Since the Sask. Party first signed a contract with John Black and Associates and handed over millions upon millions of Saskatchewan taxpayers’ dollars, the pet project has been deemed to be a failure. Now the Virginia Mason Medical Centre – the centre the Sask. Party has touted as the model for Lean – has been given a failing grade and denied accreditation.
“This failing hospital is the Lean showcase that the Sask. Party spent millions on to study, promote and implement in Saskatchewan hospitals,” said NDP Health Critic Danielle Chartier. “The only thing we’ve learned from Lean is that it’s a huge waste of money.”
In a review, it was found that the Seattle hospital failed to meet 29 standards.
Some of the areas in which Virginia Mason failed were:
These are among the many areas that need fixing in Saskatchewan’s hospitals; however the government’s only solution has been to rely on Lean.
As a part of the renegotiated Lean contract, the government spent millions to take hundreds of healthcare workers off the frontline to learn from Virginia Mason.
“The Sask. Party bought into the incredibly wasteful John Black Lean hook, line and sinker,” said Chartier. Meanwhile we have surgery wait lists getting longer, frontline workers continuously being overworked and understaffed and a Sask. Party budget that doesn’t address these issues.”
Poor working conditions, favouritism, $300K travel nurse pay at issue
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition released a letter signed by 49 emergency room nurses in Saskatoon. The letter slams the Sask. Party government for failing to support Saskatchewan nurses and curb the province’s reliance on expensive out-of-province travel nurses.
REGINA - Today, Official Opposition Critic for First Nations and Métis Relations Betty Nippi-Albright hosted a Day of Action with Indigenous leaders from Nekaneet First Nation, Yellow Quill First Nation, Waterhen Lake First Nation, Onion Lake Cree Nation, Carry The Kettle First Nation, Key First Nation and the residential school support team from Yorkton Tribal Council. Together, they continue to draw attention to the Sask. Party government’s disregard for the Duty to Consult process.
MOOSE JAW - Today, the Official Opposition stood with Taylor Enns, president of the Moose Jaw Firefighters Association, and Brayden Dutchak, the son of a cancer survivor. Together, they called on the Sask. Party government to reopen Saskatchewan’s only hyperbaric chamber.
Records show former Sask. Party Finance Minister lobbied for Calgary surgery scheme on behalf of a major Sask. Party donor
REGINA - Today, the Official Opposition grilled the Premier and his Minister of Health after the Minister misled the public, claiming that he had not been lobbied by a former Sask. Party MLA when Saskatchewan's official lobbyist logs show the exact opposite.