have put together since we began organizing this conference.” Allan Bradley, President, CCHSE (Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter) agrees, “The conference this year offers the opportunity to hear about and discuss the most interesting issues in the health system today in this province.”
October 20, 2000: Patients are relieved in some parts of the province as lab and x-ray employees return to work to provide needed services.
John Peddle, Executive Director of the provincial Health Boards Association, confirmed today that lab and x-ray employees were back to providing services to patients in some regions: “Health Boards appreciate the response by these returning employees, who have responded to the concerns of the patients in their areas.”
In regions where lab and x-ray employees are still out on their wildcat strike, patients are increasingly at risk and Health Boards are reaching a crisis point. As required by the terms of the injunctions obtained by Health Boards, contempt of court proceedings have begun against the illegally striking employees.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards. All health services and community services, including child youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
October
19, 2000: Dr. David Foot,
Professor of Economics at the University of Toronto and author of the popular Boom,
Bust & Echo publications, will be a distinguished Keynote Speaker at the
annual provincial health conference October 26 and 27 at the Holiday Inn, St.
John’s. The Newfoundland & Labrador Health Boards Association and the
Canadian College of Health Service Executives, Newfoundland & Labrador
Chapter are hosting the conference titled Accessibility
and Sustainability: A Health System Challenge for the 21st Century.
Audiences in this province will also be familiar with David Foot’s stimulating and entertaining analysis of the economy from his previous visits to the province. “He has now turned his attention to analysing the health system from a demographic point of view,” says John Peddle, Executive Director of the Health Boards Association, “I am looking forward to hearing his views on the future of the health system and what will be needed. We were extremely pleased that he accepted our invitation to speak at the conference.”
October
18, 2000: A
wildcat strike this morning by lab and x-ray workers has put patients at risk.
Severely-ill people cannot get blood-matching services needed for
essential blood transfusions. None
of these services are available for the emergency system.
The illegal strike has left labs empty.
“Collective
bargaining with NAPE has already started,” John Peddle, Executive Director of
the Newfoundland & Labrador Health Boards Association, observed this
morning, “And the reclassification issue that angers these workers is on the
table. What can they hope to gain
by this action?”
The
Health Boards Association requests the lab and x-ray workers to return to work
and carry on the discussion at the bargaining table.
The Association is obtaining a court injunction to be served on the
workers.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards. All health services and community services, including child youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
October 18, 2000: an injunction has been obtained by the Newfoundland & Labrador Health Boards Association (NLHBA) to order striking Lab & X-ray employees back to work.
John Peddle, Executive Director of NLHBA, says that Health Boards expect these employees to honour this court injunction. “A reasonable time will be allowed to enable employees to return to work,” he states, “If employees do not return to work, they are in contempt of court and will be prosecuted. Employers will be initiating the action today if the employees are not back to work.” He explained that this was a commitment given by the employers to the court as a condition of the injunction.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards. All health services and community services, including child youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
October 17, 2000--- Dr. James Nininger, the President and CEO of the Conference Board of Canada will be a distinguished Keynote Speaker at the annual provincial health conference October 26 and 27 at the Holiday Inn, St. John’s. The Newfoundland & Labrador Health Boards Association and the Canadian College of Health Service Executives, Newfoundland & Labrador Chapter are hosting the conference titled Accessibility and Sustainability: A Health System Challenge for the 21st Century.
John Peddle, Executive Director of the Health Boards Association, is looking forward to a provocative analysis and assessment of Canada’s social and economic performance as it relates to health and affects health decisions for the future, based on the data in the Conference Board of Canada’s Performance and Potential 1999 – Sustaining the Canadian Way, A Challenge to Leadership. “Last time Newfoundlanders and Labradorians had the opportunity to hear Dr. Nininger speak on the health system was earlier this year at a national conference on health leadership,” John Peddle says, “There he used the research information both for a report card on the system and to predict future scenarios and needs for the health system. We are very lucky to be able to book him for our conference.”
September 22, 2000, St. John’s: The Newfoundland and
Labrador Health Boards Association is pleased with the successful outcome of its
appeal against Revenue Canada’s assessment of physicians providing locum
services as employees. This would
have meant that EI and CPP would be docked at source from the locum fees, and
that Health Boards, as employers, would have to match those payments.
