New announcement: VAC Stakeholders

Stakeholders. Lordy, lot of yipping about stakeholders now that victory is within grasp and most, if not all, have now embraced the mandate letter.

I have no idea what the criteria the new government has set reference Stake holder "summit" invitations or involvement on the six advisory groups struck. The CVA were invited by the Conservative government 5 years ago, to date., there has been no change to the status quo other than increased involvement in advisory group activity.

I do not know about many of the "newbies", there are over thirty organizations now, charities, for profit, some that are obscure. I know that we fought for inclusion, held a D Day "vigil" to remind them of their promises and the consequences of failure.

We held frank, yet always respectful discussions with the minister during budget week, the Sacred Obligation principles were once again clearly refined, particularly in reference to the promised return to the Pension Act and equality between ELB and SISIP. Hehr told me that the CVA was being invited to hold HIM to account, to ensure the promises made to veterans were fulfilled with in the mandate, which he promised to do.

I have accepted.

I fully plan on holding them to account.

I do not what the new government's criteria is in reference to the others or their motives. As you know, the Liberal promises closely resemble the CVA Harmonization plan, this is not random. We are non partisan, and after securing the NDP's support, worked the liberals damn hard, pre-Trudeau and after, seeking a harmonized return to the pension act with a plan that respects the needs of those who served in war and the older generation, many who would prefer an LSA.

Promises have been made. The CVA has been invited to some of these advisory groups and "summit" to ensure these promises are kept and provide assistance at the group level to create proposals that are truly reflective of the mandate letter and the opportunity to collectively redress the major issues.

The bump to the LSA has concerned many veterans who wish to return to the pension Act, I have been asked a hundred times if not more why would the government bump up the LSA if they are planning on returning to the Pension Act?

Of course, I do not know but were I to speculate I could think of some reasons off hand. The legion and those composing the stakeholders group rallied behind a similar number and were actively promoting during the past couple of years. They would use the tort law as justification, which bring up a second likely reason, the Equitas lawsuit and the legal reference to subparity to average tort law (negligence at the work site). Perhaps it was to provide inclusion for all who were affected by the NVC LSA; the Critical Injury Benefit was very selective, while it might have applied and satisfied the Equitas litigants injuries, restrictive criteria ensured it did not apply equally to all veterans as will the increase once it passes through legislation.

I would also note, for what it is worth to you -Im not going to argue with the anti-liberal quotient- , the mandate is clear on providing a choice between the Pension act and the LSA, with an increase to the LSA. I do not know if the 360 threshold is far as they are prepared to go, whether we can get it higher during the ongoing discussions, but I do know that the Pension Act is in the mandate letter, their is unity with every stakeholder i have spoken to re pension act return and if the government is sincere, proposals will be presented prior to the next budget that will continue to address the issues many of us have been fighting for, or suffering through, these past many years.

FYI. There were over thirty organizations present at the summit last December, I read something the other day that might indicate the "summit" number will be expanded significantly.

I would encourage you to get engaged. While things are progressing according to my expectations (it has been six months- six of the fifteen mandate letter promises are already going through parliament) there is still the need to apply pressure through the base.

Stay focused on the mandate letter and the choice of returning to the Pension Act. This is new territory for some orgs, the mandate letter has circumvented their galvanization agenda. If you want your voice heard, do something about it!

Reach out.

Start speaking out not on facebook or these never ending email chains but where it will make a difference. If nothing else, write some emails to the PM, Ministers, parl secretary, use your membership with any organization to your advantage, send an email to their national presidents encouraging them to rally formally in favour of the Pension Act promises and other important issues identified in the mandate letter.

New Initiative to Consult with Veterans Stakeholders - Advisory groups to improve transparency and engage with Veterans

OTTAWA, April 15, 2016 /CNW/ - The Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, today announced a new initiative to broaden engagement with stakeholders. Six ministerial advisory groups are being put in place as part of his commitment to improve transparency and support consultation to address important Veterans' issues.

