I was planning to take a break this week from writing Listen Up. It can be difficult to find meaningful topics with enough substance for about one thousand words on a weekly basis. So, when I come up empty, as I did until today, I know that it is time to lay low for a while and let someone else take the wheel.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the ongoing drama surrounding what hospital care in Muskoka will look like moving forward. I did not plan to write about it again until after representatives from Muskoka Algonquin Health Care (MAHC) met with Huntsville Council this coming week.
But then, a recent joint media release from the Town of Bracebridge and MAHC caught my attention, and so, here I am again.
The release’s title is Collaboration Strengthens for Hospital Redevelopment in Muskoka. The first paragraph, for those who haven’t seen it on Doppler, reads as follows.
“At the invitation of Bracebridge Mayor Rick Maloney. MAHC senior leadership, municipal officials from Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Muskoka Lakes, the District Municipality of Muskoka, and a group of South Muskoka physicians met on Tuesday to discuss the capital redevelopment plan for the multi-site regional hospital in Muskoka. The meeting, which focused on critical topics such as quality patient care, transportation, recruitment and retention of physicians and staff and the number of services and beds planned for both the Huntsville (my emphasis) and Bracebridge facilities, marked a meaningful step forward in collaboration.”
Please note that this “meaningful step forward in collaboration,” which included discussions concerning the hospital site in Huntsville, did not include representatives from Huntsville, Lake of Bays, or the folks who live in East Parry Sound.
First, let me say I do not blame Mayor Maloney for coordinating this meeting. He is acting in what he believes to be in the best interests of the community he serves. That is his job. But I do blame MAHC for trumpeting successful collaboration when a critical mass of key stakeholders were not included. It is hard to conclude anything other than a “strengthening for hospital redevelopment in Muskoka” took place without input from North Muskoka and East Parry Sound.
So, it is not unfair to ask where the collaboration with MAHC is for Huntsville, Lake of Bays, and East Parry Sound?
I have received a number of private emails concerning this media release, one of which asked somewhat succinctly, “Where the hell is Huntsville, our mayor, and our physicians?”
A good question and one that cannot simply be cast aside. In fairness, after my last article on the hospital issue in Muskoka, I received a message from Huntsville Mayor Nancy Alcock, stating that MAHC would be going before council soon and indicating that she was on top of things related to hospital negotiations and thanking us for keeping council “on its toes.” On all counts, I believe her.
But is that enough?
Should our mayor and council members be calling for a meeting here similar to that in Bracebridge, where ‘collaboration’ ensures that both hospital campuses in Muskoka provide an equal level of acute care services? Are they doing enough to ensure that both North and South Muskoka are being treated fairly and equally in relation to state-of-the-art hospital care?
There is an old saying that the early bird catches the worm. How is North Muskoka competing with that? What have we heard from hospital advocates in North Muskoka? With the exception of Dr. Rich Trenholm, what have we heard from our medical practitioners and related health disciplines?
There is another old saying that patience is a virtue, but I cannot help but believe that Huntsville has gone too far.
Senior members of MAHC’s leadership will meet with members of Huntsville Council this coming week. The meeting was scheduled for this Monday but postponed until later this week at a meeting of the General Committee because of a conflict.
This meeting could be pivotal. Will it simply be a meeting to advise Huntsville and Lake of Bays, and East Parry Sound that things have changed as a result of “collaboration” with South Muskoka? Or will it be a signal to North Muskoka that MAHC’s proposal, tabled earlier this year for an equal distribution of services at both sites that will guarantee state-of-the-art hospital care in Muskoka and East Parry Sound, remains intact?
Equally important and with respect, following this presentation, we need to hear from Mayor Alcock and council.
We need to know their views on whether MAHC is continuing to honour the recommendations they tabled earlier this year related to the Huntsville site or whether changes are in the works due to the “meaningful step forward in collaboration” with South Muskoka. We also need to know what their plans are to ensure that Huntsville’s interests are protected as talks and collaboration continue. Visible leadership is as important here as it is in South Muskoka.
We need to see that leadership here, and we should expect nothing less.
Hugh Mackenzie
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
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And our local MPP remains missing in action once again!
MAHC,s original proposal was for an increase from 56 beds in Huntsville to 139 beds. Their proposal for Bracebridge was a decrease from 67 beds to 18 beds. The reason a 1000 people braved the rain to protest last Sunday in Bracebridge is we (local doctors, nurses, EMS and the public) don’t think their plan works. Patients are in the hallways now in the Bracebridge hospital. This isn’t about Bracebridge vs Huntsville. It is good to stay informed. Decisions are being made that will affect our communities for generations.
“We need to see that leadership here, and we should expect nothing less.”
I couldn’t agree with you more; and we in The Township of Muskoka Lakes were expecting nothing less but it is obvious that the most important issue of our times is is beyond our leadership group; “outside their jurisdiction”. Shameful!
Bracebridge & Huntsville are not shy about what they are demanding for their constituents whereas; TML and Gravenhurst are satisfied with sitting back and taking notes and will get what they deserve, second rate hospital facilities not un-similar to the present situation. Many of their constituents will be going south for their health care.