Grey Bruce’s Board of Health has issued a statement following delegations at its meeting on Friday, when several citizens called for audits of the health unit.
The Board of Health says it agrees with the delegations appearing that it is critical to have a strong, vibrant, trusted public heath unit moving forward to defeat the pandemic in the region.
“We hope that by transparently addressing the issues they have presented us with, we have opened the door for more productive collaboration going forward,” a release from the Board of Health says.
Three different speakers addressed the Board of Health at its meeting Friday, raising concerns about how the health unit is being operated and the $600,000-plus salary of Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ian Arra.
Cathy Moore-Coburn, a Georgian Bluffs councillor, called for a complete and independent financial audit and an independent third-party human resources review.
Another speaker Micheline Mann spoke of a petition with 1,400 signatures on it, calling for audits at the health unit.
The Board of Health says in a statement while it has responded to every question posed, it wants to emphasize certain points about organizational strength and health unit leadership.
The Board notes how the health unit team has worked on the Covid response to contain cases and deaths, over the course of the pandemic.
The health unit has hired about 60 new staff that include managers, professionals in nursing, inspectors, human resources, epidemiology, infection control, support staff, and others.
“The health unit has a great deal to be proud of for the way that it has nimbly and adaptively responded to an unprecedented health crisis,” notes the release. “From the frontlines to management, we have a world-class team and are all healthier and safer because of their work.”
In addressing the salary and performance of the Grey Bruce Medical Officer of Health, the board expresses its confidence in Dr. Arra’s role and is grateful for the work and skill he brought to the table throughout the pandemic, and says it is important they address the confusion surrounding this compensation.
The release says the Medical Officer of Health’s salary comes from the Ministry of Health and is negotiated by the Ontario Medical Association.
“Recognizing the significant effort put forward by all staff working under the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic, the Board established overtime payments for all Grey Bruce Health Unit employees, including the Medical Officer of Health,” says the release. “All overtime payments have been covered by the province, which provided emergency funding for the additional staffing needs required for the Covid-19 response.”
All staff, regardless of them being unionized or not, are compensated based on the overtime formula.
As the pandemic becomes more manageable, the release says, it is expected and hoped all hours, including the Medical Officer of Health, will normalize and the Associate Medical Officer of Health hiring process in complete.