Faced with a $160-million budget shortfall, officials at Fraser Health -- B.C.'s largest and fastest-growing health region -- announced Thursday that they are undertaking numerous cost-cutting and restructuring measures.
"We are experiencing a number of unavoidable cost pressures which the available funding is helping us meet, but there are some big challenges and we have to make some difficult decisions," Fraser Health CEO Dr. Nigel Murray said Thursday.
Some examples of the decisions they've had to make:
- The eight-bed hospice at Queen's Park Care Centre in New Westminster is closing. The 25-bed convalescent care unit at the same facility is closing by Dec. 31.
- The six-bed regional adolescent psychiatry unit at Abbotsford Regional Hospital is closing by Nov. 27.
- Twelve spiritual care coordinators are being eliminated from hospitals.
- The ten-bed addictions treatment unit at Chilliwack General Hospital is closing by Dec. 31.
- 42 residential care beds at the Weatherby Pavilion at Peace Arch Hospital will be closed through attrition. Residents will either be moved to another floor or to other facilities within the region.
- The social work budget in hospitals is being reduced by $1.15 million a year.
- Fraser health is also cutting from administration and reducing overtime.
Thursday's announcement comes in the wake of cuts announced by Fraser Health in the summer.
Asked what impact the H1N1 flu pandemic could have on Fraser Health's budget, Murray replied: "That's a good question. It will have an impact on our budget. We don't know how much yet."
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Michele Brunoro
