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Govind Rao

Management of hospital food, cleaning services to be privatized by this fall - Infomart - 0 views

www.fpinfomart.ca/doc/doc_display.php?key=pr|245142|frdg|20150702|223990315

from heather NB food cleaning privatization hospital

shared by Govind Rao on 06 Jul 15 - No Cached
  • The Daily Gleaner (Fredericton) Thu Jul 2 2015
  • The Liberal government plans to have a deal by fall to see a private firm take over the management of food and cleaning services in the province's hospitals. The Liberals have signalled that they want to give the private sector a greater role in the province's health-care system. Health Minister Victor Boudreau announced in April that government had started negotiating with a private firm to deliver some services in both health authorities. That direction was reinforced by Horizon Health Network CEO John McGarry earlier this week, who has now suggested the use of private health-care firms could pull physiotherapists, audiologists, dietitians and other outpatient services from hospitals. The government confirmed on Tuesday that it soon expects to ink a deal with a private provider.
  • We are still in current discussions with the preferred proponent and we hope to have completed the process sometime this fall," said Health spokesman Bruce Macfarlane in an email. Macfarlane stressed that the contract is "only outsourcing the management of the services." "CUPE staff will remain in their union and will continue to be employees of the province of New Brunswick," he added. Boudreau has said that the move will save the province millions of dollars through efficiencies brought in by a private company. The government maintains that change is needed.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • "New Brunswickers have been very clear - change is necessary and government needs to get its fiscal house in order," Macfarlane said. "We can no longer continue with the status quo. "We are undergoing a strategic program review to look for efficiencies and to uncover programs or services that could be changed or discontinued as well as find sources for revenue." McGarry said in a speech to the Rotary Club of Saint John in the Port City on Monday that a needed ideological shift in health care should see even greater use of private health-care firms.
  • "I think there are opportunities for the private sector to get more involved in our system in the things that we don't do as well as we should," he said. "Publicly paid, but privately delivered, contracted. "Do some of the services we provide under a public system really belong in the public system?" McGarry specifically cited outpatient services. "If you look at hospitals these days, you find so many ambulatory care services that are in the hospital system," he said. "Sometimes there is a private provider out in the community.
  • We have physio, there is private physio. We have audiologists, there are private audiologists. We have dietitians, there are private dietitians. You start to say, 'How did we ever get into this?' "As we start to shrink our infrastructure, these are the things that pop out." McGarry said the health authority is now at the beginning of five-year plan to redirect $48 million currently being spent on hospital infrastructure.
  • Meanwhile, the government has declined to reveal the prospective proponent of the food and cleaning services contract until a deal is finalized. But CUPE spokeswoman Norma Robinson says the Department of Health has informed the union that food and facilities management giants Sodexo, Aramark and Compass Group are involved in the bidding process. She said the union was told that the government is seeking a 10-year contract, first negotiating with Sodexo, to hammer down a deal within the next three to six months.
  • Sodexo has previously confirmed its interest in the contract to the Telegraph-Journal. Robinson said on Tuesday that questions remain as to what the impact of any deal will be on current public sector workers. "We don't know what this contract is going to look like from the union perspective," she said. "They are saying it's just the management today, but what does that look like when Sodexo gets in here? "What does that look like for the employees of the system."
  • Robinson added: "John McGarry has a five-year health plan that he is rolling out. The government says it's on a fiscal cliff saying there is money to be saved in health care. I think this is the first step to the privatization of health care."
Govind Rao