The six advisory groups will focus on policy, service excellence, mental health, families, care and support and commemoration. Each group will be comprised of up to twelve members, and participants will appoint a chair from their membership. A senior departmental official will also be selected to co-chair each group and a representative of the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman will be invited to attend the meetings as an observer. Current members' names will be updated as the advisory groups are established and their membership confirmed.

The overall goal is to engage with stakeholders, work toward common goals and seek advice and input on new and existing initiatives to support Veterans. The six advisory groups will help inform policy and program development as well as service delivery at Veterans Affairs Canada. This will ensure all areas reflect the changing needs of Veterans and their families. Records of discussion of these meetings will also be posted as they become available.

A Ministerial stakeholder summit with broader representation is planned for May 9-10, 2016, in Ottawa. The summit will provide an opportunity to collaborate, share views and gather information on topics that are important to Veterans and their families. This is a follow-up to the December 2015 Stakeholder Summit whose record of discussion is posted online.

Quick Facts

Advisory groups provide an opportunity for early and ongoing dialogue with stakeholders and serve as a sounding board for the development of Veterans Affairs Canada's policies, programs and services.
Advisory group members are selected in consultation with stakeholder groups and based on their interests and involvement within the Veteran community. Membership of these groups is still being finalized and will be made public once confirmed.
Veterans Affairs Canada will continue to listen to all interested and engaged stakeholders regardless of their involvement in any of these groups.
Stakeholder Summits are large, in-person events to discuss stakeholder priorities. Representatives from nearly 30 stakeholder groups attended the last Stakeholder Summit on December 2, 2015.

Quotes

"Through our new initiative, I want to create a space and forum for stakeholders to give me their advice and suggestions. It is not our position to tell Veterans and their families what they need—we want to hear from them. Our new strategy, including the six advisory groups, will help us build stronger relationships with Veterans and the organizations that represent them."
The Honourable Kent Hehr, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister for National Defence

To unsubscribe from these announcements, login to the forum and uncheck "Receive forum announcements and important notifications by email." in your profile.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:
http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php?topic=15852.0

Regards,
The The Canadian Veterans Advocacy - One Veteran, One Standard Team.

New announcement: Rude Awakening: The Government's Secret War Against Canada's Veterans

Rude Awakening: The Government's Secret War Against Canada's Veterans [Kindle Edition]

Following a military career of over thirty years, which includes deployments to Bosnia and Afghanistan, Colonel Pat Stogran becomes Canada's first Veterans Ombudsman. The new Office of the Veterans Ombudsman is intended to be a symbol of Canada's commitment to the members and veterans of the Canadian Forces, who accept unlimited liability in the service of our country and often make traumatic, life-altering sacrifices. Colonel Stogran is proud to take the assignment, seeing it as an opportunity to give back to all those who serve. But in the next three years, as he encounters nothing but intransigence and malfeasance in the hallowed halls of government, he undergoes a rude awakening to the cesspool of callousness, deceit, and neglect that is the Government of Canada's response to the needs of its veterans. Stogran's exposure to the real Government of Canada, which is hidden from the view of mainstream Canadians, reveals that it is nothing like the myth that has been built up around it as a caring and committed model for the rest of the world. It is an experience he describes as more traumatic than the years he spent in war zones, and it will cause him to question what it really means to be a Canadian. Part shocking exposé, part dire and urgent warning, Rude Awakening reveals a culture of government that victimizes our veterans and could also very well threaten the quality of life we all enjoy as Canadians.

http://www.amazon.ca/Rude-Awakening-Governments-Against-Veterans-ebook/dp/B019PIKNTK

To unsubscribe from these announcements, login to the forum and uncheck "Receive forum announcements and important notifications by email." in your profile.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:
http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php?topic=15849.0

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: Matthew Fisher: As ‘go-to guy’ in Kandahar, new defence minister won respect of

Matthew Fisher: As 'go-to guy' in Kandahar, new defence minister won respect of senior officers

Check the link for videos: http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blog.html?b=news.nationalpost.com%2F%2Ffull-comment%2Fmatthew-fisher-as-go-to-guy-in-kandahar-new-defence-minister-won-respect-of-senior-officers

Matthew Fisher
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015

Brig.Gen. Jon Vance, right, speaks with Lt.-Col. Harjit Singh Sajjan in Kandahar City in 2008. Matthew Fisher/National Post

ROTA, Spain — Seven years ago, then Brig.-Gen. Jon Vance sought out Lt.-Col. Harjit Sajjan's crucial advice on whom to trust and whom to stay away from in the political and very real minefield that was Kandahar.

