‘Not worth the paper it’s printed on’
Diagnostic lab staff angry, says announcement is actually nothing new
An announcement about laboratory services in Medicine Hat turned out to be nothing new and has angered many local lab staff.
“This announcement is not worth the paper it’s printed on. I think this was to strike down some of the buoyancy we experienced when we heard the Health Minister’s decision about Sonic in Edmonton,” said Ruth Bruins medical laboratory technologist at Medicine Hat Diagnostic Laboratory (MHDL).
“No, that wasn’t the case,” said Sean Chilton, chief zone officer south zone, AHS. “The plan to meet with staff today was made before the announcement last week.”
The “Joint Laboratory Staff Update” on Monday was the focus of several meetings held between AHS and MHDL.
“The step today was a starting point to share what we know about positions that will become available,” said Shelley Rawlake, senior operating officer, with AHS laboratory services.
Chilton says MHDL has repeatedly said they’d not been provided with adequate information about what positions will be available.
“We thought it important to at least provide people with as much information as we had and the positions that will be required to operate the lab once the transition take place,” said Chilton.
“In my opinion it’s a total waste of taxpayers’ dollars,” said Bruins. “It is nothing more than the information we were given back in November 2014.”
Bruins says the only new aspect is that the job postings, that MHDL staff could apply for, will start to be posted in March 2016.
“They could start that hiring process in October this year, because that coincides with our notice, but they are not,” said Bruins.
All of the jobs will be available to AHS employees first.
Rawlake says there are plans to do “an expression of interest” which will give MHDL staff an opportunity to indicate which positions they have an interest in.
“We are going to be forming ‘change network teams’ and ‘transition teams’ and hope they’ll want to participate as we move forward,” said Rawlake.
The most important question, which has still not been answered, is how AHS will be able to save $5 million in the next five years by cancelling its contract with MHDL, said Bruins.
“We’ve always said there would be that savings demonstrated,” said Rawlake.
“We are working with the Ministry on that information to see how best we can respond to that request,” said Chilton noting it’s necessary to protect private and personal details that may be part of that information.
Health Minister Sarah Hoffman, who met with all sides on this issue about a month ago, has not said when her decision will be made known.
The News requested comment from the Minister’s office on Monday but there was no response.
The contract MHDL has with AHS will expire March 2017 but will begin winding down from October 2016.
AHS has decided to operate its own community collection site where the public will go for blood to be drawn and drop specimens off. Laboratory testing will be done at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital.
“In Medicine Hat we’re looking at options and will hopefully be able to make a recommendation on a site fairly shortly - in the next couple months,” said Rawlake. “We’ve been doing an analysis on what options are available.”