The VCH 2013-14 budget

Dr. David Ostrow, President and CEO, Vancouver Coastal Health

Once again, Vancouver Coastal Health is facing the realities of demand versus capacity which means we must find new and innovative ways to balance our resources with that growing demand for service. Challenges such as this are not new. In recent years, VCH has found ways while working within our budget to improve access to surgeries, residential care, EDs and mental health and addiction services. We have been successful and we will continue to be successful.

The need to constantly improve and seek better ways of meeting the care needs of our communities does not go away. We have to accept that our funding is not keeping pace with the demand for our services which is why we must all work together to find ways to reduce our spending. Looking at what we need to achieve and where we need to be in the years to come, significant change is necessary. Not only must we identify permanent savings equivalent to 2% of the labour budget this year, but we must dig deeper and search harder on an ongoing basis to keep any unnecessary costs out of our system. It is a challenge we must all be a part of and that we must accept responsibility for in the years to come.

Making the savings now will allow us to reinvest in the future delivery of health care in VCH and align capacity with demand to make sure that what we are doing is making the best use of our technology, dollars and – most importantly – people.

One strategy to meet those future needs is the Clinical and Systems Transformation, or CST, project. This long-term plan, in partnership with Providence Health Care and the Provincial Health Services Authority, will see VCH change the way we deliver care and services through a mixture of process and technology. This innovative strategy, a part of which will see the building of a comprehensive electronic health record for our patients and clients, requires a commitment of time and resources. It will enable us to look for new ways of providing care to reduce costs, use people and resources better, and make sure that we are putting our ever-tightening dollars in the right places and using them the right way.

This is not about taking funds out of VCH. It is about using our funds to help transform our organization to foster innovation, sustainability and stewardship as well as a focus on our patient and staff. It will mean work redesign or regionalization and, in some cases, reallocating resources in part or completely. Our goal is to make sure we spend wisely in the years to come so that we are the most effective in our obligation to provide quality patient care.

This is not an easy task. Change is always unsettling, especially if you feel your voice is not being heard as part of the process. That is why members of the Senior Executive and leadership teams will come to the places where you work to speak with you about the big picture of the planned changes. We want you to be a part of this conversation because we want your guidance, your perspectives and your ideas on how we can make our system better and stronger for the future. On behalf of the Board and Senior Executive Team at VCH, please accept my thanks and appreciation for your continued support and commitment to the care, safety and well-being of the people we serve.