December 10, 2003 News ¢ theother press © Last Christmas for St. Mary’s? Kelly Parry News Editor This time, last year, a St. Mary’s press release began with “Although it may be the last Christmas celebrated at St. Mary’s Hospital in New Westminster, the lights of the ~ Yuletide season have never burned brighter.” Things haven't changed. In fact, the situation for St. Mary’s has gotten worse. Despite the efforts of angry patients, government officials, and countless community forums, the Fraser Heath Authority (FHA) has decided to begin transferring services, once supplied by St. Mary’s, to other nearby hospitals. The FHA believes that St. Mary’s will continue as a health care delivery agency but is not fiscally viable to continue as a stand-alone hospital. St. Mary’s Hospital came under threat in July 2002 when the FHA announced it would terminate the Affiliation Agreement it held with the hospital. That meant the with- drawal of $29 million in annual funding. In April 2003, St. Mary's board approved a new arrange- ment under which the FHA would fund specific health serv- ices at a cost of $11.85 million per year, while St. Mary’s pur- sued other revenue-generating opportunities. The outcome of St. Mary’s efforts was a business plan that would allow the hospital to continue operating as is, while saving millions of dollars in operating expenses. An independent review conducted by former Auditor General George Morfitt. Morfitt determined the St. Mary’s business plan would have left the hospital with a shortfall of up to $13.4 million in 2004/2005. He has concluded the business plan was not viable as it is unlikely the hospital would be able to attract new revenue sources to meet the budget targets they had agreed to in April. Last month St. Mary’s Board Chair Betty Wynne wrote to Premier Gordon Campbell to inform him they were unable to live up to their obligations under the agreement and the time frames outlined. She stated the financial and operational condition of the hospital was critical. St. Mary’s board reiter- ated, in a subsequent letter, that the hospital would face a serious cash flow crisis as early as January 2004. In a new working agreement St. Mary’s and the FHA agreed to maintain some programs, such as geriatric care and eye surgery while transferring other services to nearby hospi- tals over a 15-month transition period. “I recognize and appreciate the long-standing role St. Mary’s has played in our health system and I would like to thank the St. Mary’s board for their commitment to this hos- pital, which has meant so much to the community.” Health Services Minister Colin Hansen said. “While we are saddened by this outcome, we simply cannot afford to cover this unex- pected cash shortfall without compromising the overall serv- ices of the region.” Dr. Irwin Stewart of the hospital board says this new arrangement will likely increase surgery waiting lists across the region. “What’s going to happen to the 38,000 patient visits that St Mary’s looks after every year, the 11,000 surger- ies? Where are they going to go? Where are we going to go?” The battle for St. Mary’s is not over yet. Archbishop Adam Exner, of Greater Vancouver’s Catholic archdiocese, revealed he is orchestrating a campaign to save the 53-bed facility from FHA and government cuts. Surprised that the Sisters of Providence, owners of St. Mary’s, agreed to the cost-cutting plans and more than 250 layoff notices to unionized staff, Exner has met with Premier Campbell to voice his commit- ment. “The archdiocese of Vancouver remains committed to defending faith-based health care in our Catholic institutions and those belonging to other faith communities.” Monsignor Bernard Rossi, the church official responsible for health care, said taxpayer-funded hospitals in BC that are run by Catholics try to serve “higher values” than the financial bottom line. “There is a certain way of delivering health care that comes from our Christian roots. It is not just a business. We do it in the name of Christ,” Rossi said. Decorated by the staff, the hospital’s Christmas garden features thousands of lights, a gazebo, and dozens of multi-coloured winsome - spiral Christmas trees, a 70-foot Douglas fir Christmas tree and a life-sized life-like Nativity Scene constructed especially for the outdoor display. It’s a ‘must see’ for anybody driving about looking for Christmas lights this season. The Christmas Gaden is open daily to the public free of charge until January 15. Quick Facts * Founded by the Sisters of Providence in 1886, St. Marys Hospital is a mission-driven organiza- tion that has served New Westminster and surrounding communities con- tinuously for the past 116 years. * St. Mary's is well known for a num- ber of medical and surgical specialties including ophthalmology, otolaryn- gology, orthopedic reconstruction, acute geriatrics, palliative care, dia- betes, breast health, and respiratory programs. * The hospital employs 650 staff, has 400 physicians with privileges, main- tains 96 in-patient beds and handles 11,000 surgical cases annually * Over the past two years, St. Mary's has been recognized as one of British Columbias top employers and was selected to receive the New Westminster Chamber of Commerce “Outstanding Business of the Year’ award. * As a public hospital, St. Mary's serves over 35,000 patients a year, has ten operating theatres performing over 11,000 surgical procedures and 100 in-patient beds with a full com- pliment of diagnostic, treatment, and daycate services. http://www .otherpress.ca Photos by Angela Blattmann roses