hospital food services to be privatized by fall - Infomart - 0 views

www.fpinfomart.ca/doc/doc_display.php?key=pr|245142|nbtj|20150702|223990411

from heather NB hospital food privatization

shared by Govind Rao on 06 Jul 15 - No Cached
  • New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal Thu Jul 2 2015
  • FREDERICTON * The Liberal government plans to have a deal by fall to see a private firm take over the management of food and cleaning services in the province's hospitals. The Liberals have signalled that they want to give the private sector a greater role in the province's health-care system. Health Minister Victor Boudreau announced in April that government had started negotiating with a private firm to deliver some services in both health authorities.
  • That direction was reinforced by Horizon Health Network CEO John McGarry earlier this week, who has now suggested the use of private health-care firms could pull physiotherapists, audiologists, dietitians and other outpatient services from hospitals. The government confirmed on Tuesday that it soon expects to ink a deal with a private provider. "We are still in current discussions with the preferred proponent and we hope to have completed the process sometime this fall," said Health spokesman Bruce Macfarlane in an email.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • "I think there are opportunities for the private sector to get more involved in our system in the things that we don't do as well as we should," he said. "Publicly paid, but privately delivered, contracted. "Do some of the services we provide under a public system really belong in the public system?" McGarry specifically cited outpatient services.
  • "New Brunswickers have been very clear - change is necessary and government needs to get its fiscal house in order," Macfarlane said. "We can no longer continue with the status quo. "We are undergoing a strategic program review to look for efficiencies and to uncover programs or services that could be changed or discontinued as well as find sources for revenue." McGarry said in a speech to the Rotary Club of Saint John in the Port City on Monday that a needed ideological shift in health care should see even greater use of private health-care firms.
  • Macfarlane stressed that the contract is "only outsourcing the management of the services." "CUPE staff will remain in their union and will continue to be employees of the province of New Brunswick," he added. Boudreau has said that the move will save the province millions of dollars through efficiencies brought in by a private company. The government maintains that change is needed.
  • "If you look at hospitals these days, you find so many ambulatory care services that are in the hospital system," he said. "Sometimes there is a private provider out in the community. "We have physio, there is private physio. We have audiologists, there are private audiologists. We have dietitians, there are private dietitians. You start to say, 'How did we ever get into this?'
  • "As we start to shrink our infrastructure, these are the things that pop out." McGarry said the health authority is now at the beginning of five-year plan to redirect $48 million currently being spent on hospital infrastructure. Meanwhile, the government has declined to reveal the prospective proponent of the food and cleaning services contract until a deal is finalized. But CUPE spokeswoman Norma Robinson says the Department of Health has informed the union that food and facilities management giants Sodexo, Aramark and Compass Group are involved in the bidding process.
  • She said the union was told that the government is seeking a 10-year contract, first negotiating with Sodexo, to hammer down a deal within the next three to six months. Sodexo has previously confirmed its interest in the contract to the Telegraph-Journal. Robinson said on Tuesday that questions remain as to what the impact of any deal will be on current public sector workers. "We don't know what this contract is going to look like from the union perspective," she said. "They are saying it's just the management today, but what does that look like when Sodexo gets in here?
  • "What does that look like for the employees of the system." Robinson added: "John McGarry has a five-year health plan that he is rolling out. The government says it's on a fiscal cliff saying there is money to be saved in health care. I think this is the first step to the privatization of health care."
Govind Rao

Hospital food services will be privatized by fall - Infomart - 0 views

www.fpinfomart.ca/doc/doc_display.php?key=pr|245142|nbml|20150703|224075000

from heather NB hospital food privatization

shared by Govind Rao on 06 Jul 15 - No Cached
  • Miramichi Leader Fri Jul 3 2015
  • The Liberal government plans to have a deal by fall to see a private firm take over the management of food and cleaning services in the province's hospitals. The Liberals have signalled that they want to give the private sector a greater role in the province's health-care system. Health Minister Victor Boudreau announced in April that government had started negotiating with a private firm to deliver some services in both health authorities.
  • That direction was reinforced by Horizon Health Network CEO John McGarry earlier this week, who has now suggested the use of private health-care firms could pull physiotherapists, audiologists, dietitians and other outpatient services from hospitals. The government confirmed on Tuesday that it soon expects to ink a deal with a private provider. "We are still in current discussions with the preferred proponent and we hope to have completed the process sometime this fall," said Health spokesman Bruce Macfarlane in an email.
  • ...6 more annotations...
  • Macfarlane stressed that the contract is "only outsourcing the management of the services." "CUPE staff will remain in their union and will continue to be employees of the province of New Brunswick," he added. Boudreau has said that the move will save the province millions of dollars through efficiencies brought in by a private company. The government maintains that change is needed.
  • "New Brunswickers have been very clear - change is necessary and government needs to get its fiscal house in order," Macfarlane said. "We can no longer continue with the status quo. "We are undergoing a strategic program review to look for efficiencies and to uncover programs or services that could be changed or discontinued as well as find sources for revenue." McGarry said in a speech to the Rotary Club of Saint John in the Port City on Monday that a needed ideological shift in health care should see even greater use of private health-care firms.
  • "I think there are opportunities for the private sector to get more involved in our system in the things that we don't do as well as we should," he said. "Publicly paid, but privately delivered, contracted. "Do some of the services we provide under a public system really belong in the public system?" McGarry specifically cited outpatient services.
  • "If you look at hospitals these days, you find so many ambulatory care services that are in the hospital system," he said. "Sometimes there is a private provider out in the community. "We have physio, there is private physio. We have audiologists, there are private audiologists. We have dietitians, there are private dietitians. You start to say, 'How did we ever get into this?' "As we start to shrink our infrastructure, these are the things that pop out." McGarry said the health authority is now at the beginning of five-year plan to redirect $48 million currently being spent on hospital infrastructure.
  • Meanwhile, the government has declined to reveal the prospective proponent of the food and cleaning services contract until a deal is finalized. But CUPE spokeswoman Norma Robinson says the Department of Health has informed the union that food and facilities management giants Sodexo, Aramark and Compass Group are involved in the bidding process. She said the union was told that the government is seeking a 10-year contract, first negotiating with Sodexo, to hammer down a deal within the next three to six months.
  • Sodexo has previously confirmed its interest in the contract to the Telegraph-Journal. Robinson said on Tuesday that questions remain as to what the impact of any deal will be on current public sector workers. "We don't know what this contract is going to look like from the union perspective," she said. "They are saying it's just the management today, but what does that look like when Sodexo gets in here? "What does that look like for the employees of the system?"
Govind Rao

