NHS ELECTION

Further to the Call for Resignation of the Niagara Health System CEO , Debbie Sevenpifer, this petition SUPPORTS Peter Kormos and his call for an ELECTED Niagara Health System Board as stated in the below article :


Kormos slams NHS
Longtime MPP says he plans to table legislation for hospital board changes
Michael Speck


Welland MPP Peter Kormos says he plans to take "full steps to stop what the NHS (Niagara Health System) is doing."

The longtime NDP politician told Niagara this Week that when Queen's Park resumes sitting this fall, he will introduce legislation calling for hospital boards, such as the NHS's, to be democratically elected every four years, as are municipal councils and mayors.

"There should be public control in a public health system and that is accrued by publicly held, democratic elections," said Kormos.

The MPP said the bill is in response to the NHS's restructuring plan, which includes sweeping changes to two hospitals in Kormos' riding, Port Colborne General and Welland County General.

The plan calls for the closure of Port Colborne's emergency department, when an interim 14-hour prompt care centre is eliminated after a five-year transitional period. The hospital's focuses will then be on primary care.

In Welland, the plan calls for the shift of the hospital's in-patient mental health services and maternity wards to St. Catharines' new hospital upon its completion, in a strategy of centralization.

Port Colborne, in turn, becomes a centre for diabetes and continuing complex care, while Welland becomes the regional site for two surgeries: ophthalmology and urology.

Kormos said the plan is based on a "political agenda," and doesn't think its basis is driven by debt reduction.

"It is shameful that an unelected, appointed group of people are making these decisions," said Kormos. "People with no accountability whatsoever."

Currently, the NHS board of trustees works on an appointment system, said Christine Clark, chief communications officer with the NHS. New members apply to the existing board, with successful applicants being appointed to a pre-determined term.

Applicants are reviewed with approvals on points such as having a regional perspective, a strong understanding of complex organizations and specific skills in finance and risk-management, according to the most recent NHS advertisement for board openings.

"It's a detailed and transparent recruitment process," said Clark.

According to information from the NHS website, 21 people from across Niagara make up the NHS board, working under chair Betty-Lou Souter.

The board has corporate representation from NHS chief executive officer and president Debbie Sevenpifer and chief of staff Dr. Bill Shragge.

Kormos also called on the provincial government to take more responsibility, saying it's playing the "three monkey game. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."

He plans to begin calling on oversight from the provincial ombudsman when it comes to decisions regarding hospitals. He said the taxpayers deserve better when health care is at stake, and said the government is hiding behind the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN).

"People may be able to live with centralizing ophthalmology surgery, but the idea of centralizing psychiatrics and pediatrics is absurd," said Kormos.

"There's going to be a lot of babies born in cars on Sodom Road on the way from Fort Erie to St. Catharines," he continued.

"The idea that Niagara is a mega-municipality is ridiculous. We have large, rural municipalities, we don't have the transportation infrastructure and we're known to have some bitter-cold and snowy winters."

SO LET IT BE KNOWN : THAT WE : THE PEOPLE OF THE NIAGARA REGION , IN THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO , FIRMLY SUPPORT AND WISH TO HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE ELECTION OF NIAGARA HEALTH SYSTEM OFFICIALS AS NOTED BY PETER KORMOS EVERY 4 YEARS .