OPEN LETTER


May 9, 2006


Dear Premier Dalton McGuinty,


We are writing to express our strong opposition to your government’s policy of hospital financing through “P3s” or public-private partnerships.  “Alternative Finance Mechanism” or “Alternative Financing and Procurement” (AFM/AFP) hospitals are P3s under a new name.  In these hospitals, a group of financiers, construction companies, designers, and service providers build a hospital project and sell it back to the non-profit hospital board under a contract that stretches for 20 – 40 years.  The companies make their profit through the financing deals, the long term privatization of some range of hospital facility management and support services, user fees and service charges for patients and their visitors, private development on hospital grounds, and technology or other ancillary business contracts. 


Based on the evidence, we conclude that the P3 hospital policy will lead to unnecessary additional costs, have a negative impact on work environments, reduce public control over our hospitals, and create a new and powerful stakeholder group invested in dismantling Medicare -- now from the inside.  The result will be only one: diminish the public health care system.  As nurses we value the ability to provide safe, competent and ethical care that allows us to fulfill our ethical and professional obligations to the people we serve. Nurses uphold principles of equity and fairness to assist persons in receiving a share of health services and resources proportionate to their needs and to promote social justice. We value and advocate for practice environments that have the organizational structures and resources necessary to ensure safety, support and respect for all persons in the work setting.  These values are at risk when P3 hospitals are introduced.


The British Medical Journal and other studies by Dr. Allyson Pollock report that the high costs of the P3 financing schemes are borne by cutting clinical and support staff budgets, and by reducing community health services. The rigorous analysis of the P3 in North Durham for example, shows that the P3 scheme led to cuts that fell mainly on the qualified nursing staff, reducing the number of qualified nurses by 12%.  In other studies, the BMJ reports that community health services in the P3 hospital areas are also reduced due to the higher costs of P3 financing. We are concerned that the LHINs will face similar problems as the P3s take money away from hospital budgets, beds and staff and reduce funding to local community health services.


The Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal states that the hospitals will be built faster, will be on time and in budget, and will be under public control.  The evidence does not support these claims. The authoritative study by the British Association of Certified Chartered Accountants found that the premiums charged by the for-profit companies exceeded any evidence of past cost overruns in publicly financed projects. The study by the UK Auditor General expressly did not conclude that the hospitals were cheaper than publicly financed hospitals, nor did the auditor look at cost increases from the outset of the negotiation of the long-term privatization deals.  Moreover, there are many examples of serious cost overruns and delays in the British P3 projects. Claims of public control are not based on fact as under a P3 it is no longer the hospital board that runs the hospital facility, lands and privatized services. Their power is circumscribed by the 20 – 40 year contract negotiated with the private companies.  And there is simply no basis for the claim that the hospitals will be built faster.


Hospitals are not commodities to be bought and sold on the stock market as revenue streams for investors. They are valued public institutions upon which our communities rely for life enhancing and life prolonging care. It will be less expensive to finance and manage our hospitals on a non-profit basis and to maintain public non-profit services throughout the hospitals. Ontario’s nurses are urging your government to stop the P3 hospital program and create a public financing system for our hospitals. 


Scroll down for names of signatories


Signed:


1.   Abram Oudshoorn, RN, London

2.   Adelinda Zamboanguena, RN, Toronto

3.   Adeline Falk-Rafael, RN, PhD – Professor, York University

4.   Afsaneh Tabrizi, RN, York Region

5.   Aisha Jahangir, RN, Guelph

6.   Alanda Levy, BN student yr 3, Brampton

7.   Alba Di Censo, RN, PhD Professor, Nursing & Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics; CHSRF/CIHR Chair in Advanced Practice Nursing; Director, Ontario Training Centre in Health Services & Policy Research; Lead Editor, Evidence-Based Nursing: A Guide to Clinical Practice, Dundas

8.   Alison Meikle, RN, Toronto

9.   Alison Whitehead,RN, Newcastle

10. Amy Hunter RN, MScN, sessional lecturer, Hamilton’s McMaster University, Milton

11. Andy Summers, RN Vice-President Region 3, ONA

12. Anita Fisher RN PhD, Associate Professor, Nursing Community
McMaster University, School of Nursing

13. Ann Schibli, RN, Region 2

14. Anne Clark, RN, Vice-President Region 2, ONA

15. Anne Egger, RNEC, Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Toronto

16. Annette Ganzenberg, BScN, RN, Newmarket

17. Arif Ahamed, Student RN

18. Avanel Ricketts, Nursing student

19. Bailey Kerr, Student Nurse, London

20. Barb Craig, RN, Toronto

21. Barbara Bowles, RN, BSN(PNC), St Catharines

22. Barbara Daly, RN, Aurora

23. Barbara Harrison, RN, Kingston

24. Barbara Naykalyk-Hunt,BA, RN, Port Colborne

25. Basanti Majumdar, PhD, MSc, MEd, MSc(T), RN, Professor in Nursing and Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University, Hamilton