The rise of health care's 'three amigos'; Demand for massage, physio and chiropractic t... - 0 views

www.fpinfomart.ca/doc/doc_display.php?key=pr|246471|tost|20150414|218434815

from heather benefits costs

shared by Govind Rao on 14 Apr 15 - No Cached
  • Toronto Star Tue Apr 14 2015
  • Parents are taking their babies to chiropractors to cure colic and ear infections. Teens and young women are having "spa days." Young adults are taking antidepressants for anxiety. According to a study of claims and costs commissioned by Green Shield Canada, a rise in what it calls the "three amigos" of massage, physio and chiropractic treatments is changing how the drug and health benefits pie is being dished out. Where it was once 70 per cent on drugs and 30 on benefits, it is now 60-40.
  • Coming at a time when more drugs are available to manage chronic illness - but at a higher price - the new balance raises questions about finding the money to pay for them. The fourth annual report by Green Shield, a non-profit and the fourth-largest Canadian insurer of these benefits, shows how age and stage influences demand. Use of paramedical services, the so-called laying on of hands, is starting at younger ages. Parents are taking their babies under the age of 1 to chiropractors based on the Internet-based wisdom that moving their baby's back and spine will lessen colic and ear infections.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Massages have become a lifestyle rather than health choice. Some children under the age of 10 are getting them. Massage allowances are mostly used by girls and women. Women at all ages use benefits at a much higher rate than men, with one exception, which is 10 years old and under. In this age group, boys tend to need speech therapy more than girls. Mental-health claims for drugs and therapy that treat depression and anxiety are starting at ever- younger ages. David Willows, vice-president of strategic market solutions at Green Shield, said spas were once considered something for the wealthy. The rest of us might manage a massage once in a while as a special treat. Not so now.
  • Ross Cristiano, who heads the Toronto health and benefits team for HR consultant Towers Watson, agreed payments for soft benefits are rising, but these paramedical costs are about 10 per cent of all spending. He agreed that high-cost drugs, which account for 20 per cent of all spending, are getting pricier and there's going to be a reckoning. "If you look at high-cost drugs over the last four years, the cost of providing them has increased by about 60 per cent," he said. "Given that a lot more of these drugs are hitting the market, that's probably going to increase." Adam Mayers writes about investing and personal finance on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reach him at amayers@thestar.ca.
healthcare88

The creeping spread of two-tier health care - Infomart - 0 views

www.fpinfomart.ca/doc/doc_print.php?key=pr|242663|peex|20161102|259689040

ontario privatization

shared by healthcare88 on 02 Nov 16 - No Cached
  • Peterborough Examiner Wed Nov 2 2016
  • In 2014,when members of the Peterborough Health Coalition met with the newly appointed health minister at Queen's Park, he gave assurances that he would not allow the province to drift into a two-tier healthcare system. Since that time the following ominous symptoms have emerged:
  • 1. Increasingly (as in measurements preceding cataract surgery) patients are being offered freebie OHIP procedures or a higher calibre pay-for-service alternative. 2. Increasingly medications (including some highly effective antibiotics) are being removed from drug card coverage. 3. Many doctors now charge fees for a range of services including providing letters. 4. Benefits in areas such as special diet supplements are being revoked of reduced
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • 5. Most physio clinics are now fee-for-service. The two local clinics which accept patients under OHIP coverage have waiting lists of up to nine months. 6. Patients are denied day surgery unless they have (or can hire) someone to spend the first night post-surgery with them. 7. Costs of equipment and supports have skyrocketed and the government no longer funds a local lending cupboard where people used to be able to pay a refundable deposit for the loan of a walker, cane, wheelchair, bath seat etc. Crutches are now $40 and the cost of an air cast is a minimum of $140 plus tax.
  • Back in 2014 the health minister urged us to report any indications of creeping two-tier coverage. Over the past two years letters and e-mails to his office have not earned the courtesy of a reply. But one recent letter, forwarded to the minister by our local MPP, did elicit a prompt response. After salutations the minister's assistant courteously and concisely advised that "the ministry receives correspondence from people all over Ontario who offer advice and insights on various issues. Hearing those views is essential to help shape a province that reflects the needs and concerns of all Ontarians. Thank you for writing."
  • In bureaucratese this can be interpreted as meaning "The ministry has received your correspondence and appropriately filed your letter in the colossal, specially designated parliamentary shredder." Christmas is approaching. It appears that, unless the Health Minister is visited by Three Spirits, we may soon have many more Tiny Tims in our neighbourhoods --people who could have been fit, healthy and often employable had they been able to afford prosthetics or medications or therapies to strengthen and heal their traumatized bodies.
  • And the priceless legacy of free universal health care, so courageously fought for and won for all of us by the incomparable champion of the disadvantaged Tommy Douglas, will be lost forever. Carol Winter McDonnel St.
Govind Rao

