Juliette Powell, a former MuchMusic video jockey, passed away at the age of 54, leaving behind a legacy that resonates with many. Her death comes on the heels of a serious crisis at Kelowna General Hospital (KGH). The plight of the community situation has drawn the local area healthcare providers’ advocates. Over a dozen pediatricians have stuck their necks out in opposition to the Interior Health Authority (IHA). They further warn the IHA in the court of public opinion for not addressing systemic issues that affect maternity and neonatal care in the community.
This crisis has been steadily building for a number of years. Thousands of pediatricians have already raised the alarm on this crisis, admitting the egregious understaffing and under-resourcing exacerbates the problem. In 2023 alone, seven pediatricians departed KGH, while several others still practice in clinical settings around Kelowna. The hospital is now only staffed by four pediatricians and one newborn specialist. This is well below the baseline 12 pediatricians required to deliver safe and thorough care.
In early 2024, Kelowna pediatrician Dr. Alysha MacKenzie-Feder resigned in protest. Since her resignation, she has aired her frustrations over the health authority’s response to the escalating crisis. She emphasized that this was a foreseeable crisis. Healthcare professionals have been sounding the alarm over these systemic problems at KGH for years.
“These are not new problems and that we’ve been raising our voices for many years about the systemic issues here at KGH and how they’ve been impacting staff and safety,” – Dr. Alysha MacKenzie-Feder
In a letter addressed to the public, the group of pediatricians stated that “IHA failed to put in the necessary effort to recruit new staff.” They further warned that “the consequences are serious and growing: our community’s access to safe, comprehensive maternity and neonatal care is now in jeopardy.”
The IHA is in the process of recruiting additional physicians who will staff the clinic. Doctors are largely disappointed by how these efforts miss the mark. Dr. MacKenzie-Feder expressed her hurt and anger over the situation, stating, “There is hurt and there’s anger that it took so long and it took a crisis of this level.”
Gavin Dew, the national organizing representative for the angry healthcare workers, blasted the IHA’s handling of communication and messaging around the statewide crisis. He described their recent communications as “a critical communications plan, not an actual response,” asserting that the organization had been neglectful.
“It appears as though the Minister of Health, Interior Health are all trying to save face and pretend that they’ve been on top of the situation when they’ve been asleep at the switch. We need to start with some honesty,” – Gavin Dew
The doctors’ letter highlighted a significant concern: “Our community is facing a deepening crisis in obstetrical care, the direct result of more than 15 years of neglect by the Interior Health Authority.” Most importantly, they called out the IHA on neglecting to prioritize maternity and neonatal services with a quickly booming population in Kelowna.
Interior Health therefore rejects, and takes great offense to, the accusations. They pledged to do so with transparency and haste. They stated, “We acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and are committed to acting with transparency, urgency, and accountability.”
Dr. MacKenzie-Feder called for a program that provides robust pediatric services. This program needs to be attractive enough for physicians to want to sign up and remain in the program. She pointed to the importance of critical support. A supportive organizational environment combined with a culture that fosters and supports open dialogue is the key to success.
“What we need is a program with adequate pediatric services that physicians want to come to and that will stay in, and that requires the right amount of support and the right working environment and culture,” – Dr. Alysha MacKenzie-Feder
Local healthcare providers are on the frontlines sounding the alarm as this crisis is developing. They’re looking for answers on how to make sure families in Kelowna can get safe, effective healthcare services when they need them. That space is still very much in flux as both healthcare providers and policymakers continue to work hard to try to meet these urgent needs.