26. Beatrice Sacher, Nursing Student, West Elgin

27. Becky Bulsza, Professor, Fanshawe College, London

28. Beth Schryer, RN, Sault Ste. Marie

29. Betty McNeely, RN, BHSN, Peterborough

30. Bianzheng, Zhang, Nursing Student, Toronto

31. BJ Macdonald, RN, CIC, Durham Region

32. Bonnie Ostwald RN BScN, Mississauga

33. Bonnie Schnittker RN PHN, Almonte

34. Bonny Johnson, Nurse Practitioner RN(EC), Beachburg

35. Brenda McNama, RN, Sault Ste. Marie

36. Brigitte Goar, RN, Kincardine

37. Brittany Beaton, 2nd yr. nursing student at University of Western, London

38. Carine Gallagher, Nursing Faculty Confederation College & Coordinator of PHCNP Program, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay         

39. Carl Phillips, RN, Toronto

40. Carla Campbell,RN, St.Thomas

41. Carla Terry, RN, St. Charles

42. Carol Oates, RN, Toronto/Durham

43. Carol Owens, RN, North Bay

44. Carolin Kaemmer, RN, Merrickville

45. Carolyn Davies, RN (EC), Essex County

46. Carolyn Montgomery, R.N., BScN, Toronto

47. Carran Watson, Public Health Nurse, Leeds, Grenville Lanark

48. Carrie V. Kasurak, Public Health Nurse, Gananoque 

49. Catherine Mary Elizabeth Swimmings, RN BScN GNC(C),Ottawa

50. Cathy Crowe, RN, Street Nurse, Toronto

51. Cathy Goring, Education Coordinator, Toronto

52. Cecile Cooke, RN, BScN, Windsor

53. Cheryl Anne Fenton, RN, BHSc, Professor Mohawk College, Hamilton

54. Cheryl Rowe, RN, Grassie

55. Cheryl Taveroff, RN, Peterborough

56. Cheryl Yost, Director Patient Care Services, Manitoulin Island

57. Cheryle Kingsman-Ralph, RN, Belleville

58. Christa Poirer, Public Health Nurse, Ottawa Public Health

59. Christine Guindon, RN, Sudbury

60. Clare Swanson, RN, Brantford

61. Colleen Gilbert, RN, Hamilton

62. Colleen Hartwick, RN, Mattawa

63. Colleen Kearney, RN, Med, Toronto

64. Connie Ross, RN, Caledonia

65. Cristina Bautista, Student Nurse

66. Cynthia Hiemstra, RPN, BScN(2nd yr), London

67. Cynthia McNairn, RN, BA, BScN, Professor, Centre for Nursing at Toronto’s
George Brown College, Oshawa

68. Daniel Goodman, Nursing Student, Niagara Region

69. Darren Day, RN, Toronto

70. Dave Atfield, RN, Brantford

71. David Reid, RN, Toronto

72. Deb Wood, RN, MHSc, CNS/NNP, Orillia

73. Debbie Baston, RN, Sudbury

74. Debbie McCrank, RN, Kirkland Lake

75. Debra Knight, RN, Sudbury

76. Debra McAuslan,RN,MScN,London

77. Denise Duckett RN, Sudbury, ON

78. Diane Cropp, RN, Toronto

79. Diane Parker, RN, Vice-President Region 1, ONA

80. Dianne Brunton, RN, Courtice

81. Dianne Farquhar, RN, Haileybury(Temiskaming Shores).    

82. Dianne LeClair, RN, Vice-President Region 4, ONA

83. Dolores Golob, Clinical Research Coordinator, Toronto

84. Donna Capel, RN, Mississauga

85. Donna Elizabeth Evans Title RN(EC) Community Brantford

86. Donna Harrison, RN, Sudbury

87. Donna Hess, RN, Georgetown

88. Doris Grinspun, RN, MSN, PhD, (c) O. Ont. Executive Director,
Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)

89. Dorothy McParland, Regional Cardiac Care Coordinator, Mississauga

90. Dorthyanne Brown, RN, BNSc, MSc, Kingston

91. Dr. Margaret Elizabeth Black, RN, BScN, Med, EdD, Toronto

92. Elizabeth Contestabile, RN, BScN, Ottawa

93. Elizabeth Hooper, RN, Sault Ste. Marie

94. Elizabeth Howe, RN, Hearst

95. Elizabeth Lakhan, Advanced Practice Nurse-aging and veterans' care, Toronto

96. Elizabeth Smith, Nursing Student, London

97. Emily Lamothe, RN, Peterborough

98. Erin Johnston, Nursing Student

