It's a long standing issue that doesn't resonate loudly with the general public, but continues to fester a bit within certain administration communities as well as with some members of the media.
We refer to the fact that several years after the amalgamation of health districts to form one health region, it's still impossible to find out what it costs to run one of Sun Country Health Region's largest entities ... namely the Weyburn General Hospital, probably the second largest facility in the overall group of health-care centres in southeast Saskatchewan.
Basic details surrounding the financial operations of Estevan's St. Joseph's Hospital, an affiliated health centre, are documented and presented to the regional board of directors and public. We know that St. Joe's takes up about $17.7 million of Sun Country's $141 million budget. The additions and subtractions, along with other details are in the annual report.
But nowhere in these documents can a taxpayer find any kind of financial detail concerning the operation of Weyburn General other than the number of surgical operations that are performed there.
It has been explained that any attempt to "break out" the General's operating expenses and separate them from the general business costs associated with the Sun Country head office operations, would be difficult and the results would be cloudy, at best. Cloudy, perhaps, because they've been allowed to be integrated?
Repeated attempts by Estevan civic administrators to get some straight facts regarding financial comparisons between the two hospitals were stonewalled for years by Sun Country who finally relented last year. They provided some supposed "in the neighbourhood" comparisons. But it was only done at a secret in-camera meeting with the public and media excluded. Those who were in attendance were instructed not to reveal the comparisons and analysis. All were left to guess as to how accurate the numbers were. The only response we received from those who were allowed to attend this secret enclave was that "there was nothing alarming," to pick up on.
But again, if there has been no precedent, who would know what could be interpreted as alarming ... or not?
We find it discouraging that financial officers ... either Sun Country's or provincial, aren't insisting on the provision of some performance-based data from Weyburn General ... especially now that a drive is on to build a new hospital in that community. If the efficiency or inefficiencies of the current model aren't documented, how can their citizens know what to expect in the future? Is it enough that there are verbal assurances all is well?
How can Estevan and area citizens know what they're missing out on or not receiving? Secret meetings lend themselves to mistrust.
How can Sun Country's current administration link improvements if they have no financial facts to work with from Weyburn General?
If the current rage to climb aboard the LEAN efficiency model is to be adhered to, would one not want to start with financial accountability and a bit of transparency with the region's second largest facility, its operations, administration and management?
We find it mind-boggling that Sun Country is unable to provide accurate financial information to the public regarding this health-care centre and any that were rounded up are to be shrouded in secrecy.
We are no accountants or even bookkeepers here, but it still baffles our collective minds that Sun Country Health Region is unable to track an individual health centre's expenses.
As it stands now, the public is, in essence, being told to take Sun Country's word for it that all is well on the local health region's financial front, at least on this one count.
Based on past performances, we're not quite ready to take that leap of faith.
