Work to be done on health-care discontent
2010/1/12
by Sharon King
It is refreshing to finally hear a CEO from Eastern Health acknowledge that staff is discontent (Kaminski- January 4th, 2010). There are many factors that play a role in the morale of staff and the challenge for Ms. Kaminski is uncovering the factor(s) driving the discontent. It is clearly recognized within the system that all staff are seeing the sickest of the sick in recent years. Changes in how health care is being delivered no doubt has presented challenges to management and the staff and it is adjusting to the changes that may have led to some discontent. Allied Health Professionals in Eastern Health, for the most part, enjoy the work they do, they are dedicated to their patients – they care. Why are employees who enjoy the work they do – so discontent at work? In our opinion, frustration with lack of communication may be one of the major driving forces behind some of the staff discontent Ms. Kaminski mentions in her interview with The Telegram. While e-mail is an answer to getting a message out quick – somewhere in all the technology and structural changes – something has been lost! The human touch! Ironically, in a health care system where the focus is on the human being, the patient, that same approach has been lost when it comes to acknowledging staff.
Staff miss a time when they felt a part of the facility where they worked. Staff knew each other, the acknowledgement from their employer was genuine. Managers from the CEO down knew who you were. At Christmas time employees were treated to a Christmas dinner in each facility. It was not just a place you went to work – work was a place you felt a part of – it felt like you mattered. Now staff don’t even get a free coffee break.
Finances supposedly played a key role in eliminating many of these special touches staff enjoyed at special times of the year. Health care workers cannot help but feel like second class public workers when during “Public Service Week” – there are radio, tv and print ads from government thanking their public employees for all their dedication. Most (if not all) government departments and divisions treat their staff to dinners, picnics and parties (and time off) during Public Service Week. Health Care workers are not included as part of those celebrations!
Eastern Health is a very large organization. Ms. Kaminski is overseeing an organization that is responsible for almost 300,000 citizens (60% of the province’s population). An area that includes 25 provincial districts (25 MHAs – more than half of the House of Assembly). Next to the provincial government itself – Eastern Health is the largest employer in the province with over 12, 000 employees. The range of issues is massive. Waiting lists, staff shortages, medical errors, financial overruns or shortages, infrastructure problems, adverse incidents, individual patient concerns, legal proceedings, policies, child protection issues, government involvement, communications are just a few of the issues being reported to Ms. Kaminski on a daily basis. Is there any doubt as to why staff are feeling disconnected and discontent? Staff are the lowest on the organizational chart. The line of communication to Ms. Kaminski is a long one. As one of the unions representing health professionals within Eastern Health, AAHP welcomes Ms. Kaminski’s acknowledgement of staff discontent – we’ve known what the survey will give her for quite some time. AAHP is prepared to work closely with Ms. Kaminski towards addressing the staff discontent – listening to staff from the front lines will be a good start. Eastern Health may be one large organization however, it may take only one small gesture at a time that restores the good will and contentment among staff.
Sharon King
Executive Director
Association of Allied Health Professionals.
(printed in the Weekend edition of the Telegram, Jan. 9, 2010, Pg. A22)
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