Notice to all ARTA Board Members and Branches

At its meeting of January 5^th, the Strategic Planning Committee spent a good portion of its meeting discussing the marketing plan which has been initiated to explore the establishment of new branches and to assist existing branches that may be seeing their membership dwindling or becoming increasingly inactive.

There was also much to contemplate with regards to the effects that announced Alberta Health Services program and policy changes will have on the Benefits Plan that ARTA makes available to its members and affiliates. There is little doubt but that the ARTA Benefits Plan would suffer a major blow should some of the proposed changes proceed exactly as announced by the Health Ministry, especially as proposed by the newest version of the Alberta Pharmaceutical Strategy.

This communication is to advise our membership that we continue to oppose the Pharmaceutical Strategy for several reasons. The primary reason is that by implementing this strategy, the Government of Alberta has placed an unfair financial burden on the backs of its senior citizens. Premier Stelmach has been adamant that there will be no new taxes under his watch. So now using a very unfair means test, he is imposing a premium on pharmaceuticals needed by senior Albertans.  When politicians are asked to explain the difference between a new premium and a tax, no answer is forthcoming. While it is true that the Canada Health Act does not cover the provision of pharmaceuticals outside a hospital setting, we still believe that using means testing to rake-in funds from seniors totally contravenes the universality concept that is an inherent part of the Canada Health Act.

Other recently announced changes also raise major concerns about the manner in which long-term care will function. We also believe that the proposed cuts anticipated to Mental Health facilities will place some of our most vulnerable citizens in a very tenuous situation. In many parts of Alberta, the dependent disabled among us have already been subject to drastic cuts to their program. The delisting of services that have been proven to be essential to a complete treatment and prevention program will continue to impact the wellness of seniors and those who subsist below the poverty line.

Those of you who reside in rural Alberta are well aware of the terrible effects that 'centralization' (aka "disorganization") has had on health care facilities outside of the major centres. There was a time when rural Albertans had a strong voice in the operation of their community health care facilities. Regional disorganization has effectively removed that privilege.

In keeping with its mission, ARTA must use the voice it has for the benefit of not only its members but for Albertans of all ages and circumstances. We must not shirk our duty of being advocates for the most vulnerable in our society. We must continue to prove to our political "masters" that we are indeed a force to be reckoned with. We need every retired teacher to be a voice that cries out against the injustices being perpetuated, especially on senior Albertans.

While ARTA does not actively advocate for any one political party in Alberta, we realize that we must be prepared to make our views about matters that impact on our members known to all who are actively involved in the political sphere. ARTA is asking each of its members to become a political activist. We encourage all our members to become involved with community groups that are springing up throughout the province with the objective of letting those in power know that we wish to have a strong voice in the governance of Alberta. In addition, we need each of you to be prepared to meet not only your MLA, but all those in our community who have links to any of the political parties. Talk to the card carrying members of all the parties (be it PC, Liberal, NDP, Wildrose, etc.) in your constituency. If you require assistance in finding the information required in order to reach these groups, contact our ARTA office at 780 447-9474 or toll free from anywhere in Alberta ( 1 800-232-7208 ext. 474).  ARTA can be reached at altat@telus.net or don@albertarta.org .

Should your branch wish to have someone from ARTA come to one of your branch meetings to assist you in planning an activist strategy, contact ARTA at the information given above. We have people prepared to do this at no cost to your branch.

In conclusion, ARTA is interested in knowing of your successes and of the obstacles that you still face. As a united voice we will not be so easily dismissed.

 

Paul E. Boisvert

President of ARTA

 

Dear ARTA Members and Seniors of Alberta
 

WHO SPEAKS FOR US ? PART 4 Submitted by Paul E. Boisvert

The Government of Alberta appears to be pleased with itself as it tries to make us believe that the health care system is so "ill" that we the unwashed masses will accept all that they throw at us without any fear of repercussions. They continue to blame the senior Albertans for the dreadful costs of operating the public health care system. They are not willing to admit that the ridiculous flat-tax rate should be revisited as a means of alleviating some of the concerns about how we pay our health care costs.

