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NDP Leader Liz Hanson and Health and Social Services Minister Doug Graham

Territory will need 320 new continuing care beds

Whitehorse’s new continuing care facility, slated to open in 2018, will be built in Whistle Bend as a public-private partnership.

By Christopher Reynolds on December 19, 2014

Whitehorse’s new continuing care facility, slated to open in 2018, will be built in Whistle Bend as a public-private partnership.

The Yukon government made the announcement Thursday.

The NDP questioned the project’s status as a P3 (public private partnership). The opposition also criticized it as over-centralized and lacking in public consultation.

“After considering several sites around the city, it was determined that Whistle Bend would be the most suitable location for this important new facility,” Health and Social Services Minister Doug Graham said in a release.

“We believe it will be a valuable addition to the new subdivision, in the same way that Macaulay Lodge and Copper Ridge Place have become integral parts of the Riverdale and Copper Ridge neighbourhoods.”

The 300-bed facility, announced earlier this year, comes with a price tag of $126.2 million, though that could go higher.

It will be one of the most ambitious capital works projects ever undertaken by the Yukon government.

The 59,000-sq.-metre (194,000 sq. ft.) care centre initially will house 150 beds. Upon completion, a second phase with room for 150 more beds will begin, Graham said.

The sprawling structure is eventually expected to replace the beds at the Macaulay and Thomson Centre facilities.

The government has said it will team up on the project with Partnerships BC, a private company owned by British Columbia’s Ministry of Finance with experience “building multimillion dollar-health care design-build projects,” the release stated.

“Highways and Public Works looks forward to working with Health and Social Services, as well as Partnerships BC, to build a world-class continuing care facility for Yukoners to live in comfort and safety,” said Highways and Public Works Minister Wade Istchenko.

NDP Leader Liz Hanson questioned “just assuming the private sector can do it better —that’s not been proven.

“Without any input from the public, this is the Yukon government again telling us what’s good for us,” she said in an interview Thursday. “It’s the Father Knows Best piece,” she added, referring to the 1950s TV series.

Hanson called for “clear and transparent assessment criteria” to assess P3 projects in the territory.

She also pointed to a report from Ontario’s auditor general that said public-private partnerships have cost the provincial government $8 billion.

The 595-page report, released last week, blasted the government’s use of private money to finance new hospitals and transit projects.

“There’s got to be a more in-depth conversation about reasonable public policy and the appropriate use of public funds,” Hanson said.

The president of the Canadian Medical Association said on a visit to Whitehorse last month that home care, not institutional care, is the ideal model.

Dr. Chris Simpson pointed to Europe, “where they’ve managed to deliver better quality care for cheaper.”

He highlighted Denmark, which has invested in home care at a rate five times that of Canada, as the poster child for efficient health services and adapting to the needs of an aging population.

The Copenhagen-based public health system has not added new long-term care beds in two decades, and has removed thousands of acute-care beds “simply by shifting the focus on delivering the care where seniors need it, which is in the community and in their homes,” he said.

Hanson concurred: “Our experience in talking to home care providers and with people undergoing home care is that it’s stressed.

“What you want to do is not create institutional care ... once you start institutionalizing people, all the indices of health start to deteriorate.”

Graham insisted on the need for more continuing care beds, which the Yukon Medical Association has also identified as an imminent concern.

“We recognize the pressing need for more continuing care beds. This is a need that won’t go away in the near future and we are doing everything possible to ensure that this facility is ready in a timely fashion,” Graham said.

He also announced an additional two beds were opened Thursday at Thomson Centre.

Patients will be transitioning into these beds from the adjacent Whitehorse General Hospital. Further beds may be available before the completion of the new facility, he added.

The Yukon currently has four long-term care facilities — three in Whitehorse with 182 beds and one in Dawson City with 11 beds.

Last March, more than two dozen patients were on a waiting list for continuing care in the territory.

A report from June 2013 by Kobayashi + Zedda Architects notes the Yukon will need upwards of 320 new continuing care beds by 2021.

The need to replace the 1970s-era Macaulay Lodge and the Thomson Centre – just 22 years old – will also factor into the number of new beds needed, the report notes.

During building reviews, the writing team found that Macaulay Lodge does not meet the building code for its current use.

The Riverdale facility scored under 50 per cent on the technical assessment and has a 7.5-year life expectancy.

