NWHC, Groves hospital aim for integration - not amalgamation

Local hospital officials are confident their respective boards will be able to integrate, but not amalgamate.

“We are very optimistic that North Wellington Health Care and Groves Memorial Community Hospital will find a path forward to integrate the governance structures of our two organizations without the need to amalgamate,” stated NWHC board chair Tom Sullivan and Groves board chair Howard Dobson in a joint press release.

The release, issued Oct. 1 following the first meeting of a joint steering committee set up to work toward integration of governance, continues, “We believe that through ongoing discussion and dialogue we will develop a model of joint governance that will promote stability, while at the same time supporting the unique health care contributions of the three hospital sites (Groves, Palmerston and District Hospital and Louise Marshall Hospital in Mount Forest).”

In August, the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) board passed a resolution to appoint Mark Rochon of KPMG as a facilitator to work with the governors, staff, and the community to integrate the governance structure of North Wellington Health Care and Groves hospitals “into one” by Nov. 30.

The two hospital corporations have worked together for over a decade in an alliance that includes a shared CEO and other key staff members.

On Sept. 30, four representatives from each hospital board met as a joint steering committee with the facilitator and agreed to the following shared objectives:

- bringing stability to the governance of the three hospital sites;

- better positioning the organizations for long-term stability of hospital operations;

- facilitating planning, decision making, and resource allocation to meet the needs of patients;

- strengthening the organization’s ability to attract and retain talent, including physicians, specialists and leadership;

- allowing for the continued achievement of the objectives set out in the alliance agreement;

- supporting the achievement of a robust, integrated model of care in Wellington as contemplated in the Rural Wellington Plan;

- contributing to the advancement of rural health care in the county;

- creating a stronger voice to advance health care issues in the county; and

- eliminating duplication of board and other activities.

“We are confident, based on the commitment we have to one another, that we will have a successful outcome,” states the release from the board chairs.

In a separate release on Oct. 2, LHIN board chair Joan Fisk said the network is pleased “governors from both boards ... are focused on achieving the best possible health outcomes for residents through all three hospital sites, and that time and resources should no longer be needed to respond to rumours of amalgamation, which has caused concern for some members of the community.”

In the release, Fisk “reiterates that the hospitals were never directed to amalgamate, but instead were directed to integrate their governance structure by Nov. 30.”

“Amalgamation is the merger of hospital corporations,” Fisk told the Advertiser on Oct. 6. “We’re not changing the bylaws of the corporate  hospitals.”

She added, “Integration is the governance of the organization.”

While Fisk said, “we looked at corporate amalgamation as a separate issue,” she added, “that could come out of it at the end, but it is not the intention.”

She continued, “The intention is to amalgamate the hospitals down the road, maybe never.”

Dobson said the two boards agree they can accomplish their aims without “amalgamating in the sense of amalgamation of the two corporations.”

Asked if that meant the boards, rather than the corporations, would be amalgamating, Dobson said, “That we don’t know yet. That would be the issue that we’re discussing.”

He continued, “I think the difference is if the hospital corporations amalgamate, that’s a complex legal process which is further complicated by the fact there is a separate Groves Memorial Hospital Act and all of the other hospitals in the province are under the Public Hospitals Act.

“So it’s a large complex process, whereas integration of the two boards is much simpler in terms of the legal process … and that’s where we’re going at present.”

Dobson believes the current process can accomplish the goals of all parties, “but I think we’re at the early stages and we have not got to the end result yet and, as people keep saying, the devil is in the details.”

Sullivan said he feels the  LHIN’s acceptance of a solution not involving amalgamation originated in a meeting between he and local LHIN vice-chair Dale Small.

“I think (Small) and I connected, he took that message back to the LHIN and I think the LHIN heard us and they opened the door for a result that does not include amalgamation,” said Sullivan.

“We’re going to reach a very amicable conclusion in a relatively short period of time if we continue on the path we’re going.”

Sullivan said while the LHIN does not have the authority to order an amalgamation, “they used their influence and took it right as far as they could possibly go to try and drive us to that conclusion without actually going to the (health) minister and petitioning to have a supervisor put in place to force us to amalgamate.

“We gave them a very viable alternative and I think the LHIN said, ‘Yeah, that’ll work’ … So it’s a good solution for all really.”

Dobson said a second joint committee was planned for Oct. 7 and another scheduled for next week.

“We don’t want this to drag on,” he said.