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2010 Apr 15 (Thu)
Health Services Executive Bonuses
Kevin urges the Minister of Health and Wellness to take the negative feedback from Alberta Health Services’ workforce engagement survey into consideration when determining Health Services executive bonuses.
690 Alberta Hansard Monday April 12, 2010
Dr. Taft: Thanks, Mr. Speaker. Last week Alberta Health Services’ workforce engagement survey was released. The results revealed what everyone working in our health care system knows: there is no trust in upper management. Only 10 per cent of physicians and 28 per cent of employees responded that they have trust and confidence in senior leadership. My question is to the Minister of Health and Wellness. Will the minister ensure that this important feedback from front-line workers is taken into consideration when Health Services executive bonuses are determined?
Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, there are a number of people who work double time and triple time to help retain the excellent service that we provide to Albertans through our health departments. Now, there are some issues to do with what the member just mentioned. We are looking at those. I’ve already discussed those with the board chair and with the CEO, and they will put in place strategies to increase and improve their communication if that’s where the gap is or to design policies that perhaps better reflect what Albertans require.
Dr. Taft: Well, Mr. Speaker, clearly everybody in the system and many outside it know the system is breaking down, so my question to the minister is: why do senior executives in Alberta Health Services, who are already getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, need bonuses to do their job?
Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, the system is not breaking down at all. For heaven’s sake, we just added the best long-term planning capabilities that this province has ever had. There’s a five-year funding plan that’s coming, which will provide additional 6 per cent increases in the first three years and an additional 4.5 per cent increase in years 4 and 5. That will bring about stability, that will bring about predictability and sustainability, and in the end it will deliver the best-performing publicly funded health system in the country right here in Alberta, just as our Premier said.
Dr. Taft: Mr. Speaker, the issue right now is the question of bonuses for managers who are clearly failing at their job. Given the abysmal staff survey, the policy confusion, handing this government a $1.3 billion deficit, will the minister ensure that not a single executive bonus is given to these managers out of the ’09-10 budget? Will you just stand up to them and say no?
Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I can tell you that everything in health care is under one form or another of discussion or review, and I will add to that list the issue that has just been flagged. You have to provide some incentives for people – certainly, you do – but at the same time you also have to provide some assurance that they’re on the right track, and that’s what our five-year funding plan will do.
Date: Thu Apr 15 22:48:12 MDT 2010
Author: Rebecca
IP: 68.149.137.22
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