St. Paul's hospital staff's letter to the Premier

Medical Staff Providence Health Care c/o St. Paul’s Hospital – Medical Affairs 1081 Burrard Street – Room 541 Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6

Oct. 1, 2008

The Honourable Gordon Campbell Premier Province of British Columbia PO Box 9041 Stn Prov. Govt. Victoria BC V8W 9E1

Dear Premier Campbell:

The medical staff and researchers of Providence Health Care are supporters of the provincial government’s vision of delivering care through innovation. This includes new models of care and funding, consolidation and integration of programs and services, new investments in technology and facilities, and unique approaches to staff and physician recruitment, retention and development. Over the past seven years, we have demonstrated leadership in each of these areas.

We have ensured our priorities are aligned with those of the health region, the Ministry of Health and the provincial government as a whole, and we have supported the development of a vision of renewal of St. Paul’s Hospital that can continue to benefit British Columbians for the next century.

Our collective efforts have been sustained by our desire to meet patients’ needs, and improve health outcomes for British Columbians. Our energy and commitment have also been sustained by hope – hope that, after waiting seven years for action on our hospital’s renewal plans, the provincial government will live up to its stated commitment to address St. Paul’s Hospital’s and its patients’ urgent and growing needs.

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The hospital’s buildings are old and seismically unsafe, the elevators are dangerously ineffective, the electrical and phone systems very outdated. The buildings lack the space and design to properly protect patients from infection challenges or to properly sustain and house the health care programs, services and technologies that patients, staff and researchers need and deserve. Although there have been sporadic, low-level investments into the infrastructure and technology, these are band-aid solutions.

The cumulative effect is one of erosion of foundational programs and expertise, which inhibits the continued provision of the high level of care, research and teaching St. Paul’s is known for.

The hospital has been one of the jewels of healthcare systems in British Columbia for over 100 years. It is a provincial resource, an internationally renowned institution, with numerous centres of excellence and researchers, physicians, and care staff whose breakthroughs and innovations continually shine a spotlight on British Columbia.

St. Paul’s Hospital has unique faith-based history and philosophy of compassionate care continue the legacy of its Founding Congregations – addressing the mind-body-spiritual needs of the most vulnerable in our society. Its unique culture, mission, vision and values are the driving force for care providers to continually reach new heights of innovation and care accomplishments; and there have been plenty of those.

St. Paul’s Hospital cardiac program has no peer in Western Canada. In partnership with University of British Columbia, our stellar research initiatives at the Heart and Lung Institute and the iCAPTURE centre, are providing solutions that extend and improve the lives of British Columbians every day. The pioneering heart valve surgery, our ventricular assist device transplantations, and various new breakthrough procedures by our cardiologists are just some of the remarkable examples.

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The Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS at St. Paul’s Hospital is receiving global recognition as a leader and innovator. Its highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) model of HIV/AIDS prevention has received recognition and backing from not just the BC Ministry of Health, but by international bodies such as the US National Institute on Drug Abuse and the International AIDS Society.

Although the hospital is challenged to effectively accommodate it, St. Paul’s is fulfilling the request to expand its yearly teaching capacity to more than 250 University of British Columbia students by 2011. Providence Health Care medical staff has enthusiastically embraced the expansion of the UBC medical school and are playing a major role in the school's mission.

Our leadership in elder care, mental health, addictions, renal care and kidney transplantation, eating disorders, midwifery training, emergency care and many other areas are recognized throughout the healthcare sector. Indeed, our unique programs, services, and expert researchers and care providers are too numerous to list. We are, therefore, attaching a document that summarizes the programs, some of which are only available at this hospital.

All provinces operate in a competitive environment, trying to attract research dollars and investment, the best and brightest scientific minds and medical professionals. It is not overstating the argument that this competitiveness will be irreparably damaged if something is not done for St. Paul’s Hospital soon.

We believe there are options available that enable addressing these concerns in a responsible, accountable and timely manner. The Providence Health Care administration has told us that renewal costs of development for St. Paul’s Hospital can be greatly reduced with use of existing Providence Health Care assets.

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With this letter, we request you employ immediacy and urgency in addressing the situation. As we stated, we have a strong record of working in partnership with government and other health stakeholders. We request an urgent meeting with you so we can discuss in more detail the options available to St. Paul’s Hospital.

Thank you for your attention to our request.

Sincerely,

Providence Health Care Medical Staff

c.c. The Honourable George Abbott, Health Minister of British Columbia Ms. Ida Goodreau, President & CEO, Vancouver Coastal Health Mr. David Thompson, Chair, Board of Directors, Vancouver Coastal Health Ms. Dianne Doyle, President & CEO, Providence Health Care Mr. Kip Woodward, Chair, Board of Directors, Providence Health Care Mr. Adrian Dix, MLA, NDP, Vancouver-Kingsway