LT Care debate has ‘partisan overtones’
As published on Saturday, November 17, 2012 on-line at the Chronicle Journal website:
While efforts to improve our capacity are welcome, I can express what many in our community have come to recognize, that there are increasingly political and partisan overtones associated with the recent campaign by some individuals and organizations on this issue.
My commitment to health care improvements and long-term care in Thunder Bay dates back to my time on city council. During my second term, I voted to rebuild two aging city-owned and -operated homes: Grandview Lodge and Dawson Court. The decision to rebuild, renovate or eliminate was made necessary by or a result of new standards of care mandated by the then Conservative government in Ontario.
It was a subsequent Thunder Bay council that decided to close those two homes, effectively eliminating 300 long-term care beds from our community.
Our government moved quickly to commit funding to reverse the impact of that decision. We announced our commitment to a new project with St. Joseph’s Care Group as our partner to build a brand new 300-bed long-term care home — now grown to over 400 beds — plus a new 132-unit supportive housing complex that would create 110 new jobs.
The project will be in excess of a $100-million commitment to the seniors of the City of Thunder Bay — creating modern, quality living accommodation for our seniors that will afford them the dignity of care they deserve.
This is a massive investment in our community and in our seniors. The 132 supportive housing units, which are expected to open early in the new year, will provide some relief to the alternate level of care situation that exists in Thunder Bay.
As well, as part of the project, we committed to covering the net operating cost the city incurs on an annual basis from Grandview Lodge and Dawson Court until the new beds are ready. The amount is approximately $4 million annually. To date, that means we have provided $16 million in tax relief for Thunder Bay taxpayers and that will increase by approximately $8 million more before the new long-term care home opens.
In addition, we made major investments in home care, including a $1.1-billion Aging at Home Strategy enabling more seniors to remain in their homes for longer periods of time — while reducing demand for LTC beds. We are expanding these programs in the City of Thunder Bay and throughout the Northwest.
Finally, I would add in response to the article in last week’s Chronicle-Journal and the comments made by Cathy Carroll (Mystery Thrives Amid Closure of Long-term Care Facility, Nov. 10). I have met with the Thunder Bay Health Coalition regarding their concerns. My staff attended their public meeting on this issue. I’ve offered to meet with the Ontario Health Coalition at my Queen’s Park office, and save them the trip to Thunder Bay. We have offered through the local representatives of the coalition a meeting in my Thunder Bay office — and I will gladly meet with them in the future to hear their concerns.
Like most Canadian jurisdictions, we are struggling with the financial and logistical challenges of meeting the needs of our aging populations. We have made progress. Our government has increased hospital funding by 50 per cent, LTC funding by 77 per cent and the Northwest already has the second-largest number of per-capita LTC beds in the province.
Health care funding has increased from $30 billion to almost $50 billion under our government. We have hired 15,000 more nurses, with a higher percentage of them working full-time, and there are 4,000 more doctors working in Ontario today than in 2003. We also have a massive $100-million LTC project underway in our community. While we have made progress, we still face very real challenges.
My commitment to health care and to long-term care in Thunder Bay is long and clear. Ensuring that we meet the health care needs of our seniors is an issue that either affects, or will affect, virtually all of us. I remain committed to this issue. We need to put rhetoric aside and work together.
Bill Mauro, MPP
Thunder Bay-Atikokan
I had a personal interview with the project manager of the day from "Ellis-Don" along with one of their management team leaders a mister "Jim Soda" who was a carpenter by trade, with respect to my possibly joining them as a part of their senior project mnagement group on this project....and at the end of the interview...I turned them down with the offer that was extended to myself....in my mind I did not want to be in any way associated with a massive project such as this....which I had felt from the start was going to be nothing short of a complete "Disaster".!! Please note that I personally would have gained much financially....however I had to go with my gut instinct and did not want my name in anyway attached to this build at all.
Well my "suspicions" were right in the end on both fronts....the hospital seems to be in a constant stage of "GRIDLOCK".....and the project itself came in at a whopping "58% over budget".
What have you personally done with all of my requests to your office of a complete audit getting done on the costs as billed to the province by the General Contractors.???
Bill....do you not remember that I offered to do this audit for free.??!!
Bill in fact knows me very well, way back in the day I assisted him in the late 70's with securing a pipefitter apprenticeship with my them employer Mr. Bill Hacio, owner of Willhac Incorporated. Simply ask either of the "2" Bill's I have noted here to confirm what I have just written if you do not believe me.
The proof is always in the pudding....as that very old expression goes.!!!
Those are the "COLD HARD FACTS".....which no one can ever deny ladies and gentlemen.!!!
While M.P.P. Bill Mauro talks a good talk....his thoughts and theoretic ramblings have not even begun to scratch the surface in addressing the problems that we all have had locally for many, many years now with the hospital or the extreme shortage of long term beds for the city and regions ever aging population. No one in this mans opinion has kept their focus on the ball for years now....and so really I must say that I on a personal note, find no comfort in Mr. Mauro's words and thoughts expressed what so ever.
Here are the latest stat's as copied and pasted from the website of our "TBRHSC" below, and please note only 2 short days ago our local radio stations were broadcasting that the hospital was once again in a state of "Total Gridlock". I also believe that the current status of our regional hospital should be up-dated more frequently....which as noted below it clearly is not.
Here is a direct link to their website for your future use: http://tbrhsc.net/
TBRHSC
Bed Status
Open beds: 0
ALC beds: 33
ALC beds: 33
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