Board Chair Message - May 2010

I just finished attending an early morning meeting at TBRHSC. As committee members were reviewing and discussing financial documents, it once again became clear to everyone how financially complex our business of acute healthcare is; our ability to deliver “on-demand” acute care is based on a lot of assumptions. If the visit for care is planned ahead of time, that helps a lot. However, if it is not planned, which means it is an emergency visit, then the complexities of providing care, should you need to be admitted alongside those whose care is planned, is a significant undertaking.

I am thinking about this in light of our continuing funding challenges. Costs are rising on virtually every front and yet our resources are not moving in tandem. This is a problem. Already large organizations such as Unions, the Ontario Hospital Association, and the Ontario Medical Association are reacting to this growing gap because they see problems both in the short and long term. Recent wage freezes announced by the government are not being taken kindly, for example. There are many opinions as to how we are going to safely get ourselves out of all of this. We closed our year in pretty good financial shape. However, over the next few years, a lack of funding could cause a few sleepless nights.

As the Chair of our Board of Directors, I want to assure you that we are doing all that we can to mitigate potential problems. We know that there will be cost pressures due to inflation, planned wage increases, material cost increases, and other operational and capital cost increases. Having said that though, it is too common-place to say that we will find a way out of this, or that we will get “bailed out”. We know that the proverbial “gravy train” will stop sometime. Then, we will be forced to make tough decisions on which services we will provide and which we will have to drop. We know that patients and families will express their discontent saying they want care when they need it, and closer to home. Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?

Moving on, another successful OHA Regional Conference just concluded. I commend our healthcare leaders for making an effort to attend the thought-stimulating sessions. We are being “challenged together” and the conference speakers addressed relevant matters. Because we have to overcome so many issues, including resources, distance, and time to present great care, we often don’t take time to also note how well we are doing. Through it all, we are making a positive difference in the lives of a lot of people. It is great to observe a cooperative spirit among healthcare providers in Northwestern Ontario.

Again, I express my gratitude to the TBRHSC, CEO Search Committee as they assist with the identification and selection of our incoming CEO. It is a lot of work. The personal sacrifice is significant.

I conclude my report by also reflecting on our National celebration of Volunteers. It is abundantly clear that this group of over 700 at TBRHSC are essential to our Plan of Care. We could not function as we do without them. It is a fact. Please thank our Volunteers whenever you see them. They are all around us, caring for our patients and families. They extol the virtues of Patient and Family Centred Care. On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you, each one of you. You mean a lot to us.

Until next time,

Ingrid Parkes, Chair
Board of Directors

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