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Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) news and issues


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#21 spanky123

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Posted 07 June 2011 - 06:07 AM

What we could do is allow citizens choice in healthcare. Like in the US. Then if we desire no contact with VIHA, we would be allowed to access an alternate service, at our own expense.


To some extent you have that now. You can pay to see a private physician, get diagnostic treatment and have some surgeries performed outside of the medical system. We are not fully there yet but it is at least progress.

#22 Mike K.

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Posted 07 June 2011 - 06:44 AM

The Greater Victoria Hospital Society was replaced by VIHA. And one day VIHA may be replaced by something else. Nothing is set in stone when we're talking health care.

VIHA's privatization of core services like food and hospital maintenance have come back to haunt them. Patients complain about food services and hospital maintenance has suffered at the hands of the current contractor.

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#23 Rob Randall

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Posted 07 June 2011 - 06:58 AM

I don't mean to defend VIHA but as I have said before, the various health organizations are at the mercy of VIHA, which is at the mercy of the Ministry of Health, which is funded at the mercy of the Premier's office. Remember when VIHA was forced to relocate some of Victoria's addictions budget to underfunded outlets up-island?

#24 Bernard

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Posted 07 June 2011 - 10:27 AM

In the past when many of the services and facilities were operated by non-profits, there was a significant degree of fundraising that covered costs. With the nationalization of the healthcare facilities in the 1990s that was lost and healthcare has become more dependent on government funding.

As to funding, the dollars keep rising faster than inflation and the government has no direct control over what VIHA does with the money. The structure makes VIHA not directly accountable to anyone. The governance model is a huge problem and needs to be changed. I would love to see elected health boards by regional district.

#25 Schnook

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Posted 08 June 2011 - 08:31 PM

Vancouver Island health agency seeks a pro to help lay off contractors

That'll cost a bundle. Why lay off contractors? Why not employees?

The implication is that VIHA supervisors are inept - amusing, but tragic: more wasted tax dollars.

This is a Government funded organization. The bottleneck is always at the top of the bottle.

There may be some truth to that. 'Seniority' has been known to shield ineptitude and stifle organizational vigor. Lack of accountability tends to punish the monkey, not the organ grinder (so to speak).

The Greater Victoria Hospital Society was replaced by VIHA.

The Hospital Society still exists. The VIHA website says nothing about its origin, although it appears to be associated loosely with an ominous-sounding "Board Resourcing & Development Office." Does anyone remember voting?

Like yours, my experience with VIHA is dark. Dissatisfaction seems widespread. The 'Authority' model seems flawed. In a time of shrinking budgets and scarce funding, there are still dinosaurs.

#26 Jill

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Posted 09 June 2011 - 09:18 AM

^That link is to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, a fundraising body that is not the same thing as the Greater Victoria Hospitals Society. The GVHS was the body responsible for running public hospitals in Greater Victoria. The GVHS became the Capital Health Region before the creation of VIHA.

#27 Mike K.

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Posted 09 June 2011 - 11:17 AM

The GVHS became the Capital Health Region before the creation of VIHA.


Oh yeah, I forgot about CHR!

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#28 Schnook

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Posted 09 June 2011 - 01:23 PM

Thanks for clarifying. Do you happen to know what drove the change? I can't find any record of community involvement.

#29 Mike K.

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Posted 09 June 2011 - 02:14 PM

The change from GVHS/CHR to VIHA or from GVHS to CHR?

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#30 Schnook

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Posted 10 June 2011 - 01:54 PM

I suppose both, (perhaps naively) presuming that there is some logical progression.

"Somebody out there knows something." :cool:

#31 kenjh

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Posted 10 June 2011 - 04:42 PM

thank you for all the reply's I got frustrated trying to understand why it is so hard to find someone that can help ..no one takes responsiblity at any level ..except nurses ..at least i wasn't wrong thinking something was wrong..

#32 sebberry

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Posted 07 March 2012 - 01:12 PM

http://www.timescolo...3691/story.html

Sunrooms meant to serve as waiting rooms for patients and families in Royal Jubilee Hospital's $349million Patient Care Centre are filling up with stretchers and being used overnight by patients waiting for beds.

[...]


VIHA needs a smack.

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#33 Mike K.

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Posted 25 November 2016 - 02:38 PM

VIHA is sounding the alarm bell after people got sick at last weekend's Oyster Festival in Tofino.

 

They are asking anyone who attended the festival and who subsequently become ill with gastrointestinal issues to contact them at 250-519-3401, and then press 0 for assistance.


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#34 Bingo

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Posted 25 November 2016 - 04:17 PM

Does pressing "O" get you more oysters?  :mad:



#35 Bingo

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Posted 26 November 2016 - 06:34 AM

“That definitely qualifies for outbreak criteria, but they’re not all associated with a specific time or place,” said medical health officer Charmaine Enns.

Some had participated in the popular Clayoquot Oyster Festival last weekend, but others had not, she said.

Island Health’s investigation is ongoing, but all signs point to bivalves as the culprit.

“Everyone we have spoken to has identified that they have eaten raw or cooked oysters,” Enns said.

The oysters were consumed between Nov. 17 and 22.

One person has tested positive for norovirus, which can contaminate oysters and spread from person to person.

Norovirus is hardy and can survive in oysters that aren’t thoroughly cooked, Enns said.

