A Museum Mentality Is Cheating Our Economy:Healthcare, SHIN and the Synchrotron |
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By Mario deSantis and reviewed by James deSantis, November 9, 1999 |
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I have repetitiously stated that the organizational management philosophy of the Saskatchewan | |
people, knowledge and innovation are the most important ingredients | Association of Health Organizations (SAHO) and of Saskatchewan Health were not conducive |
to the proper establishment of District Health Boards as per "The Health District Act"(1). Also, | |
I have always stated that the continuation of a policy direction of computerization based on long | |
waits(2) and on the implementation of big bang projects such as Stargarden(3) payroll and SHIN(4) | |
were not compatible with today's changing economy(5) where people, knowledge and innovation are | |
the most important ingredients. | |
Our Tin Pot socialist and liberal dictators(6) have lost the common sense which is a prerequisite | |
reactionary administrative policies favouring the rich against the poor | for a good leadership. They have lost touch with the people at large, and they continue to cheat us |
with their fragmented, reductionist and artificial expertise by mortgaging the future of this province | |
and their children. Our research intelligence is being manipulated for political reasons(7)(8), our laws | |
are broken by the same lawmakers(9), and we have reactionary administrative policies favouring the | |
rich against the poor, urban people against rural people, law and order against justice, and the list | |
goes on(10). | |
I want you, the reader, ponder about these philosophical directions: | |
Synchrotron... may take over a decade to attract private-sector clients |
-to have a university's vision built on the $173 million Synchrotron: the "...Swiss Army |
Knife... of the world letting researchers see things at the molecular level with incredible |
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precision...(11)" Until now, I thought that a Swiss Army Knife was an economical tool, but the |
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story doesn't finish here. Russ Huebner, an expert in the commercial applications of researches |
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undertaken at synchrotrons, observed that it may take over a decade to attract private-sector |
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s, but he also stated that synchrotrons "...have long lifetimes once they are up and running, |
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between 30 and 50 years...(12)" |
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SAHO has now bought one of the most expensive healthcare payroll system in Canada |
-after mismanaging healthcare payroll for two decades and after allocating millions of dollars for |
the now defunct and secretive Stargarden payroll project, SAHO has now bought one of the most |
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expensive healthcare payroll system in Canada and maybe in the world. And this is happening in |
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our supposed Internet Economy characterized by increasing returns and diminishing costs. SAHO |
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estimates that the implementation of this new centralized payroll system will cut down related |
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costs by $38 million over 10 years; in the meantime they cheat their users by raising their fees |
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by 60 %t(13). |
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At the last Saskatchewan Medical Association (SMA) Convention, Pat Atkinson, Minister of Health, | |
planning an economic policy based on confusion | has stated: "...Health care is not a museum piece. It is constantly evolving and changing...(14)" She |
is right, the only problem with her is that after not listening to the health care people for the last | |
some eight years(15), she has become a museum piece herself. Our present leaders are cheaters. The | |
SHIN project was supposed to have savings between $43 and $106 million(16), instead, today we | |
know that the SHIN project will drain at least $40 million(17) into another hole in the ground(18). | |
Governmental spin doctor Jim Melenchuck, after giving the finger to the Saskatchewan electorate(19), | |
wants to put more money into patient care and cut further funding for SHIN. At the same time, | |
SHIN's Chair, Dr. Allan Miller, is providing a planned and understandable counter policy direction | |
by stating "...$40 million barely scratches the surface ...as much as another $80 million is required... | |
we are at a critical point. Those of us on the board are committed to the project. They feel there is | |
real value..." So, while the Regina Health District is in the hole by millions of dollars and doesn't | |
have money to fix its aging equipment, and the University of Saskatchewan's college of medicine | |
loses his fifth specialist and jeopardizes its academic credential(20), we have our leaders making | |
the hard decision to fund or not to fund SHIN. This is the way our politicians and leaders cheat | |
the taxpayers, by planning an economic policy based on confusion and where decisions always | |
deal with the dichotomy of black and white, yes and no, SHIN or not SHIN. And no matter the | |
decisions taken, the winners are always the same people, our privileged oligarchy(21). This is not a | |
fair game for the ordinary people of Saskatchewan. | |
Our Provincial Auditor, Wayne Strelioff, in reviewing the SHIN project, made many | |
recommendations and statements including the following(22): | |
-"...linking the SHIN project directly to the health reform goals in the Department's strategic |