They are very proud about having eliminated all health care premiums when there had never been a general demand to do so. Premier Stelmach continues to reiterate that under his watch there shall not be any new taxes. Yet the new pharmaceutical strategy that goes into full effect on July 1, 2010, will force seniors living above the poverty line to pay a fee if they wish to take advantage of the Alberta Senior's Blue Cross Plan. What is the difference between a fee and a tax ? Also remember that you should not even dream of having chiropractic care unless you can pay for it. The same applies to a whole range of care given by podiatrists. The failure to assure that the most vulnerable of our society will be provided with the type of long-term care that respects them fully as human beings seems to be only understood by politicians and some bureaucrats in terms of dollars and cents.

We must not be led to believe that our local health care institutions have been immune to the devastation brought about by the actions of our government. The psych-wing at the St. Paul Health Care Centre has been expanded and refurbished at considerable expense. It is the most aesthetically pleasing part of our aging hospital. However, due to a lack of staff, it has been closed since January. The hiring freeze has nothing to do with this ! Subsequently, in their infinite wisdom, someone somewhere has decided that the Mental Health Program supervisor shall be stationed in Lac La Biche.

A supervisor in Smokey Lake will assure us of top-notch laundry services. Word has it that our dietary and therapy (rehab/physio/occupational) services are best supervised by someone in Cold Lake. I'm certain that the communities of St. Paul and Elk Point are happy to know that a supervisor in Bonnyville will guarantee that all senior services along with long-term and home care will be improved in their towns. These supervisors should be busy as bees traveling from one community to the next.

I don't want to appear to be too cynical, but what has happened or not happened to the availability locally of some tests such as an Ultra-Sound ? We have (if it hasn’t been sent elsewhere) the equipment that lies unused because we do not have a technician. Is this also a part of the hiring freeze or simply the shortage of qualified technicians. The shortage of technicians will not be resolved until the powers that be have the courage to deal with the totally unrealistic technician training program quota system.

Then there is the whole question of maintenance authorization and supervision. To illustrate this local concern I will discuss one particular situation that remains only partially dealt with. I can't remember the specific date in 2006 when a water leak in one of the dialysis machines on the third floor caused water to penetrate through the ceiling tiles and staining the walls in the palliative room below. With the support of the community, this room had been beautified so as to provide palliative patients and their loved ones with a meaningful setting during their vigil. To this day the repairs to the damaged room remain incomplete. Local maintenance is often stymied by the delays and lack of response in getting authorization for things other than the very mundane.

I would like to know what role the SuperBoard's edict on hiring plays in the apparent inability to staff the psych-wing ? Or is it to be eradicated along with the beds at Alberta Hospital ? Or why was in and out-patient physio-therapy unavailable for an entire month while on-site staff took their annual vacation? This occurred despite the fact that a fully qualified therapist was available locally as a replacement. Obviously physio-therapy is not considered an essential service for we are told that there is no freeze on essential services. One must be wary of incurring an injury best treated by physio-therapy during the therapists vacation !

I want to be very clear about one thing. I commend without reservations the people who work on-site at our local health care facilities. As substantiated by a letter appearing in this paper on October 27^th, we have very dedicated people in our midst. They are being true professionals in doing their jobs and more while trying to stay afloat in the turmoil that the politicians have created. It is difficult for them to be the voice of the community when the employer has placed a muzzle on them. Then, Duckett further insults them by offering some petty goodies if they are willing to whisper in his ear suggestions about how to save costs in providing health care to Albertans. All of this while asking front-line workers to accept a salary rollback that he himself has refused. If the Stelmach government is serious about improving the health care scenario in rural Alberta, I would suggest that they have a fourth "reorganization". It would begin with the re-establishment of local hospital boards. This would be a true indicator that we are accepted as equal partners in building a strong health care system based on the principles of the Canada Health Act.

We all know that health care is requiring some adjustments that are significant if it is to improve in the delivery of care that is a right, not a privilege. Albertans are willing to be part of the solution. What we fear is that we will continue to be removed from the decision making process. We need to be reassured as to WHO SPEAKS FOR US ! The ball is in your government’s court, Premier Stelmach. We breathlessly await your next move !

