The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance is cutting staff in order to balance its budget.
Officials on Tuesday unveiled its 2017/18 Recovery Plan which includes the elimination of 26 full time and 15 part time positions. That is in addition to 19 leadership positions that have been cut since September 2016.
President and CEO Lori Marshall tells CTV Windsor they reduced positions to match patient flow.
She says they did not have a funding problem, but rather a spending problem.
As a result of the changes, Marshall hopes they can use the savings to invest a million dollars into new equipment and renovations at the Chatham hospital and the Sydenham campus in Wallaceburg.
"We are confident that our Recovery Plan will ensure we reach financial health while allowing us to make significant investments in the future of healthcare delivery for our community," says Marshall. "The expertise, insight and thoughtful consideration of all those involved in the process established a plan that will be respectful of our employees and enhance the delivery of high quality care."
None of the staffing cuts took place in Wallaceburg.
"Today's announcement is a crucial step in our organizational transformation that ensures we can continue to provide the appropriate services to the community in a sustainable manner," says Rob Devitt, Hospital Supervisor. "A key aspect in developing the plan was through a benchmarking process that compared CKHA's performance among peer hospitals. This process demonstrated that other organizations have achieved success under the same funding formula. With a collective effort CKHA can achieve similar outcomes and add greater value to the healthcare system."
This will be the second time in seven years that the health provider's budget will be balanced.
The alliance is one of Chatham-Kent's largest employers, operating campuses in Chatham and Wallaceburg.