Some suites and numerous bathrooms at the lodge are too small for a wheelchair to manoeuvre, one of several difficulties with the space.

Since the report was published, the Thomson Centre has reverted back to the Yukon Hospital Corp., no longer the responsibility of the Department of Health and Social Services’ continuing care branch.

The government-commissioned report also stresses the need for various types of care that should be incorporated into the continuing care hub.

These include respite care, specialized secure care for residents with dementia, palliative care, day care programs, stabilization and assessment facilities, facilities for obese patients and mental health facilities.

Comments (14)

Up 8 Down 0

Yukon Party, Liberals and NDP on Dec 26, 2014 at 11:01 am

Please after the holidays will all three parties provide what the are going to do to reduce management of the Yukon Government to cut red tape, reduce unnecessary management and place more money into programs not salaries of senior management?
Failing by any party to deal with this number 1 issue in the Yukon to too much management in YTG is failing the Yukon people. We are not recommending to fire anyone but put more on the ground in operational programs money. Plus there are somewhere between 50 & 60% of YTG employees retiring in the next 5 or so years. Good time to re-organize the YTG.
Starting point would be with the Public Service Commission. It is incompetent when it comes to employing and developing employees. For example: I applied for a position as senior adviser responsible for innovation and technology, the senior manager produced a covering letter that stated I applied for a senior advisers position responsible for tourism. My direct boss stated I was senior adviser for infrastructure and the Yukon Government competition file stated I was employed into a senior adviser position responsible for natural resources. As a merry Xmas on December 7, 2012 they terminated me two weeks before Xmas. It that ever nice of the Public Service Commission!

Up 12 Down 1

north_of_60 on Dec 23, 2014 at 7:03 pm

This government doesn't care about seniors in the communities. They built two useless, unneeded, poorly-designed hospitals instead.

Up 24 Down 3

Faroite on Dec 23, 2014 at 9:41 am

I am surprised at the lack of interest coming from the communities. Assisted living is non existent in most communities. Can't the pot accommodate also 4 or 5 facilities in the communities with a half dozen units for assisted living? Can't we decentralize a bit here? Why should we export our elders to Whitehorse, away from relatives, away from their support bases?

Up 22 Down 7

Groucho d'North on Dec 22, 2014 at 1:50 pm

The NDP opposition to P3s is well known. They are doing their best to keep unions in power and growing government to ridiculous levels. The private sector is all big greedy multi-nationals who are out to own everything and screw the individual citizen.
In 20 years the NDP have not changed their dogma on this matter and I doubt they will anytime soon.

Up 14 Down 9

NDP no direction for peole on Dec 22, 2014 at 9:20 am

We all like to make fun of each other and we all stand for what we believe in for what every reason. But when I see the NDP making statements that would waste millions of dollars like the NDP has done in the past, we have to stop the waste. NDP governments know how to waste money, look at Bob Ray when he was premier in Ontario.
There is no such thing as liberal or conservative any more. Look at Harper, he increased the Public Service by 34,000 people and than reduced it by 18,000. That makes no sense! Look at the Yukon Party Government, they are just about as social as the NDP. No economic development strategy by Yukon Party but spending lots on social programs, nothing in economic and some in domestic infrastructure.
The only difference is NDP wants the government to be the economy and everyone work for government.
If there was leadership that studied up and stated what they are going to do and do it people would vote for them.
None of the leaders are doing that but just acting like a group of kids in a sand box fighting instead of being leaders.
No leader is showing how the economy will be developed.
No leader has vision for a strategic plan of how the Yukon can move forward!

Infrastructure is defined in three ways, social - lots of development by government in this area but poorly structured from an elected point of view.
Economic infrastructure - no structure in place at all. As matter of fact, the structure in place does not want any industrial development and that is the Department of Economic Development that has no knowledge in economic development of infrastructure.
Domestic infrastructure includes land and housing.
Yukon Government needs experienced leadership who knows how to bring the Yukon together and move it forward period.