 

Who speaks for us ?  Part 3    BY Paul E. Boisvert

Still under the reign of Ralph Klein, it was deemed that the first "disorganization" did not produce the types of savings needed to salvage health care in Alberta. The idea of having some elected Regional Board members was also to be shelved. The only way to achieve "savings" was to meld together the regions so that only nine would exist. Consequently, many of the appointed "saviours" were cut adrift but not without severance packages that to the average Albertan appeared to be beyond reason!

When attempts were made to try and find out what were the long-range plans for our very own St. Therese Hospital, now officially known as the St. Paul Healthcare Centre, all the written inquiries produced were form letter replies that really did not say a thing. I must admit that there was some very positive news regarding the services provided at the St. Paul Healthcare Centre. It was announced that the Psych wing of the facility was playing such a vital role in providing a mental health program for Albertans of the Northeast, that an expansion that would double the number of beds to twenty would be undertaken. The people of this part of Alberta greeted this announcement with much joy. For them it meant having their needs dealt with close to home, thus allowing for the on-going involvement of the entire family, a key component to dealing with many mental health issues. The expansion has been carried out and esthetically the Psych wing of the St. Paul Healthcare Centre is by far the most attractive part of our aging facility.

The sad part of this whole story is that for the past year, the facility has been closed. The official reason given is that there is a shortage of trained staff. It seems to me that in the planning of this facility, staffing would have been a priority. However when you don’t have anyone who speaks for you, it is easy to manipulate things the way you want. I commend the very dedicated staff who strive to maintain a clinical service that is reasonable under the circumstances. However I challenge any citizen who might be served by this program to find out what the plans are for this beautiful functional facility. All I’ve been able to find out is that in their infinite wisdom, Alberta Health Services have decreed that the supervisor for mental health services for this area of Alberta shall be posted in Lac La Biche, a community that does not have any type of mental health facility ! To me this "smells" really strange. Here again however, it has become a daunting challenge to try and find out what direction we are heading in as NO ONE seems to speak for us !

Common folklore says that "bad news" always comes in threes.... "Disorganization" number three began with the announcement that a SUPERBOARD headed by an Australian economist would, in the words of Premier Stelmach, "lead us forward"! I guess that means we are to act like a pack of stupid "lemmings" and simply march on without knowing where we are being led to. It is not a state secret that the Conservatives are very diligent in seeking out ways that might lead to the abandonment of a public health system. Beginning with the rule of Klein, the Conservatives have pulled out all stops in trying to make our healthcare a user pay system. They have had success in convincing the party faithful that they are enamored and respectful of the principles set out in the Canada Health Act.

To be an effective politician, one has to master the art of speaking out of both sides of ones mouth at the same time. Health Minister Ron Liepert has achieved a passing grade in that respect. Stating that it is in the best interest of all Albertans to make substantial cuts to front line health care staff to best serve the needs of the citizens of Alberta. This does not stand up to careful scrutiny. While we must admit that there has been some improvement in wait times for certain procedures, we must remember that most of this comes as a result of the loosening of regulations in the operation of private clinics. In the meantime, procedures at the local hospital have had to be delayed on a number of occasions because the REGIONAL equipment and supplies manager had failed to fill with undue delay requests submitted for these materials. I guess that’s one way to stay within budget!

In the next instalment of my commentary, I will conclude this series by taking a closer look at what we face locally as we try to figure out... WHO SPEAKS FOR US ?

 

 WHO SPEAKS FOR US ? PART 2 Submitted by Paul E. Boisvert

In the first part of my initial commentary, I raised the concern that I share with many other Albertans residing in the towns and villages. This concern has evolved from the very serious loss of communication links with the local health care facility.

Prior to 1992, every hospital in Alberta had its own locally appointed or elected administration board. In the case of the St. Therese Hospital in St. Paul, the Town of St. Paul Council appointed 2 members of council to sit on the Hospital Board and the County did the same thing. Then a member was elected from that area of the County of Two Hills that was included in this board area. This was a nice situation as the general population were kept up-to- date on many aspects of the operation of the local hospital. Also if someone had a concern, they knew who to express their concern to. The lines of communication with other nearby hospitals such as Elk Point, Bonnyville, Vilna, Two Hills and Glendon was easy.