In a totally unexpected turn of events, it is now Gen. Vance, as Canada's top soldier, who will provide advice to Sajjan, who was named Wednesday as Canada's new minister of national defence.

They won't have to wait long to renew their relationship: The Canadian Forces are already spooling up to provide support for the new government's plan to quickly bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to Canada, a mission that has tentatively been given the working name of Operation Provision.

I was with a group of senior officers and NCOs on a NATO exercise in Europe as they listened intently on an Internet

link as the names of the new cabinet ministers were being read out in Ottawa. When Sajjan and his portfolio were announced there were hoots of amazement followed by immediate congratulations for a soldier turned politician that many of them knew and held in high regard.

Operating in the background in Kandahar City and even more dangerous places such as Zahri and the Horn of Panjwaii, Sajjan created a complex, proprietary chart that soldiers with Task Force Kandahar likened to "a spider web" because it identified and provided links between enemies, neutrals and those that Canadian and U.S. forces could safely work with. In so doing he worked closely with some of the most malignant and corrupt political leaders in Kandahar.

Sajjan collated such vital information for Jon Vance during his first tour as commander in Kandahar in 2008, as he had for then Brig.-Gen David Fraser in 2006. Sajjan did so a third time for then Brig.-Gen. Dean Milner when Milner led Task Force Kandahar in 2010-2011 as well as for U.S. Army Maj.-Gen. James Terry of the 10th Mountain Division, who commanded RC South for ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) at the time.

"Harj was the key. He developed a detailed, sophisticated understanding of the tribal and political dynamics," said Milner, who is now a major-general running the 1st Canadian Division.

"He (Sajjan) was very much right. Because of that he was our 'go-to guy.' He was a serious soldier but one you could also shoot the breeze with."

I came to know Sajjan during his tours with both Vance and Milner. We rode together in the back of cramped, unmercifully hot armoured vehicles as we navigated mine-infested highways and dirt tracks to meet with Kandahar's leaders — including ruthless, unpredictable war lords whose tentacles of influence reached into everything.

Sajjan spoke at length during the many stops that were part of those long, perilous journeys about how being from India and speaking Punjabi helped him to understand the Afghan culture and to communicate with locals who had learned similar languages while in refugee camps in Pakistan. Being a cop on some of Vancouver's toughest beats had, he said, given him insights into the pervasive quasi-criminal mindset that dominated much of Kandahar's leadership.

A former commander of the British Columbia Regiment, Sajjan discussed how his Sikh faith was one of his anchors and how proud he was that the Canadian Forces allowed Sikhs, who come from a long warrior tradition, to wear turbans as part of their uniforms while many other western armies did not.

"Harj kept coming back to Kandahar because he was the one who could reach out for us there," said Howard Coombs, a professor at Royal Military College who was Milner's civilian adviser in Kandahar. "He was not loath to establish first hand contact because he understood that that was the way to understand the nuances of the culture.

"I really respect him because he is intellectually agile. He impressed me more than others because he could adapt to a changing environment, with dissimilar cultures, roll with it and figure out ways to solve problems. He was real value-added."

When I spoke with Sajjan after he announced his candidacy for the Liberals in Vancouver South earlier this year, he modestly scoffed at my suggestion that he might soon become defence minister. In an email to me after winning his riding two weeks ago, he wrote that he was looking forward to reviewing the files on ISIL and Syria, among others.

But he gave no hint that he was being considered as minister of national defence, let alone that he might be immediately thrown this week into intensive planning with his old boss.

"I believe that the positive relationships that people establish in hazardous place such as Afghanistan bode well later on," Coombs said. "In this case it signifies something positive for defence that the minister and the commander of the Canadian Forces deployed together, worked well together and are back together again."

