South Coast Today - LEO GLAVINE

Province lagging on sexual assault assistance programs, says d'Entremont

Timothy Gillespie — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 15:17:40 +0000

In a news release Thursday, Argyle-Barrington MLA and PC Health critic Chris d’Entremont d’Entremont called on Health minister Leo Glavine to deliver on the governments promises to provide funding for sexual assault support services in Southwestern Nova Scotia. Saying that sexual assault survivors still waiting for nurse examiner program in Southwest Nova, the release said that the Liberal government announced program would be in place by late 2015

d’Entremont says he wants to know why the McNeil Liberals are "making sexual assault survivors wait for important services they’ve been promised."

In May, says the release, the Liberal government announced that the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) Program would be up and running in Sydney and Southwestern Nova Scotia by late 2015, but that there is still no indication that there is any plan to move this vital service forward.

“Some of the most vulnerable Nova Scotians and their families were promised that help is on the way,” says d’Entremont. “Instead, they’ve been left with broken promises and unanswered questions. How can they trust the Liberals to ever keep their word?”

On Feb. 29, the CBC reported that the Nova Scotia Health Authority and Department of Health and Wellness have “neither specific plans nor recommendations in place” to expand sexual assault nursing services to the Southwestern region of the province.

“Minister Glavine announced back in May that this would happen in late 2015, but his own department doesn’t have a plan,” says d’Entremont. “He has to answer for these delays and tell the people of Southwestern Nova Scotia when they can expect this much-needed service.”

The release asserts that a family doctor from Kentville attended training with a SANE nurse and indicated the lack of these services could cause “retraumatization to an already traumatized patient”.

d’Entremont says sexual violence against anyone must always be condemned, but if it happens, there should be proper supports in place to help people.

A SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) team is made up of nurses who are specially trained to respond to victims of sexual assault, including proper completion of rape kits. SANE services also store the results of that forensic examination until a victim feels ready to file a statement.

Bernadette MacDonald of Yarmouth's Tri-County Women's Centre told CBC the delay is "frustrating."

"You really need the funding in order to ensure that the service is there on a 24/7 level," she said.

"To give that statement right away can be very difficult. So that SANE program provides that option. Victims have more choice when they're dealing with a sexual violation," MacDonald said.

The Tri-County Women's Centre is an organization that could be chosen to administer the program in southern Nova Scotia.

“When people come forward they should not be further traumatized,” says d’Entremont. “Back in March 2015, Minister Glavine said waiting for rape kits was “absolutely unacceptable” and promised to get SANE service in this part of the province. It’s unacceptable to promise a vital service for sexual assault survivors and then fail to deliver.”

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Another Roseway ER closure

Timothy Gillespie — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 19:50:02 +0000

2017 date set for new medical centre
New Health Authority causing rural communities to suffer?

The Nova Scotia Health Authority announced yet another closure at Roseway Emergency Department in Shelburne from Thursday, February 25, at 6 a.m., to Friday, February 26, at 8 a.m.

This is due to physician availability, says the Authority, who apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.

The closure is the latest in a rash of closures at Roseway ER in the past two years.

When contacted by SCT, Shelburne Town councilor Roy O'Donnell said that he is disturbed that the ER closures continue to plague Roseway. "Despite the assurances from the Department officials to the contrary, it is my view that these repeated closures will continue until the Department and Health Authority finally build the collaborative medical centre we have been promised,"

Senior Department staff told local officials recently that they are now using 2017 as a completion date.

Health minister Leo Glavine and senior health department officials have told Shelburne residents and Town officlals repeatedly that they would work to resolve the issues surrounding the constant closures.

There were a string of eight ER closures at Roseway between December 18th and January 3rd and in the past year closures at the only emergency room between Liverpool and Yarmouth have increased by over 500%.

“Given the location of the Roseway Emergency Room it is crucial it remain open, MLA Sterling Belliveau told SCT via email. "When it is closed, the next closest Emergency Room is at least an hour away by car. That’s just too far for someone who is dealing with a health crisis.”

Last March, Glavine told reporters, "We have to provide coverage for Shelburne. "

“Families that count on the Roseway ER in times of crisis deserve more than just lip-service from this minister and the Liberal government. Residents are tired of the hollow public relations events and want results,” Belliveau added.

He adds, “ever since the McNeil government centralized the health authority in Halifax, emergency care in Shelburne County and other rural communities has suffered.”

If you have an emergency, please call 911 or visit the nearest emergency department. For non-emergency health advice from a registered nurse, please call 811. The Mental Health Crisis Line operates 24/7 at 1-888-429-8167.

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Fire Glavine for lying to seniors, says Baillie

Timothy Gillespie — Tue, 02 Feb 2016 12:45:48 +0000

Glavine's actions “highlight the level of deceit": MacDonald

Nova Scotia's two opposition parties continued a barrage of criticism of Stephen McNeil's Liberal government - and Health and Wellness minister Leo Glavine - for what they say is deception regarding the Seniors Pharmacare Program.

Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Baillie says Leo Glavine, minister of Health and Wellness and minister of Seniors, should be fired for lying to seniors about their pharmacare premiums, according to anews release Tuesday from the PC Caucus

When Glavine announced the pharmacare changes, says the release, he touted that 12,000 seniors more seniors would be exempt. It has now been revealed that 14,000 seniors, who hadn't previously paid a premium because of the Guaranteed Income Supplement, will now be charged.

"This is an absolute breach of trust," says Baillie. "The Minister stood at a podium and falsely announced savings for seniors while he knew the difference all along. This is unforgivable and there should be consequences."

Baillie says he doesn't take this call lightly. But he says the minister has deceived the people of Nova Scotia.

In a separate release from the NDP Caucus, interim leader Maureen MacDonald says Glavine's actions “highlight the level of deceit" exercised by Stephen McNeil’s government in announcing changes to "this extremely important health care program” says MacDonald. “It’s clear now these changes had nothing to do with fairness or the long-term sustainability of the plan. The Liberals’ primary motive was to charge seniors, who have worked hard all their lives to save for retirement, an extra $10 million on their prescription drugs.”

She adds, “It’s shameful that the McNeil government has tried to mislead seniors. That’s why I’m calling for a halt to these unfair changes and for a full public consultation to be held on the Seniors’ Pharmacare program.”

MacDonald says this year premiums for Seniors’ Pharmacare will increase by up to 200%, the first increase since 2007 under the Rodney MacDonald Conservative government. The previous NDP government, she says, froze Pharmacare premiums.

"It's time for Stephen McNeil to put an end to the chaos and confusion and accept accountability for the Liberals’ dishonesty," says Baillie. "How can the seniors of Nova Scotia ever trust the Minister to have their best interests at heart when he has so clearly mislead them? He needs to go."

The Liberals have been trying to spin their way out of the mess they caused all week and have yet to apologize for misleading everyone, the release says, adding, "seniors deserve better."

"The Premier has a clear and simple choice. Will he stand up for seniors or will he continue to defend the actions of an incompetent minister who lied?"

Baillie also renewed his call for the Premier to rescind the Liberals’ dishonest changes to the Seniors’ Pharmacare Program.

Last week, both parties launched petitions calling on the McNeil Liberals to scrap their dishonest changes to Seniors’ Pharmacare.

PC Petition: http://pcparty.ns.ca/stand-up-for-seniors/

NDP petition: nsndp.ca/mcneil-notfair

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Glavine's concern for seniors "a sham", says Baillie

Timothy Gillespie — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 11:01:44 +0000

HEALTH & WELLNESS MINISTER LEO GLAVINE
“In opposition the Liberals pretended to care about seniors, but now we know it was all a sham to get elected.”

Revised: NDP staffer Mark Laventure tells SCT previous Pharmacare premium increase happened in 2007 under PCs, when Chris D'Entremont was health minister

In a pre-dawn news release Monday, PC leader Jamie Baillie asks Health minister Leo Glavine “Why is it fair for seniors to be paying more in premiums and co-pays than they should when the government continues to pay less?” The question, says Baillie is the same asked in question period in 2013, when the former NDP government was accused of overcharging premiums for the Seniors’ Pharmacare program. "Leo Glavine," says the release, "was quick to pounce."

“In opposition the Liberals pretended to care about seniors, but now we know it was all a sham to get elected,” says Baillie. “The same Liberals who complained about premium increases under the NDP are now planning to take more from seniors than ever. It’s even more proof seniors just can’t trust the Liberals.”

In April, 2013, Glavine apparently tabled documents suggesting that under the NDP, the share of the program seniors pay for went from 28.4 to 29.2 to 32 per cent. The numbers released by the Liberals on Thursday show seniors, says the release, will be paying upwards of 37 per cent next year. Up to that point, the cost of the program was split between the province and seniors at a rate of 75:25.

“Seniors have been ripped off by two successive governments now and they’re tired of the lies and the dishonesty,” says Baillie. “The Liberals should immediately halt their changes to the Seniors’ Pharmacare program.”

Baillie says the flip flops and dishonest tactics are resulting in serious questions about the way Premier McNeil and his Health Minister do business.

Both the PC and NDP parties have launched petitions calling on Premier McNeil to press pause on his dishonest Pharmacare changes.

PC Petition: http://pcparty.ns.ca/stand-up-for-seniors/

NDP petition: nsndp.ca/mcneil-notfair

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Guest Editorial: Nova Scotia ahead of the curve on mental health

Guest Editorial — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 13:43:20 +0000

Mental health and addictions is an important topic. It affects our family and friends in many meaningful ways.