Locum,
or temporary replacement, services are provided on a contract basis by
physicians to allow other physicians to take leave for various purposes, and
also to fill physician vacancies during recruitment for permanent physicians.
John
Peddle, Executive Director of the Association, has received a letter from
Revenue Canada backing down from their original position and stating that
“doctors performing services such as locums are not employed in pensionable or
insurable employment, as a contract of service did not exist under an
employer/employee relationship. Consequently,
the assessment has been vacated.” Mr.
Peddle added “this means that any assessments placed on these physicians from
1997, 1998 and 1999 will be reversed. Similarly,
assessments paid by regional health boards across the province will be
returned.”
“If
this issue had not been resolved in the Association’s favour,”
John Peddle explained, “the regional Health Boards would have found it
extremely difficult to find physicians to provide these essential locum services
if deductions had to be made. The
provision of medical services in this province would have been seriously
affected.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health and Community Services Association (NLHCSA) represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards.
August 30, 2000, St. John’s: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association welcomes the announcement by Government that the classification review is complete. Social workers, nurses and LPNs in three unions have higher levels of pay from the resulting reclassification.
John Peddle, Executive Director of the Association, said “the Association has been lobbying for reclassification of these employees in the health system since early 1999. The resulting higher remuneration for their work will have a positive effect on the recruitment of new employees and retention of current employees in these areas.” “The Association is pleased,” he added, “ that Government has responded to the Health Boards concerns.” Government has committed to Health Boards that the increased salary amounts will be fully covered by additional funding.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
June 7, 2000, St. John’s: On Tuesday, June 6, 2000, the Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association, John Peddle, presented graduation certificates to thirteen senior nurses. The occasion was their graduation from the Health Assessment Training Program, a self-directed learning experience offered by the Centre for Nursing Studies, which is part of the Health Care Corporation of St. John’s. The practice of health assessment skills can significantly improve patient care, particularly in the acute care medical and surgical areas.
The Health Boards Association provided over $34,000 to support the position of clinical course facilitator. This funding enabled the Centre for Nursing Studies to offer the program initially to senior nurses in the Health Care Corporation.
John Peddle said, “The Centre for Nursing Studies has identified a need for Health Assessment Training for nurses in today’s health system. We are delighted to support this program, which will be offered in the future to nurses from all Health Boards in the province.”
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
June 7, 2000, ST. JOHN’S: The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association is pleased to be supporting the Newfoundland and Labrador Drug Information Centre. Located in the School of Pharmacy at Memorial University of Newfoundland, this ongoing and effective initiative has been a valuable source of information for Health Boards in this Province on the effective and safe use of medications in the health system.
To ensure access for Health Boards to this essential and important service, the Health Boards Association has committed $30,000 over three years as part of the funding needed to maintain the Drug Information Centre. A total of $250,000 has been committed for this purpose by a partnership of health organizations, both public and private, and government.
The Executive Director of the Health Boards Association, John Peddle, said that over the past five years Health Boards have found the Centre to be an invaluable source of up-to-date information on the fast-paced and increasingly complex world of available drugs. “We find this to be an excellent and cost-effective investment for the Health Boards Association as support for Health Boards in their work towards continuing improvement in the delivery of health services.”
As a result of the funding commitment, Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador will be able to take advantage of the promotion and information services offered by the Newfoundland and Labrador Drug Information Centre for at least another three years.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association represents all the Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child youth and family services, community corrections and youth diversion programs, and adult services, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
April 5, 2000, MOUNT PEARL: This morning at 11:00 a.m., the Honourable Roger Grimes, Minister of Health and Community Services, cut the ribbon to officially announce the change of name for the Newfoundland and Labrador Health and Community Services Association to the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association.
Founded in 1962 as the Newfoundland Hospital Association, the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association is the federation of health boards in the province. On behalf of member health boards, the Health Boards Association represents their interests, advocates to Government and the public on priority issues and provides quality programs and services to members.
"I am happy to officially announce today the renaming of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health and Community Services Association to the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association,” said Minister Roger Grimes. “This organization, which represents the 14 provincial health boards, provides important services to the boards, including the recruitment of physicians and pastoral care, labour relations, and health and medical committees.”