National Post

To unsubscribe from these announcements, login to the forum and uncheck "Receive forum announcements and important notifications by email." in your profile.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:
http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php?topic=15838.0

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: STE. ANNE'S HOSPITAL STANDARDS....DEFINITION, ETC

-----Original Message-----
From: Wolf Solkin [xxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: November-03-15 7:53 PM
To: Walter Natynczyk
Subject: Re: STE. ANNE'S HOSPITAL STANDARDS....DEFINITION, ETC.

Dear General.....many thanks for your prompt and detailed reply. I was, as is evident,, unaware of the situations you described, and I am, accordingly, encouraged by it, especially if those other facilities are housed within a single structure , such as Ste. Anne's.

And yes, I would appreciate your having someone knowledgeable from VAC contact me re any further information not addressed in this regard....that should also serve to get me out of your hair, at least for the nonce.

Respectfully,

Wolf.

Sent from my iPad

> On Nov 3, 2015, at 4:46 PM, Walter Natynczyk <Walter.Natynczykxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Wolf, thanks for your note and I can appreciate your concerns.
>
> The two-tier long-term care standards are in operation in all of the transferred hospitals that are currently being administered by the respective provinces.
>
> I have visited Perry Rideau, Sunnybrook, Deer Lodge in Winnipeg and the Broadmead Lodge in Victoria. In many of the facilities we support (and there are a total of 1500 care facilities coast to coast) we have a mix of your level of care and a community standard of care.
>
> If you wish, I will have someone from the Department give you an overview of the care support and answer any additional questions you may have.
>
> Respectfully,
>
> WJN
>
>
>
>>>> Wolf Solkin <xxxxxxxxxx> 03/11/2015 3:50:44 PM >>>
> Dear General: the closer we get to April 1st, 2016, the more essential it is to be fully informed and properly prepared for that which is about to befall us immediately thereafter.
>
> The core issue underlying VAC's various post-transfer assurances, is
> that of maintaining the present high standards of treatment and care of the Veterans at Ste. Anne's Hospital,without diminution, disruption or degradation; and the tactic tailored to uphold that immutable condition is to be the proposed "two- tier" system of operation.
>
> The primary purpose of this letter is to ascertain whether there exists any established, agreed definition /description/delineation of such a set of standards, so as to render it possible to unambiguously discern and decide whether they are being respected or rejected. And, should that not be the case, to urgently request that such a document be quickly , yet thoroughly , prepared and promptly promulgated.
>
> I refer, as exemplars, to such issues as number and classifications of staff (i.e., doctors/nurses/orderlies) per number of patients, and on each shift (day, evening, night); number of baths/per patient/per week; excluded medications, if any; number of masso-therapy, foot care, zoo-therapy and various other special treatment sessions allowed per annum; time lapse allowed for replacement of eyeglasses, dentures, hearing aids and batteries; any limitations on physiotherapy, ergo therapy sessions; and so on, down a very long list of like elements.
>
> Without any definitive description and clarification of the otherwise very vague reference to "existing standards of care", the acutely necessary monitoring of the day-to-day operation of the Quebec-controlled treatment of Canada's vanishing Veterans at Ste. Anne's, will be both mute and moot, as will indubitably be any effort to implement the touted two-tiered concept, which appears to be at the very root of VAC's projected program for those Veterans still living out their declining days at Ste. Anne's.
>
> And, of course, this path of inquiry inevitably leads to my repetitive queries about the pertinence and effectiveness of VAC's projected "oversight" mechanism; representation from within the pertinent patient population; and assignment of a qualified VAC ombudsman, in situ.
>
> But all else must first emanate, ab initio, from a clear-cut depiction of every one of the major designated specific standards of service and care, which are here at stake.
>
> I would deeply appreciate the courtesy of your helpful reply.
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Wolf William Solkin.
>
>
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPad

To unsubscribe from these announcements, login to the forum and uncheck "Receive forum announcements and important notifications by email." in your profile.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:
http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php?topic=15835.0

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: Hiring veterans not a priority for O’Toole

Hiring veterans not a priority for O'Toole

In the first six months of 2015, which corresponded to O'Toole's inaugural tenure, the Public Service Commission reports that he oversaw the priority hiring of zero medically released veterans. Since 2010, Veterans Affairs Canada has priority hired only six veterans, two of whom were hired by the Veterans' Ombudsman.

