When Charles Sousa unwraps his Ontario budget on Thursday there likely won’t be any new money for expanding hospital infrastructure. Coming out of the Harris era, the McGuinty/Wynne government faced a considerable backlog of infrastructure needs, including updates to many … Continue reading →
Continue readingTag: Robert Biron
OPSEU Diablogue: Scarborough hospital CEO says “never say never” on merger
The two CEOs representing the Scarborough and Rouge Valley hospitals appeared before the Central East LHIN this morning following news last week that their proposed merger was off – at least for now. Both Rik Ganderton and Robert Biron looked … Continue reading →
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: Price too high for Scarborough-Rouge hospitals to sustain merger plan
In the end the price was too much. The merger between the Scarborough and Rouge Valley hospitals appears to be sidelined after months of intense activity including unprecedented community consultation. March 15 The Scarborough Hospital board passed a resolution that … Continue reading →
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: Scrouge Hospital told to start talking to Lakeridge about capital planning
Robert Biron quietly came into the Central East LHIN board meeting and sat as a spectator. The CEO of the Scarborough Hospital silently left the room again after the LHIN gave him most of what he came for. One of … Continue reading →
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: Funding “reform” has CEOs chasing hospital mergers
In a perfect world hospitals would be publicly funded to meet the health needs of their communities. That would be it. When the government started talking about funding reform, the thinking was that at last we would be moving closer … Continue reading →
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: Scarborough-Rouge merger comes with costly conditions
The merger of The Scarborough Hospital (TSH) with the Rouge Valley Health System (RVHS) will not come cheap. Last night the hospital boards approved the idea of merger but only under very specific and costly conditions. Nor will the merger … Continue reading →
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: Scarborough-Rouge Merger: Some potential questions for tonight’s tele-town hall
Tonight The Scarborough Hospital and Rouge Valley Health System are having their second public telephone town hall to discuss the benefits and risks of a merger. The first town hall on September 24 attracted more than 8,000 participants. The irony of … Continue reading →
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: Scarborough-Rouge Merger: Community Council says not enough info to make a decision
If this were the private sector, you wouldn’t have the board of a $352 million organization sitting in such uncomfortable chairs. Despite signs of modest economic recovery, it’s still hard times for many of Ontario’s hospitals, including The Scarborough Hospital. … Continue reading →
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: Short takes: “Scrouge Hospital,” Ontario Shores WSIB surcharge and more
The proposed merger between The Scarborough Hospital (TSH) and the Rouge Valley Health System has been unprecedented in its overall transparency. If anything, we have been inundated with information. But so far there has been no discussion of what the … Continue reading →
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: Staggered by the contrasting realities of Ontario’s hospitals
We were reminded last night that Ontario hospitals live in very different realities from each other. When University Health Network CEO Bob Bell has a casual chat with Health Minister Deb Matthews, it is a very different reality from that … Continue reading →
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: 8,300 participate in merger telephone town hall
There were many questions but few detailed answers during the first telephone town hall meeting to discuss the possible merger of The Scarborough Hospital and the Rouge Valley Health System. The hospitals report that 8,300 people participated, although the one-hour … Continue reading →
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: Will by-elections become referendum on hospital cuts in Scarborough, Ottawa?
Five provincial by-elections could be a referendum on changes to the health care system that are starving local hospitals. Two of these contests are in ridings where hospital cuts have been especially prominent on the public agenda. Called for August 1st, … Continue reading →
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: Scarborough/Rouge: Surprising merger talk despite evidence pointing to higher costs
When the Central East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) asked the Scarborough and Rouge Valley hospitals to work together to plan hospital services in the eastern most part of Toronto, few would have thought the CEOs would come back talking … Continue reading →
Continue readingOPSEU Diablogue: Lou Rinaldi must be stewing over Biron’s appointment as TSH CEO
Nobody can say Robert Biron didn’t know what he was getting into. The former CEO of Cobourg’s Northumberland Hills Hospital has come to the big city, the next in line to take on the seemingly impossible task of fixing The … Continue reading →
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