John Peddle, Executive Director of the Health Boards Association, told the invited guests from all parts of the health system in the province that the Association provides a unified voice for health boards to express their wishes and views on health system issues. “Health boards,” he stated, “ now deliver all types of health services and programs in the province, from community services and long term care to acute care. It is crucial for there to be a strong central organization to speak on their behalf.” He continued, “The views of the organizations at the centre of the health system must be heard as part of the continuing public debate. Health boards will provide views based on the realities of delivering services and programs in today’s world.”
Guests were reminded by John Peddle that the Board of Directors for the Health Boards Association is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors who serve in the public interest. He added “We are extremely lucky to have such a dedicated and skilled group of people volunteer their time for the provincial health system. Our Board of Directors also serve as Trustees on the health boards, doing double duty in service to the public.” John Peddle said, “We want to publicly acknowledge the wonderful work of our Board of Directors, and all the Trustees for the health system, and thank them for the many hours of service on our behalf.”
In an era where there is open discussion about what sort of health system the country and the province should have, the contribution of the Health Boards through the Association plays a valuable and informative role.
March 22, 2000: Eileen Young, President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health and Community Services Association, says that today’s provincial budget is good for the Health Boards in the province. “I congratulate the provincial government on finding some more funding for our hard-working Health Boards.”
"Base funding has been increased, although not by enough to meet all the health needs faced by Health Boards, “ Ms. Young continued. “Capital funding has also received a much needed boost, although again, this will not be enough to replace and update all of our aging equipment in the health system, or to respond to new and increasing needs.” Ms. Young also emphasized that the NLHCSA offers full support to the provincial government in their lobby of the federal government for more funding for health in Canada.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health and Community Services Association (NLHCSA) represents all the regional Health Boards in the Province. All health services and community services, including child welfare, community corrections and family and adult rehabilitation, are currently delivered by Health Boards in Newfoundland and Labrador.
March 15, 2000: Health Boards were pleased that the Speech from the Throne confirmed the importance of the health system for the provincial government.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health and Community Services Association (NLHCSA) is the federation of all the Health Boards in the Province. John Peddle, Executive Director of the Association, was pleased that the provincial government are proceeding with their commitment to support families and communities through health and social programs on the principles of prevention and early intervention: “The Government have followed up on specific and welcome health funding announcements over the past few days, such as the $1 million for the Newfoundland Food Foundation, with a strong endorsement of health as a top priority.” He added, “We are really looking forward to Budget 2000!” Especially welcome was the emphasis on a sustainable health system for the future of the Province, a theme likely to be the focus for the Association’s annual Fall Health Conference.
The provincial government committed to working with the federal government and other provinces towards a health system that meets the needs and expectations of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador. John Peddle stated that the NLHCSA and the Health Boards will do everything they can to support these efforts.
Cash-strapped Health Boards all over the Province will be waiting with interest to see what the provincial Budget brings for the health system.
March 7, 2000: a Memorandum of Understanding was reached between Peninsulas Health Care Corporation and NAPE, bringing to an end the illegal strike at nursing homes and health centres in the region.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health and Community Services Association (NLHCSA) represents all the Health Boards in the Province and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards.
John Peddle, Executive Director of the Association, said: “I am glad to state that negotiations between the employer and NAPE were successful in reaching a resolution without any grievances being filed by NAPE.” He explained that the employees who took part in the illegal work stoppage will be subject to the disciplinary measures laid out in the employers’ policies – so that, for example, the failure to appear for work for two shifts means that the employee would not be paid for those two shifts and would also receive a two day suspension. He added: “The employee whose suspension triggered the illegal walkout will return to work, after completing the suspension agreed upon by the parties.”
The resolution of this situation means that families of clients in long term care can rest assured that their relatives will be cared for in the best way possible.
February 29, 2000: the Health Boards of Newfoundland and Labrador are disappointed with the Federal Budget. $2.5 billion for health and education spread over four years and divided amongst all the provinces is simply not enough. How much will go to health? is the question on everyone’s mind. If, as Finance Minister Lloyd Matthews has stated, there will be only $40+ million for our province over those four years, it will not be enough to pay the current operating deficit for delivery of health programs and services, and will leave the health system without vital basic funding for the years ahead.