By SEAN BRUYEA |
Published: Monday, 10/12/2015 12:00 am EDT
Last Updated: Tuesday, 10/13/2015 1:01 pm EDT

OTTAWA—For the first time in eight decades, issues affecting Canada's military veterans issues are featured prominently in an election.

With so much at stake, why would government yet again mess up another issue with veterans: priority hiring into the federal public service? Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O'Toole, in another installment of government hype on the treatment of veterans, provided this statement during the July 2015 changes to priority hire veterans: "The Government of Canada is keeping its commitment to help military veterans thrive while making the transition to civilian life."

Prior to these changes, only medically-released members could have one chance to be priority hired. Serving members weren't allowed to access internal competitions, representing 88 per cent of public service job openings. Changes now allow Canadian Forces members to access internal competitions but with no priority placement. Non-medically released veterans can have priority accessing only external jobs, representing the remaining 12 per cent of competitions. After World War II, all overseas veterans received preference in all competitions, the injured having the highest preference, no time limits, and multiple attempts.

Time will tell if priority-hiring amendments are working, but are the minister, his department, and the rest of the civil service helping veterans "thrive"? In the first six months of 2015, which corresponded to O'Toole's inaugural tenure, the Public Service Commission reports that he oversaw the priority hiring of zero medically released veterans. Since 2010, Veterans Affairs (VAC) has priority hired only six veterans, two of whom were hired by the Veterans' Ombudsman.

O'Toole isn't the only veteran in the upper ranks of Veterans Affairs. Former top general, Walter Natynczyk was appointed deputy minister in November 2014. These two individuals are the two most powerful individuals in VAC and arguably the most influential veterans inside government. They aren't the only ones piling on endless platitudes but why the gaping chasm between media talking points and dawdling?

The current government has manifestly professed its commitment to veterans while demonstrating an iron grip on the public service. Yet, in the first six months of 2015, the entire 250,000 strong federal civil service could only priority hire 21 veterans.

In the past five years, 6,162 CF members have received medical releases out of a total of 24,000 releases. Troublingly, the public service has engaged only 446 veterans, or less than 7.2 per cent, of medical releases for those years, (veterans released other years would have also qualified further lowering the per cent).

Of the approximately 3,500 employees at VAC, only 97, or 2.7 per cent, are veterans, eleven of whom work in the Ombudsman's Office. Most of these were not priority hires. A cornerstone commitment accompanying the controversial veterans' benefits known as the New Veterans Charter was priority hiring. In the nine years since its enactment under the Conservative government, Veterans Affairs Canada has made just 25 veteran priority hires. Correctional Services, Public Works, Employment and Social Development, as well as Fisheries and Oceans, all priority-hired more veterans than the department legally mandated to "care" for and "re-establish" veterans.

National Defence has better fulfilled an obligation to veterans with 838 veteran priority hires, 71 per cent of the total. But the booby prize goes to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB). With more than 100 employees and a perennial insensitivity to veterans, this agency priority hired just one veteran in 11 years. This must be what the public service wants because the chief bureaucrat during this time, Dale Sharkey, was last month awarded the Public Service Award of Excellence. Her nominator: VRAB's director of communication. Back patting and rhetoric over substance.

Does all this mean the public service discriminates against veterans? Some veterans employed in the public service have made this allegation. Perhaps the greatest barrier is the public service culture. As the auditor general and DND have noted, hiring an individual can take 10 months while their application meanders through bureaucratic obstacles. When Canadian Forces members are ordered overseas at 48 hours' notice to potentially lose their lives, government's dull-witted response when the uniform comes off is a distant cry from the caring and dignity this government keeps telling veterans they deserve.

