BURST
Fraser Health has become the latest health authority to make job cuts.
The authority, which covers the area between Hope all the way west to Burnaby and Delta, confirmed Friday that they have been implementing workforce reductions in the form of layoffs, closing open job postings and cancelling third-party contracts.
It’s part of a provincewide restructuring, coming on the heels of the Provincial Health Services Authority cutting 57 employees and eliminating 61 vacant positions earlier this month, not long after the Island Health Authority chopped 117 non-union jobs.
Fraser Health has close to 48,000 staff and includes 12 hospitals that service more than two million people in the Lower Mainland, making it the largest regional health authority in B.C.
FHA spokesperson Amory Wong said they weren’t able to confirm details of the job losses as the process is still underway, but social media is littered with accounts of those who say they’ve lost their jobs, or seen entire departments and teams shuttered .
“Over the past several months, (Fraser Health has) been taking a close look at how our organization operates in parallel to the regional health authority reviews. Our goal is to find ways to work more efficiently and reduce administrative costs so that we can direct as many of our resources as possible to continue to provide care and service to our patients, families and communities,” Wong wrote Friday afternoon.
“This work includes making difficult decisions based on our current realities. We are making changes to some team and organizational structures, closing certain job postings and not renewing third-party contractors.
“The restructuring is focusing on administrative and managerial roles that are not directly involved in patient care. These decisions are difficult and impact people who have made meaningful contributions to our organization. We are approaching this process with care and compassion, and are connecting directly with each impacted individual and the remaining staff to provide support through these changes.”
This falls in line with the provincial directive laid down by Premier David Eby’s promise to cull administrative bloat and redundant management jobs throughout the province.
Fraser Health recently had a management shakeup with Dr. Victoria Lee stepping down as CEO — receiving $609,335 in severance — in February. Dr. Lynn Stevenson served as interim president and CEO in her stead until Dermot Kelly was officially given the position on Aug. 11.
By comparison, the average salary of a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in B.C. is $68,000.
Dr. Penny Ballem, who is the interim president and CEO of the PHSA, is getting paid $350,000 for the role, while still acting as health-care adviser to the government, the premier and the provincial health minister, a gig that has netted her $1.4 million over the past four years. She is also leading the oversight of the PHSA’s reduction in staffing and costs.
There haven’t been any announced paring of staff or employees in the Interior or Northern Health authorities, both of which are affected by staffing shortages and huge gaps in their coverage areas .
The Health Services Association, the union that represents more than 23,000 health science and community service professionals in 250 hospitals and agencies across B.C., likewise said it hadn’t heard of any indications of layoffs to its members.