99. Esther Gaudet Retired RN, Pembroke

100.  Esther Rosete, RN, Toronto

101.  EunJu Lee, RN, Toronto

102.  Evelyn C. Adams, RN. MScN. PhD, Toronto

103.  Fern Young, RN, Sault Ste. Marie

104.  Frances Legault, RN, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa

105.  Gary Dove, RN, Grimsby

106.  Genevieve Blanshard, BA, RN student, Toronto

107.  Gilda Merciales, RN, Markham

108.  Gillian McLean, RN, BA, B.NSc, B.Ed, Ottawa                 

109.  Glenda Hubley, RNFA CPN(c), ONA l.46 Bargaining Unit President, Sault Ste. Marie Health   Services & Policy Research; Lead Editor, Evidence-Based Nursing: A Guide to

110.  Heike D. Lackenbauer, RN, BScN, CHPCN, Kitchener

111.  Helle Little, RN, BScN Windsor

112.  Hugette Leonard, RN, Ottawa

113.  Ian Turpin, RN, Sault Ste. Marie

114.  James Chu, BN Student, Toronto

115.  Jamie Crawley, RN, BScN, BA, BA, MBA./HCM, Windsor

116.  Jan Lachance, RN, Hamilton

117.  Jane Burns, RN, BScN CON (c), Cambridge

118.  Jane Heath, RRT, Bowmanville

119.  Janet Guembel RN.C.Neph (c), Sudbury

120.  Janet Menard, RN(EC), MN/ACNP (c), Russell

121.  Janice Kaffer, Region 8 BOD, Northumberland

122.  Janiesa Moore, RN, BScN, London

123.  Jean Dobson, RN, Staff Nurse, London

124.  Jean Morrow, RN CNCC(C), London

125.  Jean Walsh, RN BScN CP/MHN(C), Niagara Falls

126.  Jeanne Soden, RN, Vice-President Region 5, ONA

127.  Jennifer Gale, BScN Nursing Student, Shelburne

128.  Jennifer Murdock, RN, Professional Practice Nurse Consultant, Peterborough

129.  Jennifer Reguindin, RN, BScN, MScN(c), Mississauga

130.  Jeri Dunne, Public Health Nurse, York Region

131.  Joan Lesmond, RN, BScN, MSN, Ed.D. (c) Past-President, Registered Nurses’
  Association of Ontario

132.  Joan Rivard, Critical Care Nurse, London

133.  Joan Wight, Grad Nurse, Toronto

134.  Joanna Balinski, BScN (cand.), Mississauga

135.  JoAnne Hunter, Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Family and Community Health, Toronto

136.  Joanne Ready, RN CRRN TOHORCC, Ottawa

137.  Jody Smith, RN, Toronto

138.  John Agius, RN, North Bay

139.  Joseph Gajasan, RN, Mississauga

140.  Josephine Field, RN (Ret'd), North York

141.  Judie Surridge, RN, Toronto

142.  Judith Asfour, RN, Brampton

143.  Judith Picotte, RN, BScN, Kingston

144.  Judy Brethour, RN, BN, Norwood

145.  Judy Carlson, RN, Kenora

146.  Julie Latreille, Clinical Informatics Coordinator, Ottawa

147.  Karen Antoni, RN, MHSc, ACNP, NP - Acute Pain Service, Hamilton

148.  Karen Bertand, RN

149.  Karen Edgeworth, RN, Kingston

150.  Karen Guzzo, RN, Sault Ste. Marie

151.  Karen M. Kelly, RN(EC), MN, Professor of Nursing, Toronto

152.  Karen MacDonald, RN, ONA L.046 Treasurer, Sault Ste. Marie

153.  Karie McConnell, RN, Sault Ste Marie

154.  Karin Gailer, RN, Peel

155.  Katarina Renata Stanisic, BN, RN(T), Toronto

156.  Kathleen Janke, RN, Orangeville

157.  Kathleen Kaye, RN, Toronto

158.  Kathleen Krakana-Palmer, RN, London

159.  Kathryn McDougall, RN, Sudbury

160.  Kathryn Morrison, RN, BScN, Barrie

161.  Kathy Downs, RN,

162.  Kathy Hardill, RNEC, Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Toronto

163.  Kathy Iwing, RN, Shelburne

164.  Katie McMullen, Graduate Nurse, Ottawa

165.  Kelly Dickson, RN, Hamilton

166.  Kelly Gagnon, RN, Ottawa

167.  Kelsey Kinch, RN, Kenabeek

168.  KeriAnn Mahoney, RN,BN,MA, Certified Gestalt Psychology , Certified Chemical Dependency   Counsellor Community RNAO Region 1

