Sarsfield scolded over nursing station closure

The CEO and chief medical officer of the Northwestern Health Unit is under municipal fire again after announcing the closure of two nursing stations.
Sioux Narrows Nestor Falls Mayor Jerry O’Leary is upset at what he calls a political maneuver by Dr. Peter Sarsfield to get more provincial funding after the latter announced the health unit no longer would fund administration for the nursing station in Sioux Narrows
“When Dr. Sarsfield said it was in danger of closing, that was totally alarmist,” charged Mayor O’Leary. “He’s using our clinic as a means to rattle our bureaucrats.
“The nursing station is not going to be closed and the municipality itself can administer it,” he added.
Through the Northern Region Health Program, the Ministry of Health provides the health unit with 10 percent of the station’s overall costs for administration.
Dr. Sarsfield announced the station will close in June because the 10 percent is not enough. And since the service is non-mandatory, it should be cut to ease the cash-strapped health unit.
Mayor O’Leary said he understands the health unit’s decision to withdraw funding but added that alluding the station will close was a misleading ploy.
“We will not be used as a pawn,” he stressed. “It’ll be open, loud and clear it will be open. Why wouldn’t it be . . . the nearest hospital is 75 km away.”
The nursing station, which houses visiting doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and dentists on a rotating basis, has a total operating cost of $35,000, from which $3,500 is allocated for administration.
“In this particular case, the Northwestern Health Unit cannot afford to do the administration for 10 percent and I understand that, but we could ask the hospital or we could do it ourselves,” said Mayor O’Leary.
“The services are well-used by the community,” he added.
Dr. Sarsfield was not available for comment but Wayne Hanchard, the health unit’s Administrative Team Leader, noted the province has left it no choice but to pull out of the nursing station.
“It’s not a decision we’re taking lightly but we only have so many hands and that stuff is not supposed to be in our hands,” argued Hanchard, who added the station may not close if the province pursues other options.
The nursing station offers primary care, which is not usually covered by the health unit. And because it is a non-mandatory expense, the health unit is following their board’s instructions and cutting it.
“This year is a tough year for our budget and we do not have enough time or resources to deal with our mandate,” he said. “The board has been asking us to look at what we’re mandated to do and unload the things we aren’t mandated to do.
“We gave the Ministry of Health’s Northern Region Health Program three options,” he added. “Give us 15 percent administration fees and $40,000 to hire a manager to deal exclusively with these programs.
“If you’re not going to do that, find someone else to do it; or, three, you guys take it back.”
The letter was sent to the province Jan. 16 and having received no reply, the health unit decided to announce it no longer will be running the nursing stations as of June 1.
“We haven’t heard anything from them. If nothing really changes, it looks like we’ll go with the default and just walk out of there and [the province] can just pick up the pieces,” Hanchard said.
“The fourth option, we didn’t write it down, but it may be to close the place,” he remarked. “But that would only happen if the Ministry of Health can’t find someone else to do it.”