Coun. Christine Thompson and members of city council met with Interior Health (IH) representatives at the recent UBCM (Union of B.C. Municipalities) convention to discuss a meeting with residents in Grand Forks regarding current health issues.
“What we’re hoping for is to have Dr. Robert Halpenny, who is the chief executive officer, Norman Embree, who is the chair of the board of directors, to come speak to the citizens of Grand Forks,” said Thompson.
In her Sept. 26 UBCM presentation, Thompson announced, “Interior Health determined that nine temporary residential care beds were needed in the Grand Forks area.”
Thompson said that rather than working with Broadacres Care Facility and Rod Gustafson, the owner, IH spent an expenditure of $65,000 of taxpayers money on the temporary beds at Boundary Hospital in Grand Forks.
A list of concerns included the aforementioned expenditure of taxpayer funds to add the additional care beds at Boundary Hospital, the loss of meals and laundry prepared and done on-site, which meant a loss of jobs.
“I’m hoping that they listen to the concerned citizens about community health care and their position,” added Thompson.
Thompson’s presentation also mentioned that as of Oct. 1, MedEvac Helicopter services provided by Dam Helicopters would no longer be utilized.
“It’s our community’s wish to work with Interior Health,” Thompson said.
“I would hope it is Interior Health’s wish to work with our community.”
In an email, Halpenny said, “We had a good discussion with representatives from Grand Forks at the Union of B.C. Municipalities meeting and Interior Health recognizes the importance of speaking with representatives from all our communities.”
Halpenny stated that to make the best of the visit, it would also schedule in a meeting with the Boundary Hospital and members of the facility of Medical Advisory Committees.
“We always try and meet with representatives from as many of our communities in a region as possible on each trip to make the best use of time and resources,” wrote Halpenny.
A date for the meeting has not yet been
determined but Thompson has suggested that a meeting in November would be best.
“We would have a venue and we would like to invite the public to come and meet with them, ask questions and enter into dialogue,” concluded Thompson.