169.  Kimberly Fragomeni, RN, Sault Ste. Marie

170.  Kristina Quilang, Nursing Student, Toronto

171.  Laura Pridham, RN, Halton

172.  Laura Sarvari, BScN Student, Durham Region

173.  Laurel Lefebvre, RN, Iroquois Falls

174.  Laurie Panagiotou, RN(EC), Brantford

175.  Leah Mills, RN, Sudbury

176.  Leigh Fairbrother, RN, BScN, Barrie

177.  Leona Skilling-DiStasi, RN, BScN, Toronto

178.  Lesley Bell, RN, MBA, CEO Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA)

179.  Leslie Inglis, RN, BScN, Toronto

180.  Leslie Laporte, RN, Sudbury

181.  Letitia Chapchynski, RN, Sudbury

182.  Lila Ongaro, RNFA, formerly of Sudbury now practicing in Tennessee

183.  Linda Becker, RN, RNFA, Kitchener

184.  Linda Belec, RN, Ottawa

185.  Linda Dove, RN, Grimsby

186.  Linda Haslam-Stroud, RN, President Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA)

187.  Linda Hefferman, RN, Simcoe

188.  Linda Oliver, RN, Oakville

189.  Linda Olson, Public Health Nurse, London

190.  Linda Stevenson, RN, BScN, Nurse Clinician, Chatham

191.  Linda Waterman, RN -Nurse Manager, York Region

192.  Lisa Anne High, RN, MScN, Lecturer University of Windsor, Chatham-Kent

193.  Lisa Leckie, BscN student yr 2, London

194.  Lisa Nguyen. Student RN, Brampton

195.  Lorian Fretz, RN, Waterloo Region

196.  Louise Koen, RN, BN, Scarborough

197.  Luba Martinuzzi, RN, Oakville

198.  Lynda Fortier, RN, Parish Nurse, Windsor

199.  Lynda Meneely, RN, Toronto

200.  Lynda Mochrie, RN, Bracebridge

201.  Lynn Anne Mulrooney, RN, MPH, PhD, Burlington

202.  Lynne Strathern, RN, Oakville

203.  Margaret Lim, RN, Markham

204.  Margaret McGuire, RN, Guelph

205.  Margaret Skulj, RN, BSc, Clinical Leader, Toronto

206.  Maria Molly, RN

207.  Marianne E. Cochrane,  Professor, Collaborative BScN ProgramUOIT/DC, Oshawa

208.  Marilyn Blair, RN BA CPMHN, Oakville

209.  Marilyn Deachman, RN, BA, CHCPN(C), Nursing Consultant, Oakville

210.  Marilyn King, Senior Public Health Nurse, Huron County

211.  Marion Willms, RN, Rockwood

212.  Marjorie Johnson, RN, London   

213.  Mary Anne Millar, RN DPHN, BScN, MN (C)

214.  Mary Clarke, RN, Toronto

215.  Mary Ferguson-Pare, RN, PhD, CHE President, Registered Nurses’
  Association of Ontario

216.  Mary Ings, RN, Brampton

217.  Maureen Barry, RN, MScN, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto

218.  Maureen McLeod, RN, Toronto

219.  Maureen Michea, RN, Scarborough/Toronto

220.  Maureen Montemuro, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Hamilton

221.  Maureen Mouritzen, Public Health Nurse, London

222.  Michael Raymond, Nurse Practitioner, Sudbury East

223.  Mickey Turner, RN, CHPCN(c) - Palliative Care Coordinator, Milton

224.  Millicent Stanley, RN, Pickering

225.  Miranda Keay, RN student (wfn2), London

226.  Moira J Korus, BA, RN, Toronto

227.  Mona Racicot, RN, Smooth Rock Falls

228.  Nancy Christensen, RN, BScN, BEd, Hamilton

229.  Nancy Gordon, RN, BScN, Toronto

230.  Nancy McDonald, RN, Mississauga

231.  Nichole Adams, RN, Kanata

232.  Nicole Beaudry, RN, BA, BN, Sudbury

233.  Nicole Cusson-Asselin, RN, Sudbury

234.  Nicolette Parant, RN, BA, Milton

235.  Nikki Morley, RN, Espanola

236.  Olga M. Muir, SCM, BScN, Nurse Manager, Toronto