Ottawa day of action to stop hospital cuts and health-care privatization | rabble.ca - 1 views

rabble.ca/...-and-health-care-privatization

from heather Ontario coalition lobby cuts

shared by Govind Rao on 01 Jun 15 - No Cached
  • This day of action is a rally at cabinet minister Bob Chiarelli's office.  Maternity units, labs, physio, entire wards, even entire hospitals are at risk of closure as a result of funding cuts. For 9 years in a row the Ontario government has set funding levels for hospitals at less than the rate of inflation. For the last 4 years, funding has been frozen at a 0% increase. In real-dollar terms this means hospital budgets can’t keep up with inflation, let alone population growth and aging.
  • Friday, June 12, 2015 - 12:00pm - 2:30pm Location
Govind Rao

Hospital getting some physiotherapy services back ; KINCARDINE - Infomart - 0 views

www.fpinfomart.ca/doc/doc_display.php?key=pr|242663|osst|20150926|230104602

from heather Ontario physio hospital

shared by Govind Rao on 28 Sep 15 - No Cached
  • The Owen Sound Sun Times Sat Sep 26 2015
  • Limited outpatient physiotherapy service is being restored at the Kincardine hospital. It has not been available at the hospital since 2008, when it was cut by the South Bruce Grey Health Centre as a cost saving measure. The following year the service was also done away with at the Chesley, Durham and Walkerton sites and replaced by private providers. The service was recently restored to the Walkerton hospital.
  • Paul Rosebush, the hospital corporation's president and chief executive officer, told hospital board meeting Wednesday that the ministry of health is willing to fund the service in Kincardine for patients under 18 years of age and over the age of 65. The rationale behind that is that those people don't have coverage through their work place or other extended health care plans. "A lot of folks through their work plans have benefits to receive extended services like this, but typically the population over 65 and under 18 don't have access to any other type of benefits, so that's why this program is directed towards them," Rosebush said. To qualify, patients must have a referral from their doctor.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Rosebush says the services will fill a gap left by the private providers that were unable to maintain the out-patient program in Walkerton and Kincardine. The service continues to be available in Durham through a private clinic which receives provincial funding. Rosebush said the service in Kincardine could begin by Dec. 1.
Govind Rao

MPP urges better care for stroke patients; Many Ontarians pay for their physiotherapy, ... - 0 views

www.fpinfomart.ca/doc/doc_display.php?key=pr|242663|tost|20150407|217990693

from heather user fees Ontario physio

shared by Govind Rao on 07 Apr 15 - No Cached
  • Toronto Star Tue Apr 7 2015
  • When he had a stroke five years ago, Jim McEwen never thought he'd have to raid his retirement savings plan to pay for the physiotherapy he needs to get back to work. But the 60-year-old civil engineer from Bowmanville, Ont., said he's among many working-age adults from 20 to 64 who have fallen between the cracks of medicare. "I have never called on my public health-care system in a big way," said McEwan, who uses a wheelchair, cannot raise his left arm, is on long-term disability and paying for his own physiotherapy. "Now, at a time in my life when I need my public health care, it is not there for me." Progressive Conservative MPP Christine Elliott (Whitby-Oshawa) has taken up the cause, pushing Premier Kathleen Wynne's government to improve physiotherapy coverage for patients with lingering mobility, cognitive and speech problems as they rehabilitate from strokes following their initial treatment. "The recovery process is challenging and extends to many years," she said, noting coverage is better once patients hit age 65.
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