But will our share really total even $40 million? John Peddle, Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health and Community Services Association, points out that the federal government have moved to a per capita formula for the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) funds. Since the population is shrinking in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is increasing in Ontario, Alberta and B.C., most of the new CHST funds will go to provinces where most of the people are. The Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC) were reported last weekend as having calculated that as much as 98% of the increased funding would go to the three larger provinces. As John Peddle says, “This doesn’t leave much for our province. At this point, we are at a disadvantage when funds are distributed in this way, without taking into account our population, our geography and the challenges of delivering health services in this province.”
CHST funds also offer less cash and more tax transfer points than at first. A tax point worth $31 to Ontario is only worth $16 to Newfoundland and Labrador. The change in the cash/tax points balance is therefore a real disadvantage to the province. The CHST, which was announced by the federal government in 1995, was originally based on need, and the cash component was intended to top up the portion of the poorer provinces. But APEC has calculated that CHST cash transfers to all the Atlantic provinces will be 73% below 1994-5 levels. It looks as though the funding for the health system in this province will be seriously affected by these changes.
John Peddle says: “This budget offered nothing for Home Care programs, Child Health or Community-based Health Programs, and nothing to reinvest in the many areas of need in the health system. How can these services and programs be offered without adequate funding?"” The Health Boards are waiting anxiously for the promised meeting for the provinces with Federal Health Minister, Allan Rock, to find out the answers to these questions.
February 11, 2000:
are the province’s most precious resources, our children, being used as pawns
in a deadly power struggle?
Through
the new Child, Youth and Family Services
Act, Directors of Child Welfare in the Health Boards are the legal guardians
of hundreds of children at risk in the Province.
Without the dedicated professional social workers employed to work with
the Directors, these children in many cases have no one to speak for them and
they cannot speak for themselves. Without their social workers the Health Boards
cannot fulfill their parental responsibilities towards these most vulnerable
members of our society .
John
Peddle, Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Health and Community
Services Association, says “Health Boards have gone on record to Government as
supporting a review of the Social Worker positions.” He continued, “Boards know that social workers’ valuable
professional work has radically changed because of their new roles as employees
of the Health Boards. Their value
is not recognized in their classification.”
“Reclassification can be undertaken” he explained, “in the context
of the current collective agreement without needing any further disruption to
the clients.”
Health
Boards cannot continue coping with all of the vulnerable people in their care
without their social workers. None
of the regular maintenance of the caseloads can be done.
Only crises are being addressed. As
the illegal strike continues, more
and more cases enter the crisis stage.
Health Boards urge social workers to return to work, and push for a review of their positions with the support of their Boards. Your clients need you!
February 9, 2000: Regional Health Boards today were hit by an unexpected wild-cat strike by their social worker employees represented by NAPE. The social workers provide services in child welfare, child protection, family and rehabilitative services and youth corrections. These services are now the responsibility of the four regional Health and Community Services Boards and the two Integrated Health Boards. Social workers in those services, who used to work for Government, now work for the Health Boards.
If you call these Health Boards today, though, expect delays – because of the wild-cat strike, only emergencies can be dealt with by the few managers left coping with clients.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health and Community Services Association (NLHCSA) represents all the Health Boards in the Province – including the Institutional Boards which are not involved in the current crisis – and deals with Collective Bargaining and other aspects of labour relations on behalf of the Health Boards. There is a collective agreement in place.
“This is an illegal strike which is not supported by NAPE” emphasizes John Peddle, Executive Director of NLHCSA. “Employees who do not report for work will be subject to the disciplinary measures laid out in the employers’ policies.” He explained that the NLHCSA lawyer is preparing documents for an injunction against the wild-cat strike, to be served as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Health Boards want their
social workers to return to work to provide those important services.
Their clients need them!
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Regional
Health Boards who employ the striking social workers are:
INTEGRATED BOARDS
Health Labrador Corporation: Corporate Office in Happy Valley-Goose Bay
Grenfell Regional Health Services Board: Corporate Office in St. Anthony
HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARDS
Health and Community Services – Western Region: Corporate Office in Corner Brook
Health and Community Services – Central Region: Corporate Office in Gander
Health and Community Services – Eastern Region: Corporate Office in Clarenville
Health and Community Services – St. John’s Region: Corporate Office in St. John’s
SOCIAL WORKERS REPRESENTED BY NAPE
350 – 375 Social Workers employed by these Health Boards.
July 6, 2001
Dear
Editor:
The
Newfoundland and Labrador Health Boards Association has been following recent
events in the health system in the Burin Peninsula and would like to address
some of the issues that have been raised.