237.  Pamela Blokzyl, Nursing Student, Niagara Region

238.  Pamela Bushell, RN Clinical Educator, London

239.  Pamela Giroux, RN, Toronto

240.  Pascal Karerangabo, RN, Mississauga

241.  Pat Ciufo, RN, Toronto

242.  Pat MacDonald, RN, Hamilton

243.  Patricia Evans, RN, MA Nursing, Sutton

244.  Paula Dawson, RN, Hamilton

245.  Pauline Lebeau, RN

246.  Priscilla Morin, Grad Nurse, Quinte

247.  Rebecca Ganann, RN, MSc(cand) Public Health Nurse, Toronto

248.  Robert W. Harwood, RN, BA, Kitchener

249.  Robin Hoy, Professional Practice Coordinator, Brockville

250.  Rochelle, Nurse clinician, Toronto

251.  Rod Bayliss RN

252.  Ronna-Lee Grimard, RN

253.  Roseann Blake, RN, BScN, Clinical Practice Leader, Ajax

254.  Rosemarie Vandenbrink, RN, BScN, Rodney

255.  Ross Sutherland, RN, Kingston

256.  Ruby Jordan, RN, Toronto

257.  Ruth Blyth, RN, Brantford

258.  Ruth Schofield, RN, MSc(T), Assistant Professor, Hamilton

259.  Sandra Bearzot, RN, Toronto

260.  Sandra Jarva, BScN Grad 2006, Thunder Bay

261. Sandra Murphy, RN, Milton

262.  Sarah Innis, RN, MN, Toronto

263.  Shamim Waljee, RN, Toronto

264.  Sharon C. Jackson, CoMac BScN Level II, Guelph

265.  Sharon Fair, RN, Kingston

266.  Sharon Teklu, RN, Ottawa

267.  Sheila Clark, RN, BScN, MS, Barrie

268.  Sheila Nesbit, RN, Elliot Lake

269.  Sheri Hatcher, RN, MScN, Owen Sound

270.  Sherri-Lynn Vester, RN, Hamilton

271.  Shona Mackenzie, BScN, RN (EC), Toronto

272.  Shoshana Melech-Shalom, RN, Toronto

273.  Simone Bollaerts, RN, BN, Hamilton

274.  Sophie Normand RN, Ottawa

275.  Stefanie Berza, RN student, Mississauga

276.  Stephanie Catherine Blaney, 2nd yr nursing student (RN), Sault Ste. Marie

277.  Stephanie Kellington, RN BScN Clinical Resource Leader, Palmerston

278.  Sue Macfarlane, Clinical Nurse Educator, Emergency RN, Goulbourn

279.  Sue Ryckman, RN, Matheson

280.  Susan Bard, Retired RN, Guelph

281.  Susan MacNeil, RN, BNSc,  BA, CCN(C), GNC(C), Kingston

282.  Susan White, RN, Niagara

283.  Susan Whitehouse, RN, London

284.  Susan, Public Health Nurse, Dryden

285.  Suzanne Desylva, RN , Rockwood

286.  Suzanne McVety, Respiratory Therapist, Oshawa

287.  Suzanne McVety, Respiratory Therapist, Oshawa

288.  Suzanne Olsen, RN, Sault Ste. Marie

289.  Teresa Campagna, student RN, Vaughan

290.  Teresa Hughes, RN, Toronto

291.  Teresa Protz, RN, Guelph Wellington

292.  Terri Dowding, RN, Hillsburgh

293.  Terry Toscani, RN, Hamilton      

294.  Tracie Armstrong, RN, London

295.  Tracy Nyssen, RN, London

296.  Trudy McCanna, RN, Sault Ste. Marie

297.  Valerie Bruinse, RN, BScN, Newmarket

298.  Valerie Lay, RN, Mississauga

299.  Valerie Neely, RN, BA, BScN, MEd - Nursing Professor, Hamilton

300.  Valerie Wilson, RN, Sudbury

301.  Vicki McKenna, RN, First Vice-President, ONA

302.  Victoria Chrapchynski-Bell, RN, Sudbury

303.  Victoria Thomas, RN Toronto

304.  Wendy Azzopardi, Professor, Kitchener/Waterloo

305.  Wendy Franz, RN, Niagara Falls

306.  Wendy He, RN, Scarborough

307.  Wendy James, Coordinator, Infection Prevention and Control, Wellington

308.  Wendy Mckay, RN, Sarnia

309.  Wendy Vlasic, RN MScN ACNP, London

310.  Whitnie Irving, RN, Waterloo

311.  William Wade, RN, Toronto

312.  Yolanda Tomaszewski, RN, London

313.  Yvonne Dale, RN