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plan and annual report..." |
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-"...documenting the performance indicators they will use to measure what the project has |
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achieved..." |
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-"...preparing an in-depth cost benefit analyses for the project prior to the detailed design of |
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SHIN..." |
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-"...Health doesn't have a long-term strategic plan published in one document. The Saskatchewan |
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Vision for Health Document includes health reform goals and strategies. However, Health does |
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not include the SHIN project as a strategy in this document..." |
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SHIN's strategy, if any, was just a paper strategy | The Provincial Auditor, the most accountable servant of the people of Saskatchewan(23), has been |
cheated by both the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations and by Saskatchewan | |
Health. He did not know that the Saskatchewan Vision for Health was just a paper vision(24), | |
and that the SHIN's strategy, if any, was just a paper strategy(25). | |
------------Endnotes: | |
Do we need Centralized Payroll and Bigger Bureaucracy in Healthcare? by Mario deSantis, February 7, 1995 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-bigbureacracy-feb01-95.htm | |
Conversation Paper on Economic Policies: Meeting of July 15, 1996 between Brian Rourke, Chairperson of SAHO, Arliss Wright, President and CEO of SAHO, and Mario deSantis of DigiCare. By Mario deSantis http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/Paper-ConversationSAHO-Jl12-96.htm | |
Letter dated January 10, 1996 from Mario deSantis to Patrick Dumelie. January 10, 1996 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-letter-Pat-Jan10-96.htm | |
A Historical Perspective of The Saskatchewan Health Information Network, by Mario deSantis and James deSantis, March 1998 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-SHIN.htm | |
Coping with Changes: An overview of the learning organization, knowledge economy, and current practices in information technology applications, by Mario deSantis, page 1, June 1997 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-coping_changes.htm | |
Saskatchewan Tin Pot Dictatorships: Lack of Integrity is Lack of Leadership, by Mario deSantis, February 7, 1999 Published in North Central Internet News | |
SGI accused of meddling: Researcher claims she was told to falsify no-fault insurance study, by Kim McNairn, The StarPhoenix, May 14, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | |
Fragmented Research comes to the help of Saskatchewan Reform, By Mario deSantis, September 28, 1999 | |
Premier Romanow: Reinventing The Rule Of Law And Becoming Above The Law, by Mario deSantis, September 2, 1999 http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/desam/paper-ReinvenLaw-Sept02-99.htm | |
Few Words on the Synchrotron, Politics and Education in Saskatchewan, by Mario deSantis, April 4, 1999 | |
Quotation of Michael Bancroft, Interim Director, Canadian Light Source; from Our People Our Strength, University of Saskatchewan brochure delivered to all households of Saskatchewan, November 1999 | |
Premier Romanow's Shining Light to the World: The Canadian Light Source Synchrotron, by Mario deSantis, April 2, 1999 | |
SAHO Payroll Policies: Saving Money Out of Ongoing Catastrophes, by Mario deSantis, February 10, 1999 | |
Atkinson touts initiatives in regional health care, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, November 6, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | |
News Release. Apr 12, 1999, Health 99 - 287 MINISTER APPEALS TO NURSES. The following letter from Health Minister Pat Atkinson was delivered to Saskatchewan Union of Nurses President Rosalee Longmoore this afternoon: http://www.gov.sk.ca/newsrel/1999Apr/287.99041205.html | |
Managing Information Technology-A Vision for the Future-Information Technology architecture. Page 8.5, Saskatchewan Health, April 1995 | |
Health information network in jeaopardy: Costs could triple, delegates told, by Jason Warick, The StarPhoenix, November 6, 1999, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | |
Health Reform in Saskatchewan: Digging Holes in the Ground, by Mario deSantis and reviewed by James deSantis, October 20, 1999 | |
Governmental coalition in Saskatchewan: a private contractual deal at the expense of the electorate? by Mario deSantis, October 2, 1999 | |
Saskatoon loses fifth pathologist: Radhi says politics, lack of trust in department pushed him to decision, by Jason Warick, November 6, 1999, The StarPhoenix, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | |
University of Saskatchewan: A Vision Built on Privileged Education and on the Synchrotron, by Mario deSantis, October 25, 1999 | |
Report of the Provincial Auditor, 1997 Spring, Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan | |
The Vision of the Office of the Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan is "We envision effective, open and accountable government. We are committed to making a difference by encouraging excellence in public sector management and reporting practices", Report of the Provincial Auditor, 1997 Spring, Provincial Auditor of Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan | |
The Saga of Health Reform: Pat Atkinson Wants Fewer Health Boards and Fully Appointed Boards, by Mario deSantis and reviewed by James deSantis, October 16, 1999 | |
Saskatchewan Health Information Network-SHIN: Ignoring its mandate and diverting money for the Y2K Nightmare, by Mario deSantis, November 3, 1999 |