Residents have made it clear to me that they are confused, concerned, angered and unsure about what is going on regarding the Strathcona Hospital "phasing" situation.
I am open to questions of verification on the hospital. I am
willing to continue to stand up for residents and fight for a hospital sooner than later.
Phase I is NOT A HOSPITAL.
Are you, residents of Strathcona County, willing to fight with me to get a date set in stone for phase II?
Below are
true tesitmonials from your family, friends and neighbours in Strathcona County. I have listened to their stories over the last 20 years as a resident, nurse, school board trustee and County Councillor. Following these are the facts, figures & history requested by County residents. There are many more such stories:
A 78 year old Sherwood Park man has been feeling dizzy, nauseated and has pain in the left side of his abdomen. He does not have a doctor and cannot drive anymore.
A mother saw her 6 year old son fall off his bike on their gravel road 30 km outside of Sherwood Park. Her son hit head and is bleeding profusely.
A young father arrived home from working at one of the plants outside Sherwood Park and found his wife who is 8 months pregnant with their first child lying on the bathroom floor having major contractions.
A 69 year old widowed resident living in a lodge in Sherwood Park has had one kidney removed due to cancer with the other showing signs of failing. She needs to go for dialysis 3 times a week.
A 15 year old high school student has been bullied for over 6 year of his life. He is depressed and cannot take it any longer. He attempts to take his own life.
Over the last week there has been much press about the so called Phase One portion of the “hospital” for Strathcona County. I and many others were in Council Chambers to hear the news of an urgent-emergency only facility which the government conveniently and politically chose to call a hospital.
It was stated, in various publications and Social sites, that the 62,000 population in the "small hamlet of Sherwood Park" and the 26,000 people in the rest of Strathcona County do not need an "insignificant" 72 bed hospital "anyway".
Well people like I described above disagree.
Here are some facts according to the 2007 Dr. Predy Report entitled “How Healthy are We? “ (It compares three similar cities near Edmonton with hospitals and Strathcona County which has none)
1. Number of live births
Fort Sask.
162 Leduc 516 St. Albert
591 Strathcona County
887
2. Number of children 0-19
Fort Sask.
4,197 Leduc
12,105 St. Albert
15,554 Strathcona County
23,186
3. Number of seniors age 65-84
Fort Sask.
1359 Leduc
3919 St.Albert
5,226 Strathcona County
6,942
Other Facts that are still existant today:
1-Strathcona County, 5th largest municipality in Alberta with a population close to 88,000 people, has NO 24 hour health care;
2-The heath authorities' comprehensive Growing in Place plan (2004) features a capital investment of more than
$900 million for Capital Health;
3-Strathcona County’s feasibility study (2004)
is included in that funding as is a new hospital for Fort Saskatchewan;
4-Rural Strathcona County posted the fastest growth rate in the Capital Region in 2001-2003 by 8%;
5-The Industrial Heartland - At its' borders and within Strathcona County - employs approximately 2500 people;
6-Three major Highways separate and divide Strathcona County from Edmonton.
7-1987 Black Friday Tornado travelled down Sherwood Park Freeway, up through Highway 16 and into to a Trailer Park in North Edmonton. We were cut off from Edmonton for a period of time. No way of getting to a hospital.
8-A 500kv, 20 story high, above ground Transmission lines are proposed and recommended by Epcor and AltaLink to go down the TUC (utility corridor) along side schools and densely populated residential areas along the Anthony Henday (Hwy. 14) from Ellerslie to Baseline Road; right through Sherwood Parks' boundaries. (potential health risks);
9-A Strathcona County resident group called
Public Supporting Hospital Committee started in 2005 to advocate for a consultative stakeholder process seeking information for a clear business case for a hospital (which I was part of);
10-In
2006 The Sherwood Park News posted the following:
Health Minister Iris Evans announces an $85million, 72 bed hospital for Sherwood Park. Quote: "Sherwood Park Strathcona County have not had the benefit of anything beyond the Health First centre, she said, You go to every other community- the Fort, Leduc, St.Albert- they have all had that kind of publicly funded care. Frankly, I was disappointed that anyone would criticize Strathcona for getting what it has been asking for since the 1970s. As MLA it is over the top for me. I know we have needed it; I know it is justified
The detailed plan will be one and construction 18-24 months with opening in 2009. Per functional plan the hospital will offer general surgery, low risk obstetrics and diagnostic services."