Up 8 Down 11

DWH on Dec 21, 2014 at 11:07 am

The protectionist argument related to access to long term care beds eg: “Yukoners first” is perhaps missing a few facts that should be considered. Firstly have you considered that those people that you would exclude or devalue have actually been paying for the majority of the facilities and overheads through transfer payments to Yukon. Thankfully we haven’t heard a lot of descent from the rest of Canadians’ about a portion of their tax dollars being spent here. Secondly it is unlikely that many seniors in Toronto or Vancouver are leaving their families and friends and everything they know and are comfortable with; just to come alone to the “far north” for health and senior care. I think it much more likely that the new generations of Yukoners are bringing their elderly parents here to assist and look after them in their senior years. Given the choice I would encourage people with those values to remain here and help build the Yukon then to be forced to leave here to fulfill their responsibilities. With this in mind I would suggest that if you are going to expend time and energy on this subject then direct it towards your elected officials, and their senior managers. Let them know what the priorities should be. I could suggest ensuring that there are affordable systems in place that provide standards of care, that support multiple levels of home care, and to ensure that there is an adequate number of beds to meet demand, would be a good place to start. What we have here is really a first world problem; it’s not that there aren’t sufficient funds; it’s that your representatives are not receiving adequate direction and feedback from the electorate to make good decisions about where to expend your tax dollars.

Up 20 Down 4

Yukon People Program Dollars been paid to management on Dec 21, 2014 at 10:37 am

People of the Yukon all three elected parties will do nothing to place the management of our public program funds in a proper position so we the people receive the programs we need. Like Dr. Storey stated we have 200 in administration and no increase in nurses beds or actual program dollars.
The Yukon Government spends 80% of the public money on salary. 70% of the senior management in the Yukon Government is not needed and their salary could go into employing more nurses and health care workers to supply home care, just one of a 100 examples. The three elected parties will not supply Yukoner's the services they need because senior management controls the Yukon Government in the following ways.
1. Senior management tell the elected officials you cannot ask any questions about operations or make any recommendations.
2. If there is issues with staff, the senior management state it is a staff issue not elected issues which in some cases is true but others it is not true. For example, if employees are not getting the proper treatment from senior management or the Yukon Employees Union where do they go?
3. Yukon government elected official have no code of ethical conduct for management in the Yukon Government so they can be held accountable in completion of their duties.
4. There is not a system in place by the elected officials to manage senior management in the Yukon Government that is reasonable or effective.
5. None of the elected officials will not deal with the major issue of not enough public money going into programs instead of management salary because the elected officials are scared of the over managed Yukon Government and the party that address the issue will lose to many votes.
6. So here you have an over managed Yukon Government controlling our elected government.
People of the Yukon what do you think of that?
Write the papers, tell your MLA's, speak up and out.
LETS MAKE THE NEXT ELECTION ABOUT HAVING MORE PROGRAM MONEY SPENT ON YUKONER'S NOT SALARY OF MANAGEMENT.

Up 16 Down 3

NDP in the 1950's on Dec 21, 2014 at 10:09 am

NDP like to refer to the 1950's for solutions but it is 2014 solutions we need. The costs of this type of health care the NDP refer to in other countries cost three time as much to provide and the care is not as good. Home care is a good idea but when people have problems functioning, home care is not an option. The individual NDP referred to from Kingston talked about people who are able to stay in their homes. NDP are mixing apples with oranges. I have worked on P3 projects and they do work but you need partners that understands how they work plus there has to be level service delivery set out before completing the partnership. This includes clearly the responsible by all parties. There is no reason or proof the same level of care people of the Yukon are receiving now will not be any different in the new center. Checking out the BC quality standards from BC people who use their facilities shows they have high quality standards of care.
Advantage of P3 are capital costs are spread from the public to the private sector. The private sector can provide service delivery with higher standards because of less red tape that public sector tends to build. Look at what Doctor Storey stated a month ago about all the administration positions and less medical positions as prime example. Too much red tape, not enough program money. Way to much high end management and not enough money going into programs like nursing beds etc.
This is why the P3 will be more cost effective at delivering high quality services. NDP or anyone else contact Eleena Marley at Ernst & Young LLP Manager, Advisory Service who has a lot of experience in P3 including in Europa where there is a lot of P3 used for projects way more experienced than Canada. She was in their Vancouver Office.
People of the Yukon are getting tried of hearing statements from all elected people who do not know what they are talking about in these types of projects. Elected officials are better off in getting some one like Eleena to say how the project can go ahead before speaking so they have an informed knowledge of the project.

