By Don Urquhart
With Interior Health issuing no less than five notifications of temporary closure of the emergency department at South Okanagan General Hospital (SOGH) in barely one week, local residents may well be wondering what happened to the much touted funding commitment to help stabilize the physician shortage at the hospital.
The emergency department was closed on Nov. 24, 28, 29 and Dec. 1 and 3, all due to “limited physician availability,” according to the health authority.
A provincial commitment of $7.5 million was announced just over a month ago for the communities of Merritt, Oliver/Osoyoos, Salmon Arm and surrounding communities marking a move away from the “fee for service” model to the Alternative Payment Plan (APP) scheme.
This new agreement was said to be part of the solution to stabilize staffing shortages by ensuring that doctors are paid for the work that they do. In the case of SOGH the shortfall in doctors locally was being picked up by doctors doing extra shifts out of Penticton.
And while these doctors did extra duty they were paid less than for their regular work in Penticton. “We’re pleased to be moving forward with new compensation models for physicians in our rural communities,” said Susan Brown, President and CEO, Interior Health during the Oct. announcement.
The question then becomes, “what happened to the agreement?”
Oliver Mayor Martin Johansen who is concurrently the Chair of the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional Hospital District (OSRHD) Board of Directors said the reason for the continuing closures is due to the fact the agreement has not yet been signed by all the doctors.
He notes that the agreement is still getting its blessing from the Doctors of BC and local physicians, adding, “I believe we are very, very close to having this document finalized.” The new service contracts will be implemented in accordance with the terms of the physician master agreement between the Province and Doctors of BC, according to the Ministry of Health.
With no large issues obstructing the agreement “it’s just a bit of back and forth,” Johansen says. Essentially lawyers making sure the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted.
“Everybody’s making sure everything is being done properly because I do understand also that this is going to be the document that will probably become a template for other ERs in the province,” he said.
“I’m definitely frustrated that this is dragging on, but also I’m feeling good that we’re this close, and I’m hoping in the next week or so it will be done.”
Johansen is also optimistic that it will make a difference and provide some stability at SOGH. But he also warns there probably will still be “the odd closure here and there”.
