DOCTORS, HOSPITAL ARE AT LEAST TALKING AGAIN, BUT LITTLE REAL PROGRESS AS MUSKOKA POLITICIANS AT NEGOTIATING TABLE
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
MUSKOKA — “Quality patient care” — always at the heart of hospital discussions — was again the primary focus of south Muskoka doctors in another round of talks with Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare this week.
It’s at least some healthy progress in the stubborn stalemate with physicians that not long ago had MAHC calling an ends to their talks and refusing to negotiate any further on more beds.
Public pressure on hospital officials, including a rally in early May, has at least brought the two sides back to the table.
MAHC says that “at the invitation of Bracebridge Mayor Rick Maloney,” its senior leadership team along with municipal officials from Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Muskoka Lakes, the District of Muskoka and “a group of south Muskoka physicians met on Tuesday to further discuss the ongoing capital redevelopment plan for the “multi-site regional hospital” in Muskoka.
But it appears no major results emerged according to MAHC release this afternoon.
But MAHC says the meeting (at an undisclosed location), which focused on critical topics such as quality patient care, transportation, recruitment and retention of physicians and staff, and the number of services and beds planned for both the Huntsville and Bracebridge sites, “marked a meaningful step forward in collaboration.”
Hospitals CEO Cheryl Harrison said that “to ensure the success of the multi-site regional hospital plan, an intentional focus on community-based support is essential.”
Her comment may have been a bit of an unintended double entendre coming just two days before a second “major rally” by Save South Muskoka Hospital supporters happens Sunday at 1 p.m. in Bracebridge at Memorial Park.
In the MAHC release Friday afternoon, it says physicians who invited to the meeting voiced their concerns and posed questions about the redevelopment plan, with “quality care” as their primary focus.
Two attempts to reach doctors by email this afternoon were unsuccessful.
MAHC says municipal officials present “expressed their support in working with the provincial government and everyone involved, reinforcing the commitment to addressing community health care challenges in Muskoka.”
Dave Uffelman, incoming MAHC board chair, emphasized the mutual goals and objectives of both healthcare leadership and physicians in attendance.
He said: “I am hearing that we are not that far apart in our thinking on this plan and that we are all interested in providing the highest quality care possible for people in our community.”
Maloney it was said highlighted the significance of this collaborative effort, saying in the release: “I am encouraged by the discussion between MAHC and our local physicians today. This level of collaboration is vital for ensuring that our hospital redevelopment meets the needs of all residents across our region. It is an important step in rebuilding trust between all the partners.”
According to MAHC, Dr. Scott Whynot, a south family physician in Bracebridge who wrote an original public letter from doctors that stirred the pot, is quoted as saying: “I have concerns about whether the planned bed numbers will meet our future demands.
“Though I’m pleased with the recent collaborative efforts with MAHC, led by local municipal officials, and I’m hopeful to see further positive developments in redevelopment planning as we work together to design the best health care for our community.”
MAHC says its “strategy for the south Muskoka site” includes a substantial increase in services, projecting annual visits to more than double to 140,000 from 60,000.
And that would include specialized surgical services and clinics.
Emphasizing a “community-based approach,” MAHC says the initiative aims to enhance care for individuals needing different levels of support and minimizing unnecessary hospital bed usage.
“This week’s meeting with South Muskoka physicians and local officials marked a positive step forward in our collaborative efforts to advance the capital redevelopment plan for our regional hospitals in Muskoka,” said Harrison.
“To ensure the success of the multi-site regional hospital plan, an intentional focus on community-based support is essential.”
District Chair Jeff Lehman is quoted as emphasizing that “We have a significant opportunity to transform healthcare in our region and we need to take it. We all need to pull together as partners in our community to expand the home-based supports and services that are part of the plan. Together, we can help prevent hospitalization and support people in their healthcare journey, both at two new, leading-edge hospitals and through new service models in the community.”
MAHC concluded that those at the meeting “acknowledged that while there is more work to do in refining the plan, the meeting fostered a stronger working relationship that will be essential in planning over the coming years.”
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