Honourable Kevin Falcon, Minister of Health Services
Room 337
Legislature Building
Victoria, BC
V8V 1X4
Dear Minister Falcon:
RE: Operating Room staff and hours cutbacks at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital
I write to underline the seriousness of the situation at the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital (KBRH), given the cutbacks announced by the Interior Health Authority to the KBRH Operating Room staff and hours.
Despite sincere and effective measures presented and carried out by the surgical team at the hospital, saving around $350,000, the IHA is still going ahead with their cuts. This is not only disheartening to staff, but now threatens the very viability and capacity of the surgical program at KBRH.
An open letter by KBRH surgeons and anesthesiologists states the IHA decision is “effectively closing 1/4 of your operating rooms at KBRH Trail”. It says “Of even greater concern to us is the proposed cut to OR nursing positions” explaining that these very professional, highly-skilled nurses are a scarce commodity, especially in rural communities.
The Chief of Surgery at KBRH, Dr. Andre De Greef stated in an article in the Trail Times: “…we have our surgeon’s and anaesthesiologists leaving…” and “…they are fed up and they’re looking for other positions.”
What is evident is the level of frustration of our health professionals with the IHA, a level that threatens the critical mass needed for viable surgical services in a rural community. Even surgeons need to make a living. Cut back hours and loss of necessary OR support nurses but them in an untenable position. Let me underline that health professionals are very hard to recruit and keep in rural areas.
The open letter from surgeons and anesthetists to Kootenay-Boundary residents states “these cuts represent yet another direct reduction to your access to surgical care” and “your health has already been impacted before these additional cuts are taken in to consideration”.
These health professionals believe that “a critical line has been crossed” with the closure of operating rooms and the associated nursing cuts at KBRH. The doctors and nurses have taken effective measures and are well-positioned to know what measures can effectively be taken without critically compromising patient access to surgical care.
Minister, the IHA is ultimately responsible to you, and I would urge you to meet with the hospital’s surgical team to discuss this most recent IHA decision and develop a decision-making process that focuses on the viability of quality surgical services in this rural region and sets a standard of care to the highest possible, not to the lowest common denominator in the Province. Health professionals in this region should be applauded for trying to achieve and maintain patient safety and quality care.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this correspondence.
Sincerely,
Original signed by
Alex Atamanenko, MP
BC Southern Interior
CC: Katrine Conroy, MLA, Kootenay West
Michelle Mungall, MLA, Nelson – Creston
Dieter Bogs, Mayor, City of Trail
Dr. Andre de Greef
All Media