"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Sunday 12 July 2015

SUPREME BEINGS

Thank you for your  comments of support for my legal cause. 

The experience will not soon be forgotten. Pending the decision I am  advised it would not be wise to speak of the proceedings. 

I anticipate the constraint to be lifted once the ruling is made. 

But nothing  that has happened so far has been what might  be reasonably expected.   

One step at a time I suppose and hope to see it through to the end. 

Chris Watts has a  post  touching on aspects of Simcoe Health Centre finances. In particular,salary paid to the current CAO.and relationship to services rendered. 

I did not know about mass resignation of hospital foundation board members. The Foundation  and Hospital Board are separate entities. 

I guess the media didn't think it was worth reporting. Or disgruntled members  didn't want media attention. Chairman of the foundation claims not to have any idea why his members resigned
was apparently also kept in the dark 

I can think of a likely reason.  The foundation board manages funds raised by volunteers.
Any hint of scandal could jeapordise fund-raising . Board members merely unhappy with some aspect of management of funds would be caught between a rock and a hard place. 

Publicising  their discontent would  be contra-indicated.

Salary paid to the  Hospital CAO has never been a secret. The Province requires all hospitals 
to publish the figures.

The salary is only part of the compensation package. The  person who had  the job previously claimed  quarter of a million dollars for expenses the year before he departed with great fan-fare bestowed upon him by local dignitaries. 

Hospitals are another one of those sacred institutions. To criticise is a sacrilege. 

Just last week I heard of a young graduate of orthopedic surgery who can't find employment. 

Her parents never heard of the Medical Advisory Committee that recommends to  hospital boards who should  have access to facilities. " hospital privileges" 

An Olympic rower, It's surprising she even got into medical school. The Mediaeval Guild that governs the profession has  a pretty tight grip on all who enter those portals  as well. 

If there's a shortage of doctors,the government doesn't have to look far for the reason.  

If a doctor or specialist can't get access to hospital facilities ,they can't make a living in the profession.

Yet public money builds the facilities. They are there to service public need. You would think. 

My goodness, if the public ever start asking how hospitals are governed ,what a turn-up for the books that would be. 

26 comments:

Anonymous said...


When one gets a whole slew of people resigning including doctors there is something truly amiss.

Anonymous said...


I just checked the Ontario Sunshine List for 2014.

Southlake's president received $479,470. There were four pathologists who received between $326,000 and $376,000, and a fifth at $269,000. Vice-presidents were in the $250,000 area.

As a matter of interest you cannot access Sick Kids' financial statement without a password. This is ridiculous. Maybe Mr. Watts should put on his magic search tool and delve into this.

Anonymous said...


Sunnybrook's president received $714,999 while Hospital for Sick Children president received $544,100.

How are any of these figures arrived at?

Anonymous said...

I don't think they left because of the cost of parking. Directors probably have an area of their own so they don't have to fuss about the small stuff.

Anonymous said...

Your young graduate is going to have to look afar for employment.
I spoke to an accountant recently who said that all the brightest graduates in his field want, no insist, on working south of #7 even if it means they end up in tiny little apartments.
The ones who go against that trend find far more opportunities to the north. In a few years, it will be interesting to see which group is more content with its decisions.

Anonymous said...

"I guess the media didn't think it was worth reporting."

I saw it in the local press as well as in the Toronto Star.

Anonymous said...

It is weird. Foundation staff were not even present at the meeting -in camera. They have no idea and will not speculate which is wise. But when members of the hospital board plead ignorance to an exodus caused by something they decided it gets really convoluted.
I believe our mayor is on the board - he should have been present but I will allow that he might have been on vacation.

Anonymous said...

16:35
The resignations took place in June - the media response has been muted.

Anonymous said...

There is going to be an attempt to blame this on failure off communications between the two boards.

That will not fly.

The Foundation board understood exactly what the Hospital Board were trying and voted with their feet to slop it.

Anonymous said...



This is not good news out of Southlake. The people who resigned were likely among the biggest boosters and fund raisers.

Anonymous said...

I do not know where the problem lies. Decent money is being raised but it does not take an expert to see that the place is falling apart.

Anonymous said...

16:02
Your correct. There are many teachers that are finding jobs out of province once they graduate, but none are willing to leave.

Paul Harvey said...

"The resignations took place in June..."

The very last day in June.

With today's news release, we now know the rest of the story.

Anonymous said...

Mr Harvey - if you could give us a link ?

Anonymous said...



Could Paul Harvey please tell me just what I now know and where is today's news release?

I haven't seen anything in the press or in the media release from Southlake (Hospital and Foundation) that adds anything.

The media release is just more sheeplike bleating about our sadness resulting from the volunteer Board members' resignation and how we are working together to reach out to the former Board members and engage them in this transition.

Still another reference to the delivery of "shockingly excellent experiences" which was a bad phrase at the outset and should be retired.

"The Hospital and Southlake Foundation Boards have prioritized the important work of renewing the Foundation Board of Directors." I would suggest that the hospital Board and the rump of the Foundation Board ask one another just what the hell happened to cause the majority of the Foundation Board to take a hike. I can't recollect such an event happening in the past and there must be a cautionary tale here to ensure that something similar never happens again.

Anonymous said...

14:22
We do ?

Paul Harvey said...

http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/5731058-southlake-board-wanted-foundation-ceo-neila-poscente-removed/

Anonymous said...

I do not believe a press release or a series of them is going to be very informative. It appears that a lack of communications is going to get blamed for creating the mess in the first place. Which is a bunch of nonsense.

Anonymous said...

Oh, for Pete's sake, that Hospital board was gunning for Neila !
They should just butt out and let the Foundation do its job. Now she will feel obligated to quit to try to restore peace.
Bunch of sneaky bullies, including our mayor if he was involved.

Anonymous said...


Thank you Paul Harvey.

Now we have to find out what burr is up what ass at the Hospital and its Board.

Anonymous said...



I think this is a power-play between the two CEO's.

Anonymous said...


This situation will probably have a negative affect on fund-raising and it will be the hospital and it's patients that suffer.

Anonymous said...

21:13
Only one made the move.
The Foundation Board revolted in protest.
Neila has held that outfit together for years and the doctors who walked know she does as donors direct.
Sounds like the Hospital Board wants to direct the funds.

Anonymous said...


I was always of the opinion that the hospital established a priority list for those items it required and the foundation provided funding for these.

An exception might be where a person or a company wished to make a significant donation for the purchase of a major piece of equipment and so stipulated. In such a case the hospital and the foundation would probably work together to meet the donor's desire.

I know this from personal experience.

Anonymous said...


23:08

One was just doing the job, the other sought the power.

I have always wondered about power - you can't eat it or drink it, you can't wear it, you can't sleep in it or spend it.

It seems to be something that some people want to or must acquire. I don't think they are any happier for having done so.

Anonymous said...


Recently at Southlake a SHOCKINGLY EXCELLENT EXPERIENCE became a SHOCKINGLY STUPID EXPERIENCE.

Some day we might learn what was really behind this, the motivation, the reason.

There's no doubt that the hospital's image has suffered in the eyes of local residents, and probably in the eyes of all those who work there, dedicated to all of us.

No one person's ego should be allowed to cause all this uproar.