Stigma about mental health and addictions is on the decline, as we are becoming more aware of the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.

In many respects, Nova Scotia is ahead of the curve. Three years ago, government released Together We Can, a five-year mental health and addictions strategy. Since then, Nova Scotians have experienced greater access to assessment, treatment, and care in their own communities.

People think of mental health care as primarily a service offered inside an institution, like a hospital. The reality is different. Today, people are accessing care and support through peer-support programs, hospital outreach clinics, offices, schools, homes.

Evidence suggests that most people benefit from outpatient or community treatment, but when Nova Scotians require in-patient care, they will receive it.

We are working with health professionals to help their patients manage mild to moderate mental illness. We are expanding training and raising awareness to help clinicians work more effectively with all Nova Scotians, including those from culturally diverse groups such as First Nations people, African Nova Scotians, and immigrants.

Mental health and addiction challenges are a shared challenge. These important issues affect our communities, workplaces and families.

Together we can make a difference in the mental wellness of Nova Scotians.

For a strategy update, visit http://novascotia.ca/health .

Leo Glavine
Nova Scotia Minister of Health and Wellness.

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NDP continues to hammer Grits on health care

Timothy Gillespie — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:46:44 +0000

"Patient care has suffered and our health care system has been thrown into turmoil.”

"Health care system crumbles under weight of Liberal neglect," trumpets the latest news release from the NDP caucus decrying what they say is a woeful state of affairs in minister Leo Glavine's department

The release points to three separate incidents in the span of 24 hours, which NDP health critic Dave Wilson says "highlight the deteriorating state of Nova Scotia’s health care system under the McNeil government."

Wednesday, says the release, the Dartmouth General was asking patients to go elsewhere due to overcrowding while the preparation of chemotherapy drugs was disrupted at the Centennial building in Halifax due to more flooding. Meanwhile, adds Wilson's release, a staff person at the New Waterford mental health clinic went public with concerns over the declining state of that facility.

The McNeil government recently announcement that they paid $1 million to outsource blood pathology work to an American clinic and Emergency Room at the Roseway Hospital closures on eight separate occasions in the past three weeks, were also noted.

“There is a reason for this very troubling string of events in our health care system and it’s the same reason Emergency Room closures have increased by 30% in the past year,” says Wilson. “The McNeil government has frozen the health care budget, they’ve asked the health authority to cut 1% of spending across the board, and Stephen McNeil’s top priority has been picking fights with our province’s dedicated health care workers. As a result patient care has suffered and our health care system has been thrown into turmoil.”

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HIV-AIDS Awareness Week marked in Halifax

Timothy Gillespie — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 20:14:22 +0000

Health and Wellness Minister Leo Glavine, left, and Michelle Proctor-Simms of the Nova Scotia Advisory Commission on AIDS, right, raise the red ribbon flag to mark HIV-AIDS Awareness Week and Province House in Halifax.

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More than 100 attend Shelburne ER rally

Timothy Gillespie — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 19:10:22 +0000

On Monday afternoon, Water Street in front of Shelburne Town Hall was packed with more than 200 citizens demonstrating their displeasure at the crisis of closures of the emergency room at Roseway Hospital - more than 500 hours in the past year.The timing of the demonstration was designed to match that of the visit to Town Hall of health & Wellness minister Leo Glavine.

The minister was in town to discuss with municipal leaders the on-going struggle to keep the doors of the ER open. The ER has suffered dozens of closures in past months, resulting in patients having to drive an hour or more to Yarmouth or Liverpool.

Mayor Karen mattatall told CBC news that, ""I personally find it offensive that we have been begging — that we have been relegated, I should say — to begging the province to do their job by just keeping our ER open."

Many of the demonstrators carried hand-made signs, with slogans such as "Keep Shelburne County ER open".

Several businesses allowed employees to attend the event as part of their work day.

Queens-Shelburne MLA Sterling Belliveau was there. Earlier in the day, Belliveau issued a news release in which he stated that health care in Shelburne County was suffering as a result of inaction by Glavine's department.

Shelburne Town councilor Roy O'Donnell helped promote the event and was very pleased with the turnout. O'Donnell told SCT that the meeting with the minister and Nova Scotia health Authority CEO Janet Knox was very productive and was attended by representatives of every municipal unit in the county except the Municipality of Barrington.

"The minister listened to what we had to say very intently," said O'Donnell, "and everyone got to speak their piece."

O'Donnell said that Knox told the councilors, mayors and wardens that efforts are now underway to alleviate the closures of Roseway ER and that work would begin on the new medical centre in spring of 2016. When the Centre opens, Knox told the assembly, there should be a lessening of ER closures.

