BC health minister says it's 'critically important' to speak to mayors in response to scathing 2022 letter

(UPDATE: June 20 at 6 am): Health Minister Josie Osborne has responded to the publication of the 2022 letter containing strong criticism of Interior Health.

NowMedia asked the Ministry of Health what Adrian Dix, Osborne's predecessor, did about the letter, but received no response. NowMedia also asked whether Dix rebuked the Interior Health leadership, but received no response to that query either.

Instead, Osborne focused on her own management of the health file, explaining: "As a former mayor, I know how critically important it is to engage with and listen to mayors and local leaders – this has been a priority for me in every cabinet portfolio I have held, and it continues to be a top priority since becoming Minister of Health."

Osborne, who served as the Green Party mayor for Tofino, has been under fire from the Opposition BC Conservatives for not coming to Kelowna to address the various concerns raised about Kelowna General Hospital in recent weeks.

She emphasized in her statement to NowMedia that she "will continue to meet with and talk to mayors from across BC," adding: "I have already spoken directly to the Mayor of Kelowna about the situation at Kelowna General Hospital and look forward to having constructive dialogue with mayors across the region."

She added: "I also wanted to be clear: our government has made significant progress in strengthening healthcare in the Interior since 2022. Despite a global shortage of healthcare workers, Interior Health has hired 1,740 net new staff in 2024 alone.

"And we recently launched a new gynecological oncology program for the region, so people have access to specialized cancer care closer to home. Along with getting wait times for radiation therapy down, we’ve also upgraded hospitals with additional MRI and CT machines, more in-patient beds, and new operating rooms.”

Interior Health, which NowMedia also approached in relation to the 2022 letter, chose not to comment.

(Original story: June 19 at 12:50 pm): Five BC Interior mayors sent a scathing letter to the BC government nearly three years ago complaining of staffing problems at hospitals and weak leadership from Interior Health.

The missive, sent on Sept. 14, 2022, was signed by Colin Basran (Kelowna), Victor Cumming (Vernon), Gord Milsom (West Kelowna), John Vassilaki (Penticton) and Ken Christian (Kamloops).

In it, the mayors complain of “poor communications from IH Senior Leadership,” adding: “We have had minimal, if any communication with the Board Chair or CEO to ascertain an update on Health priorities or overall related issues impacting our communities in recent years. IH leadership have declined to meet with regional Councils. We must be able to engage productively at the senior levels, Mayor, and Council to IH Board and CEO.”

Publication of the letter – which was sent to NowMedia today – comes as BC Conservative MLAs have pushed for Interior Health CEO Susan Brown, who was in charge at the time the letter was sent, to resign immediately, or be fired.

Brown has been under fire in recent weeks over trouble at Kelowna General Hospital, whose general pediatric unit has been forced to close for six weeks due to staffing problems. Doctors have also warned of a “growing crisis” in maternity care at the hospital.

Interior Health has insisted the hospital is working hard to bring in more staff, while Brown, who took charge in 2018, said in an opinion article she recognizes the health authority “is facing significant pressures.”

“We continue to experience a competitive global market for a limited number of available health-care professionals – including physicians, nurses and allied health professionals,” she wrote.

Responding to the publication of the 2022 letter today, the BC Conservatives said Adrian Dix, who was then the health minister but is now the energy minister, “chose to do nothing” after being warned of problems in the Interior.

“This is a smoking gun,” Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew said. “When the mayors spoke out three years ago, Dix ignored them. Now, the new health minister, Josie Osborne, is sitting on her hands and hasn’t even taken the initiative to make an urgent visit to Kelowna General Hospital.”

He added: “Let me remind everyone that the pediatric unit at KGH is currently shut down because Interior Health has failed to create the conditions for retention. I am reiterating my call that Interior Health President and CEO Susan Brown must step down, and Minister of Health Josie Osborne must step up and lead.”

In the letter, the City of Penticton complains of “unilateral decisions about the placement of resources” as well as “failures to clearly communicate funding decisions” and a “lack of transparency with respect to resources and staffing numbers at any given facility.”

The City of Kelowna, meanwhile, writes that “complex care challenges are facing our communities at an alarming rate.”

It adds: “The City of Kelowna has been requesting funding and support for various forms of integrated resources for several years to address the growing need for complex care in the community; the lack of provincial capital funding altogether, and the insufficiencies of operating funding for Kelowna makes it very challenging for IH to operationalize complex care in Kelowna.

“Time and time again the City of Kelowna is tasked with leading health solutions, Provincial advocacy, development of research papers and continually seeks participation from IH, only to receive moderate support at best.”

Other complaints in the letter relate to RCMP officers having to wait up to four hours for their prisoners to be seen, with “many individuals who have complex needs … walking away from the hospitals” and back onto the streets.

