Sarah Rennie – LJI reporter
The Centre Intégré de Santé et des Services Sociaux de la Montérégie Ouest (CISSSMO) is facing a delicate financial situation. Santé Québec has imposed a return to a balanced budget, forcing the regional health institution to cut over $140 million in spending.
According to the CISSSMO, a reduction in the use of agency staff, greater control over spending, the abolition of vacant positions, and the reorganization of certain departments allowed for a reduction in the anticipated budget deficit to $83 million. Still, reports have emerged that up to 160 jobs, including practical nurses, orderlies, and clinical nurses may be lost.
The CISSSMO has been working over the past several weeks to implement a plan that will minimize the impacts of budget cuts on public care and services while ensuring these remain accessible. The organization is also highlighting the significance of treating staff with kindness. As a result and to be more efficient, the CISSSMO is prioritizing the reduction of administrative functions and the reorganization of care.
A representative for the CISSSMO’s communications and public affairs department says that of the positions to be abolished, almost two-thirds are vacant positions that had not been filled. They explain that certain departments were created during the pandemic, and surplus team positions were filled to support the organization during the health crisis.
The CISSSMO representative confirms that a certain number of current positions will be eliminated but adds that this number is subject to change. At least one administrative position and two orderlies at the Barrie Memorial Hospital have been affected by these measures; however, the representative maintains these changes do not impact the emergency or professional sectors.
Most of the affected employees will be reassigned to clinical sectors such as the Maisons des Ainés et Alternatives, the Hôpital Anna-Laberge, and the Hôpital du Suroît. This will allow the CISSSMO to open additional beds, to better meet patient needs, and to further reduce its use of agency staff.
“Some units were overstaffed by up to 250 per cent on day shifts, whereas evening and night shifts were required,” The representative adds, noting that shifts have now returned to a pre-pandemic structure. “We are making sure we respect the nurse-patient ratios recommended by our CISSS nursing directorate, so there will be no impact on patient care.”