Liberal cabinet minister Ida Chong slammed the Vancouver Island Health Authority on Wednesday for failing to resolve a contract dispute that has resulted in four doctors resigning from a medical clinic that serves seniors.
Ida Chong, running for re-election in Oak Bay-Gordon Head, said it’s unacceptable for VIHA to not negotiate a resolution with the four part-time doctors who, despite resigning Feb. 22, say they are willing to talk.
“That is what is so very disturbing,” Chong said. “The doctors say they are willing to talk and come to a resolution. This is a very important clinic that provides a valuable service. To suddenly jeopardize it makes no sense.”
VIHA, which operates the Health Point Care Clinic on Hillside Avenue, notified 1,800 patients in February that they would lose the clinic’s four part-time family doctors as of May 31.
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That notice came after the two sides were unable to reach an agreement on the clinic’s overhead costs and patient loads.
VIHA says it will replace the doctors but, in the interim, might have to fill in with a locum — a temporary substitute.
A patient-organized group called Save Health Point rallied at the clinic on Wednesday. Many patients said they have complex problems and that a disruption in service, a reduction in the quality of care and the loss of physicians familiar with medical histories might result in more emergency-room visits.
Oak Bay-Gordon Head Green party candidate Andrew Weaver, who attended the rally, said the clinic is the kind of cost-effective health-care model his party supports. If the government is looking to save money, he said, it should look to VIHA executive salaries. “VIHA has very clear structural problems in administration and it’s clear to everyone,” he said.
Jessica Van Der Veen, the NDP candidate in the riding, was also at the rally and said the clinic had been essential to the health of her mother. Van Der Veen said her mother, who died last year, likely lived independently longer because of the clinic.
“[This clinic] provides the kind of comprehensive specialized care that seniors need at this stage, and we will support it as a government.”
Chong said the Liberal government supports the kind of work the clinic does. The cabinet minister said she can’t speak with VIHA during an election — but if re-elected, would push for a resolution.
VIHA said late Wednesday afternoon that according to its external review, the average age and medical complexity of patients seen at Health Point is only slightly higher than those seen by regular general practitioners in Victoria.
“We believe the clinic can be run more efficiently,” VIHA spokeswoman Sarah Plank said in an email. “We would be pleased to meet with the physicians to talk about how we can improve the practice model and clinic operations.”
Three of the doctors told the rally they have had only two brief letters from VIHA’s lawyer, and that any collaboration, trust or communication they had with the health authority has broken down.
Issues at Health Point Care Clinic
- VIHA wants Health Point Care Clinic physicians to see more patients and pay about 5.5 per cent more toward the clinic’s overhead costs — rent, utilities, two registered nurses and three medical office assistants. Overhead is $420,000 a year and subsidized by VIHA.
- VIHA says Health Point physicians, who work about three days a week, were asked to pay what amounted to 23 per cent of their combined total reported MSP billings toward this overhead. The B.C. Medical Association says family doctors generally pay an average of 40 per cent of billings toward overhead.
- Doctors Nena Edmunds, Fiona Manning, Tess Hammett and Jill Norris resigned in February, saying VIHA’s proposal would significantly reduce their incomes and the quality of care.
- In 2012, Edmunds billed MSP for $145,000, Hammett $105,000, Norris $117,000 and Manning $109,000.