In
a CBC Radio interview indicated that he has “no faith whatsoever in this
medical system as it exists right now.” In fact as a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical
Association, Dr. Foley has had ample opportunity to influence health system
decisions from the medical point of view and to raise the level of confidence in
the health system. In addition, as
a Board officer and one of the five physicians represented on the Peninsulas
Health Care Corporation Board, Dr. Foley is one of the people who has input into
key decisions and is responsible for the way health services are provided on the
Burin Peninsula. Dr. Foley is not
improving the public perception of the health system by continuing to make such
statements when he is in a position as a Board officer to influence outcomes
without eroding public confidence.
The
overall Peninsulas Health Care Corporation record of physician recruitment has
been successful in the past. New
specialists have recently been added in Burin in the areas of psychiatry and
paediatrics and there is already a candidate interested in the vacancy in
surgery. In planning for the
future, the Board has been leading discussions with physicians on alternative
delivery models for primary health care.
Recent
media reports indicate some misunderstanding as to the role of a Board of
Trustees and the role of senior management.
A Board is responsible for governance, focusing on the strategic
direction of the organization and its policies. A Board also oversees the finances of the organization
and its accountability to the government and public.
An Executive Committee of a Board of Trustees acts on behalf of the Board
between Board meetings and all Executive Committee decisions are scrutinized by
the Board through a report tabled at Board meetings.
An organization’s senior management is responsible for the day-to-day
operations of the organization, not the Board of Trustees.
In
closing, we have every reason to believe that the health system is moving ahead
with solutions to issues – and not being part of the solution may mean that
you are part of the problem.
Yours
sincerely,
John
F. Peddle
March 23, 2000
Dear Editor:
The Newfoundland and Labrador Health and Community Services Association, as the federation of Health Boards in this province, want to challenge the inaccuracies and sweeping statements about Health Boards in the column by Peter Fenwick in the Telegram of March 23, 2000.
To begin with, Mr. Fenwick has not acknowledged that the health system now covers more than health care. This province’s health budget has always included the operations of the Medical School at Memorial University, but over the past two years a broad range of community services have been delegated to Health and Community Services and Integrated Boards, including child welfare, adult and family rehabilitation and community/youth corrections. The Institutional Boards offer a wide range of health services from hospitals, nursing homes, community health centres and community clinics.
The Health Boards are proud of their responsible handling of the greater part of the health spending in the province throughout the restructuring of the health system, including the addition of the social services. Over the past few years, there has been constant review of the operations of the system, through National Accreditation programs, financial and services assessments by the Auditor General, and annual ongoing financial and service delivery evaluations by the Department of Health and Community Services. In addition each Health Board has internal standards to monitor and evaluate quality delivery, and has undertaken strategic operational assessments with regional goals to be met within stated time-frames. These initiatives have been taken to ensure accountability for the wide range of health services that Government has decided shall be delivered by the Health Boards in each region.
The Health Boards look forward to and support the review process announced in the Budget speech with confidence that the Minister of Health and Community Services will be able to present evidence to his provincial colleagues and his federal counterpart that money is being spent responsibly on needed health services in this province. Mr. Fenwick is clearly unaware of the mandate of this review, which is to determine the base budget for each board, based on its current mandate, to identify operation efficiencies for the next three years, determine additional efficiencies and acceptable changes in services, and finally to identify any issues that impact on a board’s ability to achieve its potential efficiency.
Mr. Fenwick’s comments about “an already-bloated health-care system” needs more detail. Which parts of the health system would he consider to be bloated? The public in this Province have been lobbying for more services to be delivered by the Health Boards, not fewer. Needs in the province continue to change in response to the aging population and increased demands. Even with the increased funding, Health Boards cannot keep up with the expanding needs of the public. Is Mr. Fenwick prepared to identify areas in which to cut services, set priorities for who will get services, and tell people that they cannot access a needed service? The “almost irresponsible behaviour of the health-care boards” mentioned also need clarifying by Mr. Fenwick. The prevailing behaviour of Health Boards has been to work hard over the past few years to stretch the available funding to provide health services for the widely-scattered population of our province.
We suggest that Mr. Fenwick confine his remarks in future to areas in which he is knowledgeable and can provide a constructive and useful analysis.
John F. Peddle
Executive Director