One astute committee member noted during hearings on the changes to the priority hiring bill: "why aren't we thinking outside of the box in which we tend to think right now?"

Enlightenment, compassion, and innovation appear anathema to the senior public service. There are time limits for the priority hiring window. Yet, for disabled veterans, the only expiry date on their disability is death. For spouses, if a veteran is too ill to work, she is barred from priority hiring.

More than 70 per cent of the priority placements are in clerical positions. For some, worthy jobs, but O'Toole tells us our veterans have a wide-ranging skill set. In fact, there is no unique veteran specific follow-up to ensure that veterans are not frustrated, bored, undervalued, under-performing or suffering discrimination in a public service culture, which is widely divergent from that of the military.

When Canadians join the military, they are constantly trained, taught, and transitioned into responsibility with some of the best mentoring management culture in the public or private sector. There is no gradual transition into a new public service job for the few accepted. All applicants must satisfy narrow criteria that either discourage or disqualify anyone outside the public service. Bureaucratic culture has a difficult time translating private sector skills to a public service context. No wonder almost all departments, except DND, have been unable to translate military skills sufficiently to substantively employ large numbers of veterans.

Neither are disabled veterans supported to take on partial workweeks to adapt their limitations to new employment. Anecdotally, veterans are too frequently unable to make the transition from disability to 100 per cent work schedule in an unfamiliar work environment.

But we really don't know because we don't care enough about our veterans to do any meaningful follow-up let alone provide urgently required coaching. And our veterans need a helping hand. Fully 60 per cent of recent releases have 20 years or less military service with 38 per cent having five years or less. They want a job and their skills are a must-have for a stagnant public service.

For veterans who are sloughed off onto civilian not-for-profits, we have no idea how they are doing because there is no accountable follow-up. Washing hands of veterans by the government to outside agencies has taken on a mean, hot-potato streak in the last decade.

Let's put this all in perspective. In the six years after World War II, Canada's federal civil service hired more than 130,000 veterans. By 1951, Veterans Affairs had 14,000 employees; almost 9,500, including more than 95 per cent of senior managers, were veterans. For all veterans in any employment, particularly the disabled, personalized follow-up was part of the package. Case managers met with veterans and employers on a regular basis to help 'translate' the military skill set and working limitations of veterans into civilian context.

"Walt" Natynczyk provided the following in a scripted news release: "Those who wear the uniform of the Canadian Armed Forces serve Canada with loyalty, pride, and a commitment to excellence." Each military member does this for each and every Canadian at the orders of the Government of Canada. Canadians have increasingly appreciated this reality of late.

Discouragingly, government is far too mired in political self-interest, advised by the parochial and initiative-paralyzed bureaucracy to tangibly return the commitment in kind to our veterans and their families. Are veterans 'thriving' O'Toole? The best many veterans have been able to achieve, if they aren't committing suicide, is to merely survive.

Sean Bruyea, vice-president of Canadians for Accountability, is a retired Air Force intelligence officer and a frequent commentator on government, military, and veterans' issues.

news@hilltimes.com

The Hill Times

To unsubscribe from these announcements, login to the forum and uncheck "Receive forum announcements and important notifications by email." in your profile.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:
http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php?topic=15831.0

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: ONE VETERAN'S VOICE STE. ANNE'S HOSPITAL SERVICE STANDARDS START SLIDING DOWN SL

ONE VETERAN'S VOICE by Wolf William Solkin

"S.......O......S"

"STE. ANNE'S HOSPITAL SERVICE STANDARDS START SLIDING DOWN SLIPPERY SLOPE"

Not too many moons ago, this old Algonquin Regiment "brave" sent up a smoke - signal that spelled out what I personally knew about the commendable conditions and standards of care THEN extant under Veterans Affairs Canada at my current billet, Ste. Anne's (Veterans) Hospital . In that opinion piece, I contrasted the present positive performance with my fearful forecast and core conviction that, no sooner will Ste. Anne's fall from grace at VAC by being transferred (kicking and screaming all the way) into what I see as the quagmire of Quebec's unhealthy Health Dep't., then all bets are off, and we will become orphans in the storm of poorer provincial protocols and crass cost-cutting, courtesy of "Bully-Boy" Barrette and his bunch of benighted bureaucrats and political pals.

