Keeping a good relationship with Northern Heath is important.
Mayor of Vanderhoof and Stuart Nechako Regional Hospital District Committee director Gerry Thiessen said he felt the board should tread lightly when choosing to support a letter written by Mayor of Granisle, Frederick Clarke.
The board met last week and director Clarke's letter addressed to Minister of Health Mike deJong was on the agenda.
Director Eileen Benedict said she felt the letter was very well written and would like for the committee to write a similar letter to the minister echoing director Clarke's sentiments.
Clarke wrote, 鈥淭here are "problems of dissatisfaction between some communities and the Northern Health Authority. The problem may very well be that 'authorities' are not designed to be democratic organizations. As it is now, communities and regional districts have no legislated relationship with Northern Health. Vertically structured authoritarian structures may have worked well in the 1950's but today where meaningful discourse rules the day, organizations that have an authoritarian structure, in our view, can not do very well."
He also requested the minister to consider giving municipalities and regional districts in the Northern Health area a legal input into the delivery of health care services.
Director Thiessen said he has some concerns about supporting it, or writing a similar letter as a board.
He said he didn't think it wise to rock the boat, particularly when the 亚洲天堂 Lake replacement hospital project could be at stake.
Director Benedict disagreed. "Our health care is in jeopardy," she said.
She went on to say that she didn't think the board should make decisions based on the threat of a hammer over their heads.
"We have a right to health care ... if the community doesn't have adequate health care, then what have we got?," she asked.
Director Bill Miller said he thought director Clarke is on the right track with his sentiments.
"We need to fix the communication problem," he said, adding that he felt some sort of formal relationship is required between local governments and Northern Health.
"What we have now is cumbersome," he added.
He did however say he thought the board should be careful of how much "rocking" of the boat they do. "We do lack the formal ability to communicate with Northern Health about issues .... issues can be addressed quicker when it is a two way street."
Chair Ralph Roy said he felt the area serviced by Northern Health is lucky.
"Compared to some, we have it good. With Northern Health we have had a good response, Frederick [Clarke] I think it is your right to write a letter though," Roy said.
"I didn't attack Northern Health in the letter ... I took a tactful approach," director Clarke said adding that his intention is to restructure the relationship. "We have no real way of [having our opinions] being recognized legally."
A motion was made to write a letter to the minister requesting there be an avenue for legislated input to come from the communities serviced by Northern Health with regards to health care services.
The motion was approved, but director Thiessen did not support the motion.
Director Dwayne Lindstrom also did not support the motion saying, "He is opposed a little bit. We just went through a major crisis with doctors in Fraser Lake and Northern Health communicated well with us ..... I don't have a problem from a Fraser Lake point of view," he added.