Island Health is collecting information about where the oysters were harvested and some oyster samples have been sent to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to see if they are contaminated.

Results should be available next week. - See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.csuE11L2.dpuf

 

 



#36 Citified.ca

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Posted 26 June 2017 - 02:13 PM

Food services and housekeeping workers at VIHA's facilities have voted to strike.

 

June 26, 2017

News release
 
BURNABY – B.C. hospital housekeeping and dietary workers have delivered an overwhelming strike mandate to back their bid to secure fair and respectful collective agreements with their four multinational employers - Compass-Marquise, Sodexo, Aramark and Acciona.
 
More than 4000 members of the Hospital Employees’ Union work in contracted support services, primarily as cleaners and dietary workers in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, on the Sunshine Coast and southern Vancouver Island.
 
Ninety-six per cent voted in favour of strike action after two weeks of balloting wrapped up Friday.
 
The key issues at the bargaining tables are basic employment security (providing job security for staff when health authorities change contractors) and fair wages.
 
HEU secretary-business manager Jennifer Whiteside is hopeful such a strong strike mandate will encourage employers to reach negotiated settlements.
 
“We believe that a fair and reasonable agreement is within reach if employers get serious about addressing low wages and a total lack of job security that creates uncertainty for workers when health authorities change contractors.”
 
With essential services negotiations close to conclusion, HEU and its members will soon be in a position to take job action, if there is no progress made at the bargaining table.
 
Multinationals Aramark, Acciona, Sodexo, Compass and Compass’ subsidiary Marquise employ more than 4,000 dietary and housekeeping workers in health care throughout B.C. Contracts for most of these workers expired in September of last year.
 
The talks cover 75 hospitals and extended care facilities, in four different health authorities, and 11 different collective agreements. The strike votes included all bargaining tables except for one. HEU is negotiating a first contract with Compass covering 900 cleaning staff in the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority where a strike vote has not yet been scheduled.
 
The four corporations benefited from a wave of health care privatization that saw over 8,000 hospital support workers fired by B.C.’s health authorities. Their work was contracted out and their wages, benefits and pensions slashed more than a decade ago.
 
For more information, please contact:
 
Neil Monckton, Communications Officer 604.456.7137

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#37 JohnN

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Posted 26 June 2017 - 02:27 PM

 

Food services and housekeeping workers at VIHA's facilities have voted to strike.

 

June 26, 2017

News release
 
BURNABY – B.C. hospital housekeeping and dietary workers have delivered an overwhelming strike mandate to back their bid to secure fair and respectful collective agreements with their four multinational employers - Compass-Marquise, Sodexo, Aramark and Acciona.
 
More than 4000 members of the Hospital Employees’ Union work in contracted support services, primarily as cleaners and dietary workers in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, on the Sunshine Coast and southern Vancouver Island.
 
Ninety-six per cent voted in favour of strike action after two weeks of balloting wrapped up Friday.
 
The key issues at the bargaining tables are basic employment security (providing job security for staff when health authorities change contractors) and fair wages.
 
HEU secretary-business manager Jennifer Whiteside is hopeful such a strong strike mandate will encourage employers to reach negotiated settlements.
 
“We believe that a fair and reasonable agreement is within reach if employers get serious about addressing low wages and a total lack of job security that creates uncertainty for workers when health authorities change contractors.”
 
With essential services negotiations close to conclusion, HEU and its members will soon be in a position to take job action, if there is no progress made at the bargaining table.
 
Multinationals Aramark, Acciona, Sodexo, Compass and Compass’ subsidiary Marquise employ more than 4,000 dietary and housekeeping workers in health care throughout B.C. Contracts for most of these workers expired in September of last year.
 
The talks cover 75 hospitals and extended care facilities, in four different health authorities, and 11 different collective agreements. The strike votes included all bargaining tables except for one. HEU is negotiating a first contract with Compass covering 900 cleaning staff in the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority where a strike vote has not yet been scheduled.
 
The four corporations benefited from a wave of health care privatization that saw over 8,000 hospital support workers fired by B.C.’s health authorities. Their work was contracted out and their wages, benefits and pensions slashed more than a decade ago.
 
For more information, please contact:
 
Neil Monckton, Communications Officer 604.456.7137

 

Disappointing news but the idea of privatizing food services and housekeeping probably conributed to the vote for strike. 

 

Original HEU news release link: http://www.heu.org/n...ke-mandate-back


:)

#38 Mike K.

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Posted 26 June 2017 - 02:36 PM

A decade ago the union was arguing that staff employed by the GVHA, and earning significantly more than they are under Compass and other contractors, were not earning enough. So eventually push came to shove and cleaning/food services were contracted out.


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#39 Mike K.

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Posted 29 August 2018 - 06:41 PM

Free WiFi for patients and visitors is coming to the following hospitals on September 6th:
- Victoria General Hospital
- Royal Jubilee Hospital (Victoria)
- Saanich Peninsula Hospital (Victoria)
- Lady Minto / Gulf Islands Hospital (Saltspring Island)
- Cowichan District Hospital (Duncan)
- West Coast General Hospital (Port Alberni)

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#40 Rob Randall

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Posted 29 August 2018 - 06:56 PM

^Add $4.99 Blue Buck on Friday nights and I'm in.


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