MoH assures Mayor Ewald that the RR Health Centre will not close

By Ken Johnston
Editor

Since Rainy River’s last remaining full-time physician, Dr. David Singleton, announced he would be accelerating his resignation to April 16, 2012, two weeks ago, the urgency of the situation at the Rainy River Health Centre has been front and center with many people, including politicians.
At the top of the list of concerned leaders, is Rainy River Mayor Debbie Ewald. Ewald was in Toronto last week for provincial meetings. One of those meetings was a 15 minute session with Ontario’s Minister of Health Deb Matthews. Ewald was given the task of leading the Northern Ontario Municipal Association’s (NOMA) delegation in this meeting.
“I did not speak just on Rainy River’s situation, but rather on how funding models are affecting all small community Emergencies,” said Ewald last Friday.
In his resignation announcement Singleton said, “We are unable to compete with the higher pay offered in larger centres (for full-time doctors)...It is only when the Ministry of Health (MOH) authorizes significantly more money to the locum(s) as an incentive that the difficult-to-cover periods are looked after.”
Ewald said that she did not receive any concrete funding solutions from Minister Matthews. However, “She told us they have no intention of closing any hospitals in Ontario, including here.”
Ewald said that was a relief, given the recent Drummond Report that calls for massive cuts to Ontario services as the provincial deficit continues to grow.
Ewald said she did have a one on one meeting with the Minister’s Parliamentary Assistant. “She asked me for more info on our situation. I am in the process of crafting a letter with that information.”
“We are asking the Ministry to consider switching the type of funding for small emergency rooms like Rainy River’s from 24 ER coverage to a low volume category that brings a higher level of compensation for doctors.”
The Record also contacted the Ministry of Health asking what MoH plans to do in Rainy River once Singleton is done? It asked MoH, “Will the clinic, hospital and long term care facilities remain open?"
David Jenson, Media Relations Coordinator with MoH and Long-Term Care said, “The ministry is aware that the remaining physician in Rainy River plans to leave his position in April 2012.
The community has had continuous physician services since 1996 until the first physician, of two physicians in the community, left in October 2011. The ministry has been discussing options with the North West Local Health Integration Network (NW LHIN), Riverside Health Care clinical and administrative leaders, the NW emergency department LHIN Lead and the HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency to ensure uninterrupted coverage of the Rainy River emergency department.
The focus of the discussions has been to offer additional financial incentives to attract locums for the short term. The long term solution is to recruit two permanent physicians.”
Ewald said that, “I think we will get one (a new full-time doctor). It just takes time. Meanwhile, we will keep putting pressure on the Ministry.”
She concluded by saying that once she has completely briefed council, the doctor recruitment and locum house committees, she will be releasing her letter to the Minister for all to see.