That column was titled "TODAY AND TOMORROW(?)", and it was my (naive) assumption that the egregious era of "TOMORROW" would be yet a while before making its foreboding appearance on the scene....certainly not before the "Transfer Tremors" takeover.. Not so, I regret to remark upon and report !
Even now, the portentous cracks in the very foundation of Ste. Anne's unique culture of care and concern are visibly spreading, and showing , on the surface, what further fissures lie below, awaiting their turn and time of eruption.

At this juncture, I refer particularly to the employee/staff situation which , like the recent stock market behaviour, has taken a sudden downturn in the quantity and quality of its customary "blue chip" elements. Those "securities", in our case, are the knowledgeable nurses and the extraordinary orderlies who attend to us 24/7.....at least, what remains of them, after the many early retirements, resignations and other ship-jumpings that have already taken place , due to rampant job insecurity and general frustration with the administration's misbegotten modus operandi.

Of late there has been a spate of sudden and/or lengthy absenteeism on the part of an unacceptable number of essential employees, frequently leaving the shift staff seriously short-handed, and, by the same token, leaving us Vets in the uncertain and spotty care of far less experienced (and betimes strictly unilingual ) "newbies"*** ; retirees pressed into service long after their shelf life has expired, or, even less desirable, simply no replacements whatsoever, causing standards to be sacrificed on the altar of austerity, or perhaps even that of insouciance, while "marching in place" and marking time until the problem falls within the province of the Province.

I have just been informed that the main reason for deliberately calling in "newbies" to fill staff shortages , rather than experienced and available "veteran" employees, appears to be that the latter must be paid at a higher rate than the former, thus helping "Management" to show a better "bottom line"! All at the expense (no pun intended) of the pre-existing higher standards of care...yet another step down that slippery slope which endangers Ste. Anne's erstwhile reputation for its stellar services to Canadian Veterans.


While some absences may be lscheduled vacations or days off, more and more seem attributable to other causes. Overwork has caused some blazing burn outs, resulting in prolonged medical leave; and what has previously been the familiar "Friday Flu", that now ubiquitous virus seems to have significantly spread not only into Saturdays and Sundays, but is wending its way into weekdays as well.

The consequences are as self- evident as they are unavoidable, especially due to the seeming regrettable rush to cut costs, no matter the cost. The current consensus /'vox populi' is that employee morale is sliding downhill on a slippery slope, with diminished standards of care as the booby-prize at the bottom. The reliable staff members that still show up as scheduled are often requested/entreated/pressured into "doing a double" (shift), often until they are too tired to stand on their feet; orderlies and nurses are switched from floor to floor, or even wing to wing, at will and without notice; muted mutterings have replaced happy 'hellos', and every exhausted employee seems to be bearing the burden of two, as they breathlessly hurry hither and thither to try to properly attend to the needs of their above normal assignment/quota of patients in a timely fashion, while still attempting to maintain their usual high levels of care and attention.....for the most part, like Sisyphus, facing an ever-impossible mountain to climb.

Moreover, these staff shortages can cause delays in meals and other essential services which, in turn, create a domino effect whereby previously tightly scheduled appointments with clinicians such as physio and/or occupational therapists, as well as with a wide variety of visiting medical specialists, must, of necessity, be rapidly rescheduled or, as is too often the case, postponed for a prolonged period of time....hardly a desirable outcome, nor is it, in the slightest, up to Ste. Anne's standard "standards of care".

Again, due to staff shortages, some patients have even had to miss their once-weekly(!) bath on more than one occasion, which is totally unacceptable, and an augury contrary to the oft-repeated and avowed /proclaimed VAC pledge that the vaunted high standards of care at Ste. Anne's will never be reduced Don't get me wrong....if one has to reside in a long-term care facility, this is still a darn good place to be....but it is definitely becoming less so with each passing day, as it anxiously awaits the provincially-suspended Sword of Damocles to plunge into its very essence.

