CODE BLUE! Brant Healthcare Medical Emergency

‘Triage’ is a system to identify priorities for determining which patients are the  most in need of care. For the hospital itself…the process is the same.

When presented with a critical patient, first you have to stop the bleeding.

The Brant Community healthcare system has been in a desperate financial position, inherited over the past 4 years from the previous board and CEO, and is bleeding out at a $7.4 Million deficit as of the end of April 2018, but growth is part of the solution.

 

“We need to back fill expertise from lost talent and, starting immediately, are looking for more nurses.” Also you can read the invitation to apply for the Board of Directors of the Brant Community healthcare System by clicking the Press Release below:

Board application Press Release

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bonnie Adamson, the provincially appointed Supervisor after Inspector Tim Rutledge’s 2016 report was concluded, has been working with Interim CEO Glenn Bartlett to clear up this mess. She feels that they are finally seeing daylight. “We have been aggregating the human resource talent with the available resources.” Adamson recognizes that staff are accepting a role in this transition, “Studies show staff satisfaction is leading to greater efficiencies. They are creating a culture of patients first as a priority.” 

Then you bring in the specialist to save the critical patient.

After an extensive search procedure, a new Chief Financial Officer was announced Monday night.

Rae Jerome has been hired and begins his role shortly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jerome comes with 27 years’ experience in Financial Services Departments of hospitals in the region including Joseph Brant, Norfolk  and most recently Guelph General Hospital. His job is onerous. He will work with Adamson and between them tackle the needed efficiencies required to meet a balanced budget as mandated by the province. The key word in their mandate is stabilization both for financial integrity and a positive community perspective.

The next task is another specialist, a new CEO, and the search process is in full swing already. It is expected that this position and the selection of an entirely new Board of Directors of the Brant Healthcare System will be accomplished by early Fall. With a new government in the province and no Minister of Health designated, there is a waiting period before the advocacy on behalf of Brantford is initiated. In the meantime, there is ongoing development with innovations in the Emergency Department to speed up the process and reduce waiting times. As well there is a new funding initiative towards mental health concerns. In addition, The Willet Hospital site, formerly urgent care, has been reconstructed with 32 new beds intended for transition of patients waiting for a level of wellness to return to home or other nursing facilities and alleviating bed shortage correspondingly at the BGH site. The hospital is at stage 2 of a 5-stage process mandated by the province in resolving recommendations for improvements tied to progressive approval funding. Meetings with Chief Ava Hill have been a positive step in developing trust and confidence for our indigenous neighbours

The one community driven project and subject of the key local issue in the past provincial election is the possibility of a new hospital construction. Adamson points out the need to both stabilize and make the system work as it stands AND advocate for a future hospital. The reality is that the government wants the deficit situation solved first and requires grass roots engagement to proceed before monies are allocated for a new facility.  That process, just as the last time in the 1990’s when BGH was renovated and St. Joes and The Willett were closed as acute care facilities, has a 10 to 15-year window expectancy at the best of times. The cost in today’s dollars is likely $1 Billion and the community would be responsible for finding 10% of that. Realistically, $100 Million from a community of the size of Brant is a big ask: almost $800 per man woman and child. One wonders what the local candidates running for both Brant and Brantford Councils feel about these numbers added to the tax bill. Adamson is confident there is political will to meet both objectives.

With nearly 100 interested citizens attending, Adamson opened up the floor to questions and fielded all inquiries. They ranged from issues about: service reductions; relationships between primary care physicians and hospital staff; parking; the need for increased elective surgery particularly for knees, hips and cataracts; population growth and resulting increased service needs; need for translation services, cultural sensitivity and multi lingual signage in hospital; reaching out for best practices in mental health treatment; greater communication with public including family advisors as volunteers; volunteers for patient transition to home and navigators for families; investment in digital health technology leveraging new opportunities for better efficiencies.

Also in attendance were the Community Engagement Committee members who have been diligent for the last 6 months in helping guide the evolution Adamson and her team have been striving for.

They are: Anette Gillis; Anwar Dost; Bill Hyde; Brendan Ryan; Crawford Reid; Donna Creighton; Gail Quinlan; Heather Vanner; Holly Cowan; Jane Angus; Janet Gasperelli; Jean Miller; Judy Evans; Katie Gasperelli; Larry Kings; Linda Hunt; Marilyn Sewell; Michael Pearce; Rick Sterne; Ron Eddy; Shirley Simons.

The real test comes when the senior leadership team in collaboration with the new Board of Directors is tasked with the strategic implementation plan after Supervisor Adamson has finished her role.

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