A lesson for hospital bosses in Niagara

There is a lesson in the government take-over of the Niagara Health System (NHS) for hospital bosses.

The NHS hospital bosses pushed and pushed the so-called "Hospital Improvement Plan" even when the local communities rose up in revolt. Even the Ontario Hospital Association (or at least its CEO) waded in to fight the plan's critics.

The ultimate result? The government, facing an election and even more problems at the hospital (in the form of superbug outbreaks) turned tail and admitted the hospital had lost the confidence of the community. (Duh!)

First, the hospital CEO was removed by the hospital board in January, then the government announced in May it would allow a review of the Hospital Improvement Plan, and now the government is putting the hospital under a supervisor. Will the hospital board be next?

The government will push hospital leaders to do their bidding without complaint, but can those hospital leaders count on back up when the going gets tough? Perhaps not.

Apparently, hospital leaders DO have to pay attention to their community. Especially when an election is in the offing.

So much the better.

And, who knows? We may see more re-positioning on health care by the Liberals. At least, before the election.

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