I say, enough of the present on-site administration fantasizing that all is 'tickety -boo', and 'business as usual' is ongoing until the onset of Nirvana, in the form of their vision of a seamless transfer/transition which they trumpet will yet occur. God may be in his heaven, but all's not well with the world of Ste. Anne's. Hypothetically, it would be ideal if someone with some savvy from VAC's HQ could come here and just mingle and talk with a random sampling of the floor nurses, orderlies and patients, to determine whether or not I'm babbling through my beret. If my observations and evaluation of this incipient situation prove to be correct, then concrete corrective measures should/must be implemented immediately, from the top down, before the proverbial fan gets hit too hard.

On second thought, the above suggestion would be impossible to act upon, as the floor staff have been instructed, in no uncertain terms, that it is forbidden for them to speak to patients about anything pertaining to the hospital, other than matters related to their immediate duties at hand, under penalty of serious consequences. In effect, if they rock the boat, they risk being made to "walk the plank". And as for speaking out to "outsiders"... why, that would be courting a veritable court martial !

We Veterans will undoubtedly lose a lot of things on a number of fronts during and due to the transfer troubles that we will soon be facing. Notwithstanding, the one element that must be protected and preserved above all else, and is germane to our sense of security and satisfaction which comprises the essential aspect of our life at Ste. Anne's, is the culture of peerless care combined with the wonderful work ethic which has hitherto permeated the rank-and-file personnel. The SAH patients and floor staff have for decades enjoyed a mutualistic/symbiotic relationship , which should be permitted and encouraged to flourish undiminished and undamaged, without fear or favour.

That is what we Vets were promised. That is what we Vets deserve. That is what we Vets expect.

What was once a warm and welcoming work place is fast becoming one of conflicts and complaints, and this inevitably shows up in the reduced degree of care and time allotted, plus unraveling of reciprocal relationships, all contra-indicated for the patients' well-being. And all this starting to simmer this summer, long before the actual transfer is even consummated !

I lay no blame whatsoever on the employees. The fault lies in their confounded confusion and uncertainty about what they do not yet know about their future, coupled with their basic distrust and discontentment with what little they do know of that which lies ahead.

Just reading my diatribes and nodding your concurrence to yourself as you nod off, won't accomplish diddly squat, unless YOU write a letter, make a call, or send an email to the person whom YOU are personally paying to represent YOU as your Member of Parliament , and instruct him/her to respond to (y)our "S O S" ........."SAVE OUR. STAFF" !!!

And please, Lest We Forget......
LEAVE NO VET BEHIND !
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Wolf William Solkin.

To unsubscribe from these announcements, login to the forum and uncheck "Receive forum announcements and important notifications by email." in your profile.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:
http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php?topic=15829.0

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.

New announcement: BBCanada.com is pleased to be participating in B&Bs for Vets

BBCanada.com is pleased to be participating in B&Bs for Vets, a Canadian tribute to our veterans and military personnel. First developed in the USA in 2008, this promotion has grown throughout North American B&Bs and Inns offering FREE rooms to commemorate Veteran's Day / Remembrance Day in 2015.

Canadian B&Bs will be offering the night of November 10 or November 11, 2015 FREE or discounted to a veteran or a member of the military as listed below. Please contact the B&B operator directly to book your stay by e-mail or telephone as online reservations are not applicable. Proper identification is required and a charge card number may be required in order to reserve a room. Participating B&B for 2015 are added daily and some B&Bs will offer year round vets specials through the Canadian Forces Appreciation Program.

On behalf of BBCanada.com and all its members we would like to thank our veterans and military personnel for their commitment to our country. Please enjoy a night in a B&B - It's always better the B&B way! Listed below are the 2015 participating B&Bs and Inns.


http://www.bbcanada.com/bbforvets

To unsubscribe from these announcements, login to the forum and uncheck "Receive forum announcements and important notifications by email." in your profile.

You can view the full announcement by following this link:
http://canadianveteransadvocacy.com/Board2/index.php?topic=15827.0

Regards,
The Canadian Veterans Advocacy Team.