11-A day clinic housing all public health services, such as community health and home care, will be linked to the hospital as well as a 20 space residential facility for Child and Adolescent Services Association (CASA) .(now up and running on the site);
12-Quote Health Care Rep: "
the exact footprint of the hospital is important because part of the campus land overlaps into the heavy industrial transition zone, which contains extra regulations for development."
13- In 2008 The Sherwood Park News posted "
Hospital Construction Begins. It will be two more years until the doors of the $88million Strathcona Community Hospital finally open as construction officially kicked off. The hospital will open with 72 beds as originally planned but the 36 bed expansion will also be shelled in according to rep from Capital Health. It will be now a 108 bed facility! The official ground breaking ceremony will be end of October 2007."
14- In April 2010 The Sherwood Park News posted: "
The Strathcona Community Hospital construction date would not be announced until Capital Plan is finished. The Capital Plan is still in development according to Minister Zwozdesky." Yet, in Dec. 2009 MLA Evans told The Sherwood Park News that construction would start in April.
15- Following the April 2010 announcement I wrote letters to the editor expressing my concern. Contacted MLA Evans and Minister Zwosdeskys office requesting a conversation and a clarification of the hospital situation. Residents still believing a 72 or 108 bed full tx hospital is going to be built. They did not return calls;
16-In June 2010 Minister Zwozdesky addressed AGM of MLA Dave Quest on health. A question of the hospital status was asked and he replied that he would be able to tell us more in three to four weeks;
17-At that time, he also said the province would not announce anything it isn’t ready to support, but encouraged those in the room to keep the faith.
Please note: This is the
first time the word "
phased in approach" was used. There was no definition of what that meant, but the word hospital was still being used.
18- Council meeting July 2010: Mayor Cathy Olesen reported she had a dinner meeting with MLA Quest and Minister Zwosdesky and read a letter from the minister that indicated Strathcona County will still get its hospital in a phased in approach and a second ground breaking would be announced soon.
19 - Sept. 2010 Alberta Health rep. Marianne Stewart presented the phase 1 of the Strathcona County Hospital which was described as an
urgent – emergency 24 hour hospital to be opened 2013;
I asked the question, as a fellow nurse, that why is this facility called a hospital when it does not have the components required for one.
She stated that their group would have preferred to call it a Community Health Facility but was politically directed to call it a hospital.
I then asked when is phase 2 happening and how many beds were being planned for?
She stated she has had no direction from the province on either of those questions.
20- This was unacceptable for Councillors Gariepy, Bidzinski and myself. We expressed our concerns and the concerns of many, many residents.
21-Sept.6 2010. A closed door meeting with Mayor Olesen, Councillor Carr, CEO Robyn Singleton, MLAs Evans and Quest, ministers Zwosdesky and Danyluk occurred. This meeting was not announced, shared, nor discussed to or with all of council.
22-A full press release by Mayor Olesen was written and released immediatly after the meeting which stated that the electrical and mechanicals were going to be in place and they would be working together on a forward plan.
23- Minister Zwosdesky appears on the Rutherford call-in radio show stating how reactional some councillors are and that this situation of a hospital is an non issue. The minister, mayor and Councillor Roxanne Carr still claim that the emergency facility is a hospital. Iris Evans did state in the Edmonton Journal on Sept. 6 that the real question is when will phase two start. Only two callers go on the air. One supporting the minister, the other not sure what is happening but ends up thanking the minister and is happy and satisfied with the answer...
These are the facts!! Like it or not we are not getting what was promised. A clear business case and a public and stakeholder consultation supported the initial plan for the active treatment facility.
The stories I am still hearing will continue. People want accountability, truth, integrity and trust from their elected officials.
As your mayor I will deliver these and show heart and caring along with it!!
Once and for all: Until we have a date, we do not have a hospital. We can keep being promised and told that the government is committed to a hospital, but until they give us a date...We Do Not Have A Hospital.
If you would like more information or if you would like to speak to me directly do not hesitate to contact me at lindaformayor@gmail.com