However, under the stewardship of Ralph Klein the government faced major challenges dealing with health care issues especially in the City of Calgary. Part of their solution was to blow-down one hospital and sell a second at a fire-sale price to a group of friendly investors. Then, so Calgary did not feel picked on for their inability to resolve their financial problems, all the hospital boards in Alberta were abolished except for a number who were identified as having a "religious" affiliation. Lamont and Bonnyville are examples of such facilities. Unfortunately St, Therese Hospital in St. Paul did not choose to retain such an identity when the Grey Nuns of Montreal left. To replace the individual boards, Klein and company appointed party faithful to the 17 new Regional Boards they arbitrarily set-up. Many hospitals including St. Therese Hospital suffered major cuts to the number of beds. In St. Paul it was almost a 50% reduction. Still others were closed completely or given a different function. We did gain a dialysis unit meant to serve this area, however the ground work on that development had been set a long time before the regionalization occurred. And of course Klein’s "hitmen" decided that there had to be cuts in professional staff and 1000's of doctors, nurses and medical technicians left Alberta for other parts of the world. We are still feeling the effects of this action.

With this first "disorganization" we were effectively cut-off from having a direct say in the operation of our local hospital. Oh yes, there were Community Health Councils (CHC’s) established. Volunteers from the community were invited to become involved. However, their mandates assured that they would have little say in presenting or influencing decisions taken by the mandarins on the Regional Board. It soon became obvious that being storefront "mannequins" for these Boards was causing many members of the CHC’s to quit in frustration. The effectiveness of these Regional Boards was aborted by the absolute authority given the puppets hired by Alberta Health.

Next week I’ll have a comment on the second and third "disorganizations" !

 

WHO SPEAKS FOR US ? Part 1 Submitted by Paul E. Boisvert

On November 19^th, 2009, I will be attending an information session in St. Paul hosted by Alberta Heath Services. The purpose of this forum, as I understand it, is to solicit from some members of the community opinions and information reflecting upon local health care issues in light of changes made and proposed by Alberta Health.

The primary issue I propose to speak to deals with what I perceive to be the effects the centralization of health management has had on health care delivery in St. Paul. The 3 "disorganizations" we have experienced since the early 1990's have had a very major effect on the delivery of health care locally as well as throughout most of rural Alberta. Among these are things such as staffing issues, centralization of routine procedures, and off-site management decisions.

I have believed for a long time that the quashing of the locally appointed or elected hospital boards would be the giant step in removing the general public from being major players in health care matters locally. Sadly, time and time again this belief has been reaffirmed when I consider the manner in which programs and services are "jacked" around without the least bit of community consultation.

In my estimation, the most frightening result of these "disorganiztions" is that we cannot answer the question of "WHO SPEAKS FOR US"! By creating a climate of fear that often is based on pitting community against community, the Governing party in Alberta believes that it has given itself a licence to mismanage health care without fear of repercussions.

With the assistance of you, the concerned citizens of this area, I hope to bring forth on November 19^th the issues and concerns that are prevalent in our milieu. I would like to receive from anyone in the community comments relating to health care issues in St. Paul and area. I guarantee that all comments will be dealt with full anonymity. I’m not interested in hearing attacks on individual staff, as these are usually not issues that relate to centralized management. You can direct your comments to me by letter to 4334 - 49 Avenue, St. Paul, T0A 3A3; by e-mail to hawkowl4@telus.net (That’s 4 not 14) or by phone in the evenings at 780-645-3409.

I invite readers to watch future editions of the Journal, as I intend to put forth in writing major concerns as together we try to discover "WHO SPEAKS FOR US" !

 

Paul Boisvert, ARTA President

Should you require more information or support, do not hesitate to contact ARTA's offices at (780) 447-9474 or toll free at 1-800-2342-7208 ext 474 or email don@albertarta.org.

 

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