Report released on administrative concerns within Central Health

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Citizens’ Representative Barry Fleming says it's now time for Central Health to take serious action to correct numerous issues involving administration.

The Office of the Citizens’ Representative (OCR) started an investigation on Dec. 13, 2017, after it had been contacted by several physicians claiming unfair action by Central Health relating to numerous administrative matters.

A 31-page report on the investigation was made public on Thursday, March 7.

“This is one of a series of reports touching on relationships, leaderships, governance, and clinical management at Central Health. We hope the time for investigation is over,” Fleming said in a news release.

The OCR's report made two recommendations, one suggesting Central Health write an apology to a radiologist for using the credentialing process for an improper purpose and another advising the health authority to amend its medical staff bylaws to be more precise around the issues of conflict of interest and apprehension of bias by everyone who takes part in any credentialing or disciplinary processes.

Health and Community Services Minister John Haggie commissioned an external investigation of Central Health by Dr. Peter Vaughan, a former deputy minister of health in Nova Scotia, on Feb. 6, 2018. The OCR suspended its investigation until Vaughan’s report was released in May of that year, starting it up again at that point.

The full report can be found at www.citizensrep.nl.ca/pdfs/PIDCentralHealthReportMarch7-19.pdf.

The Central Voice is working on more reaction to this story.

Seven administration matters investigated by the OCR

- The bylaws and the CEO’s mandate to appoint and reappoint members to the medical staff and grant privileges.

- The possible use of credentialing processes as a method of discipline.

- Doctors being personally involved in the evaluation and/or credentialing processes of a radiologist, when an apprehension of bias may exist.

- Alleged failure to implement a change management strategy in relation to the regionalization of diagnostic imaging services.

- Heightened use of locum physicians for diagnostic imaging at Gander.

- Some physician(s) in the diagnostic imaging group at Central Health are not certified by the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (“RCPC”)

- The implementation of recommendations contained in a report on diagnostic imagery at Central Health issued in September, 2015.