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Shelburne to protest health minister visit Monday

Timothy Gillespie — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 19:28:25 +0000

COMMUNITY DEMONSTRATION PROTESTING ROSEWAY ER CLOSURES

On Monday , Oct 26, citizens from throughout Shelburne County will stage a peaceful demonstration at 3:00pm at Shelburne Town Hall, where minister of Health & Wellness Leo Glavine will be meeting with Town council to discuss the on-going crisis at the emergency room of Roseway Hospital.

The Community Demonstration is to protest to the Minister, the inability of his department to resolve the long-standing crisis of emergency room closures at the Hospital.

The ER has been closed dozens of times over the past few months, forcing emergency patients to travel to Yarmouth, Liverpool or Bridgewater for treatment.

Fire trucks, ambulances and emergency workers are expected. Businesses and churches in the area have been contacted and many are encouraging their congregations and employees to attend. "We expect a substantial turnout in order to impress upon the minister how critical resolving this crisis is to the citizens of Shelburne County," says Shelburne Town Councilor, Roy O'Donnell.

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Provincial funding for "state-of-the-art" medical clinic announced

Timothy Gillespie — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 19:55:35 +0000

300% of original commitment by McNeil government

ER closures to continue?

A much-needed new clinic for Shelburne-area residents will soon enter the final stages of development, according to an announcement in Shelburne Friday.

Premier Stephen McNeil announced that the Nova Scotia government will contribute $1.65 million to renovate the old health clinic on the Roseway Hospital property. The new facility will now be referred to as a "primary health-care collaborative centre" and will have a team of family physicians and other health professionals.

The Municipality of Shelburne has committede $450,000 to the project and the Town of Shelburne pledged $100,000, in addition to funds promised by the Roseway Hospital Charitable Foundation.

The project, says the release, will move into the final design phase, with construction expected to begin next spring.

"It's about time," Pubnico-Barrington MLA and former health minister Chris d'Entrement told SCT. "This will be a long road. Getting new doctors here will not happen overnight."

"The community played a key role in identifying the need for a modern primary health-care facility," said Bob Legere, chair of the Roseway Hospital Charitable Foundation, today, Aug. 28. "Our foundation is pleased to join the Municipality and Town of Shelburne and the province in giving local people an opportunity to play a part in bringing this new health centre another step towards reality."

"The community was clear about their expectations for this facility, and the government listened and acted," said Premier Stephen McNeil. "We are working to ensure Nova Scotians have access to the right care at the right place, at the right time."

Health and Wellness Minister Leo Glavine said the group effort made the new clinic and its approach possible.

Glavine also noted that there will be no changes made in the emergency room at Roseway Hospital. A Shelburne resident who asked not to be named told SCT "this probably means that we will continue to have the rash of ER closures we have seen recently."

Shelburne mayor Karen Mattatall told the assembled crowd that she hoped that this announcement meant that area residents would receive the level of health care guaranteed by the Canadian Health Care Act.

"Young doctors and health professionals are telling me they want to work in collaborative care clinics like this one," said Mr. Glavine. "The community and governments worked hard to make this clinic a reality, and I'd like to thank everyone for their strong advocacy and support."

"This clinic will help us provide the types of care residents need early on, which will help them stay healthy and, in some cases, may help them avoid the emergency room," said Janet Knox, CEO of the Nova Scotia Health Authority. "It will also be a great recruitment tool as we work to attract more physicians, nurses and other health professionals to the Shelburne area."

The clinic will also include space for family medicine residents from Dalhousie University on residency placement in Shelburne.

Glavine referred to the new facility as a "teaching" facility, which was news to other participants in the announcement.

The project has been six years in the making, which has drawn ctiticism from Municipality of Shelburne warden Roger Taylor, who has previously accused health department officials of bungling the process

A 2011 announcement described the project as a more traditional doctor's office. It did not include space for health teams working together or residents who are part of the family medicine residency program.

The province had originally committed $429,000 to the project, but as it evolved, more investments were needed for the design and scope.

In a news release, the Municipality of Shelburne says it welcomes the significant investment announced today by Premier McNeil and Minister Glavine to enhance what they describe as "our community medical clinic." The project, says the release, "represents a major plank in our commitment to improve health care for the residents of greater Shelburne."

The release says that the Municipality was the first government to commit funds to the project and that they are pleased that the Province has announced their partnership today. Warden Taylor said, "For three years it was not clear if this project was even a priority for the previous District Health Authority or the Province. In our first meeting three months ago with Minister Glavine, after being briefed by Council on the project, he committed that this project would become a priority for him and his Department, and we are pleased he kept that commitment."

The new medical clinic, according to the release, gives the region a new and important tool to recruit doctors, nurses, and nurse practitioners. "These are priorities for us given that Shelburne County remains one of the most under serviced areas in the province. We must also recruit for pending family doctor retirements."

"We look forward to working with the Nova Scotia Health Authority to build the clinic as soon as possible."

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