Up 17 Down 3

Lost in the Yukon on Dec 21, 2014 at 7:04 am

The question is ... "why a P3?"

It may be interesting to explore the relationship between Health's fly-in Deputy Minister and Partnership BC. Was /is it the same as her's with the author of the "Plan" for reorganizing our health care services? By the way which was a cut and paste job from the one he did in Alberta for the same person. The public has no idea the chaos that is being done and once they have topped up their pension they'll be gone and we will have to live with the mess.

Up 19 Down 7

ProScience Greenie on Dec 20, 2014 at 4:05 pm

It's obvious where most of the staff will come from. After a while they'll bring over family members and we'll need more staff.
Big box stores, fast food joints and continuing care facilities - an interesting way to grow the Yukon's population and economy.

Up 26 Down 5

BnR on Dec 20, 2014 at 1:57 pm

Many younger couples have moved up here in the last 10 years, and after having kids, have encouraged parents from both sides to move up.
It used to be 3 months residency requirement to qualify for seniors housing, but now it's 1 year.
Many seniors in Canada are service shopping, and things are pretty sweet here.
But as others have mentioned, what about OUR seniors? They get put on the wait list along with newcomers from outside.
Are you listening Brad and Doug?

Up 22 Down 6

ralpH on Dec 20, 2014 at 11:28 am

@ June, You hit it right on the head. Seen it many times where I live. Also seen where, because who they are connected to jump over someone on the list to get perks such as accommodation and medical.
Time has come to anaylize when someone comes and if they have contrbuted to the Yukon. Otherwise, if they wish to settle here they pay the same as they would in their former juristiction.
You just have to look at the numbers on health, simply to see how unsustainable it has become.

Up 12 Down 5

DWH on Dec 20, 2014 at 12:47 am

A P3 partnership can at times be beneficial; normally that is for infrastructure projects. As soon as one starts to discuss health care or related topics in conjunction with profits, I as a Canadian become very uncomfortable. I can tell you from experience a P3 was not the only option for this project, and in this circumstance, likely not the best option. So why a P3 for a continuing care facility? In part fear and inexperience from YG management for a project of this type and magnitude, this in relation to the loss of experienced project management staff due to attrition, and other ongoing in-house issues. This circumstance has led them to the easy answer of including Partnerships BC. There are better options that should have been adopted. In addition a P3 provides many more opportunities for financial flexibility when tendering projects, as well as for Board or other paid positions being given without regular oversight to party supporters and to (retired) politicians. Given what we know of the performance in preceding years of our elected officials, it would be ignorant to believe this isn't a consideration of those planning, budgeting and authorizing a project on this scale. So the reality is there will be a cost, both Capital and O&M which very well will be unnecessarily inflated. Here’s the thing; what you think today, and what you do about it, will determine in the future how many hours you, or a loved one, will sit lonely and thirsty unattended in a dirty Depends diaper.
If you haven’t had the opportunity or pleasure of visiting Copper Ridge Place you should. But do not be fooled by the level of care provided to the residents there. It is not comparable to what you will find province by province, across the country. The level of care and consideration provided to each individual resident at Copper Ridge is just what you would expect and hope for, for a loved one. The changes that are coming to Yukon if left unchecked; will put us more in-line with other provinces, BC in particular. The question is: do you want to go visit a friend or loved one with the stink of feces in the air, and sit down across from them un-washed, half dressed, and hungry with a plateful of cold untouched food in front of them. That is the future if you don’t do the right thing. Please think hard about this government, the next election and party lines vs. your families and friends futures.

Up 33 Down 13

June Jackson on Dec 19, 2014 at 4:21 pm

People must just be pouring into the territory for our senior benefits and good welfare handouts. They sure aren't coming for the weather and housing.
I'd like to know where the 1,000 employee's needed to staff this building are going to come from, and even if the government did find 1,000. Southerner's are not going to pay the asking prices for homes and rentals here. Most of us here are stuck here, this IS home.. but these southerner's and easterners.. have a home to go back to.

Buckways White Elephant.. Whistle Bend.. has been a bad, bad idea from the get go. Perhaps the patients who inhabit this facility will be so sick they won't be able to smell it.. There are times in the summer that place really stinks.

We probably need a facility, but, I'm thinking 300 beds is pretty ambitious.

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