Interior Health and the Ministry of Health have both been approached for comment.

Below is the letter in full:

September 14, 2022

Dear Minister Dix,

On behalf of the Inter-Municipal Advisory Committee (IMAC) Mayors and CAOs, comprised of the Cities of; Kelowna, West Kelowna, Vernon, and Penticton, we are reaching out to you to express our concerns regarding the relationship with Interior Health (IH), which are negatively and significantly impacting our communities and the citizens we serve. We have invited the City of Kamloops to also provide its shared concerns as it is part of the Interior Health region (IH) and has voiced a similar experience. The Mayors of Kelowna, West Kelowna, Penticton, Vernon, and Kamloops would like to meet with you to collaboratively discuss solutions to the concerns noted below.

There are several areas we would like to highlight. We note that although some of these issues may be more particular to one of our five communities, we remain steadfast that there are commonalities that affect us all equally.

To begin, we would like to highlight the myriad of staffing issues that exist in many IH facilities and programs including: the lack of family doctors affecting all the communities in our region; patients being diverted and bypassed at increasing rates; Emergency Room closures, surgical cancellations; radiation oncology wait times, understaffed complex care. The City of Kamloops specifically identified poor performance at the urgent care centres in their community, as well as slow transfer, and release, of BC Emergency health Services and RCMP from the ER. We appreciate that health care staffing challenges exist across the country but see little concerted effort to attract and retain medical staff to an area of the province well known for outstanding recreation and potential opportunities.

Complex care challenges are facing our communities at an alarming rate. The City of Kelowna has been requesting funding and support for various forms of integrated resources for several years to address the growing need for complex care in the community; the lack of provincial capital funding altogether, and the insufficiencies of operating funding for Kelowna makes it very challenging for IH to operationalize complex care in Kelowna. Time and time again the City of Kelowna is tasked with leading health solutions, Provincial advocacy, development of research papers and continually seeks participation from IH, only to receive moderate support at best.

Since 2018, the City of Vernon has highlighted their struggle with Interior Health’s lack of interest in the Opiate Agonist Treatment (OAT) program for prisoners in the City of Vernon cell block. Further, The Cities of Vernon, Kamloops and Penticton have identified a lack of, or inconsistent, support for the “Car 40” program. The City of Vernon has identified barriers to specific care that involve a Mental Health Nurse to assist with mental health calls in the Vernon area; IH continues to insist that Vernon is too small of a centre to entertain this support – Vernon strongly disagrees.

Wait times at hospitals for RCMP members with prisoners and those in mental health crisis can be up to 4 hours. Because of lack of services, many individuals who have complex care needs are walking away from the hospitals – often to return to the streets and put themselves and others in harm’s way. None of us can afford to have resources drawn away because of situations that should be preventable with proper supports. The existing overdose prevention site in Vernon does not service the smoking of controlled substances; this results in use of pipes in the downtown core, which is prolific, undesired and undermines public confidence in both the health care and justice systems; this issue will only increase in January 2023 when possession of small amounts will be decriminalized.

Generally, the lack of treatment for individuals who are wanting to begin the detox process or commit to treatment are being referred to outpatient treatment, which is not effective because most of these individuals are high risk and homeless and have difficulty managing consistent appointments without the complex supports, we all know are required.

The City of Penticton identifies unilateral decisions about the placement of resources as problematic and challenging. Failures to clearly communicate funding decisions with the public were also identified, as well as lack of transparency with respect to resources and staffing numbers at any given facility.

Collectively we experience poor communications from IH Senior Leadership. We have had minimal, if any communication with the Board Chair or CEO to ascertain an update on Health priorities or overall related issues impacting our communities in recent years. IH leadership have declined to meet with regional Councils. We must be able to engage productively at the senior levels, Mayor, and Council to IH Board and CEO. Corrective action to improve communication with local government more rapidly, including meetings at the appropriate levels, will help resolve some of the systemic communication challenges. We appreciate that mid-level staff have intermittent communication to discuss services that are available, and offer support, but we must be able to engage productively at senior levels with those who are able to affect change. At the IH August 3, 2022, Mayor and RHD Chair Roundtable, acknowledgement of the lack of communication with local governments was mentioned by the IH CEO with no collaborative solutions offered. The City of Penticton also reports that IH leadership has declined to meet with Council.

We are kindly requesting to meet with you to discuss solutions to these issues in the spirit of collaboration. These issues will not improve without significant intervention, and leadership change at IH.

Yours very truly;

Colin Basran Mayor
City of Kelowna

Victor Cumming Mayor
City of Vernon

Gord Milsom Mayor
City of West Kelowna

John Vassilaki Mayor
City of Penticton

Ken Christian Mayor
City of Kamloops