Medical personnel filling in at Digby Neck health centre
Starting Monday through to the end of February, the Islands Health Centre will be open 27 of a possible 30 days, says SouthWest Heath.
On more than half of those days, a doctor will be in the clinic working with a nurse practitioner and each will see patients, stated a news release.
SouthWest Health continues to “vigorously pursue a permanent solution” to the lack of a full-time nurse practitioner for the clinic, located on Long Island at the tip of Digby Neck.
Nurse practitioner Karen Snider was fired by the district health authority in October. Many residents said she was let go after she wrote an article in a local newsletter, suggesting the need for a full-time office clerk in a health clinic on the island.
Residents were told at a public meeting an apology would have to be signed by Ms. Snider before further talks could take place to rehire the well-liked nurse.
The health authority said earlier that care provided by the nurse practitioner was never an issue.
Beginning next week, a temporary nurse practitioner and a doctor will see patients every Thursday and Friday, the release said.
We are beginning to see why there is so little monies in the government coffers for health care – it is squandered on the likes of this! Get a grip, Maureen MacDonald, and do the right thing and you can free up some money for other areas. One Nurse Practitioner in the person of Karen Snider can do the work of all the ones to whom you are paying travel funds and heaven’s knows what else! They are certainly appreciated, but then so was Karen Snider and we see what happened to her..how long will this interim measure work????
By: Brenda Teed on January 27, 2010
at 4:57 pm
I sent this letter to the Chronicle Herald today, but it’s over 2000 words so probably will be reduced significantly, if published at all.
Will the Minister of Health please explain why she is wasting taxpayers’ money on interim and sporadic health care for the people of Digby Neck and Islands? There is an excellent nurse practitioner in the person of Karen Snider ready to resume her full time duties on Long Island. She is well respected and trusted by the people. She served a year and proved herself dedicated and more than competent. Yet, she was let go for reasons that ‘remain confidential,’ according to her employer, the SW Distriict Health Authority. Now, while SWDHA searches vainly for a replacement for this remote area, taxpayers are incurring travelling and ferry fees for other nurses and doctors to drive down Digby Neck to Freeport. This has provided health care one or two times a week — completely inadequate for 1500 people — but starting this week supposedly someone will be there nearly everyday until the end of February. These are doctors and nurses taken from their positions in other parts of the province, plus money, time, fuel, and carbon emissions. The drive from Digby to Freeport, including the ferry, is an hour if you hit the ferry at the right time. What an wasteful, inefficient, system! Karen has a newly built house in Freeport — a commitment she made to spend the rest of her career there. No other nurse has come close to that. Since October, the people have been writing letters pleading with Health Minister MacDonald to resolve the differences between Karen and SWDHA and reinstate her. They have repeatedly asked her to meet with them and to talk to Karen. They have presented proposals of alternative employment arrangements. All to no avail. The Minister has left 1500 taxpaying citizens without adequate health care in favour of a few bureaucrats. What is going on?
I once had hope for the NDP. I thought they were for the people. My hope is gone.
By: Sharon Palermo on January 18, 2010
at 4:40 pm
Ah,Andy,
“Pride precedeth the fall!” And fall indeed they shall…….never to rise again…..People in the city mainly grew up in rural Atlantic Canada. They may have given their vote to the NDP last trip around because there really wasn’t much to choose from,but rest assured,their loyalty is with their roots:”the old folks at home!”
They don’t like bullies either, or their money being so carelessly or unnecessarily spent.
In the meantime, let’s keep this awful truth about incompetency, stubborness,and cold indifference by the Minister of Health and the SWNDHA flashing before the public. They need to know!
danny
By: danmills on January 16, 2010
at 10:15 am
Southwest Health say, and I quote, we are “vigorously pursuing a permanent solution” to the lack of a full-time nurse practitioner for the clinic, located on Long Island at the tip of Digby Neck. What a waste of tax-payers dollars. We had a permanent Nurse Practicioner already here, but because of a practical request for the resolution to an over-worked medical clinic, she was FIRED!..We pay the Southwest Health’s salary. I wonder how we would go about fired this person who has spoken out….and this wasn’t even an appropriate or the common sense thing to do!! This has become such a “petty” thing now. It reminds me of going to school and being taught from teachers you cannot learn from…..
By: Heather Prime on January 15, 2010
at 10:31 am
While I welcome the medical care we are being provided, I wonder what this is costing the taxpayers of Nova Scotia…not to mention what it is doing to deplete badly needed medical resources elsewhere. If they had worked with the community, Karen Snider would be here. We would have quality health at much less cost and inconvenience to everyone.
Andy
By: Andy Moir on January 15, 2010
at 7:31 am