Fight to Keep A Medical Practioner in Rural Area

MLA: Health CEO must go

By BRIAN MEDEL Yarmouth Bureau
The Chronicle Herald
Sun. Nov 29 - 4:45 AM


MLA Harold (Junior) Theriault

Nurse practitioner Karen Snider

FREEPORT — A Nova Scotia Liberal MLA is demanding the resignation of the head of the Southwest Nova district health authority over an alleged attempt to discipline a nurse practitioner.

Harold (Junior) Theriault told 80 people packed into a community hall Saturday on Long Island that Blaise MacNeil, CEO of the district health authority, must step down because of the controversy involving registered nurse Karen Snider.

The Digby-Annapolis MLA also said Health Minister Maureen MacDonald needs to be on Long Island by Monday evening to deal with Ms. Snider and put her back to work.

Ms. Snider lives in Freeport on Long Island. But she hasn’t been employed by the Southwest Nova district health authority since October.

She recently built a home on the island and told residents she wanted to stay. She’s the first nurse practitioner to put down roots.

There was no problem with her clinical or medical skills, said Andy Moir of the Islands Health liaison committee

"We know that she was disciplined for speaking out about reduced hours at the clinic," he said Saturday.

"She was disciplined again for telling her collaborating physician that hours would be reduced, and disciplined again for discussing the hours of operation with fellow nurse practitioners. . . . We are all going to suffer because of this action."

Ms. Snider attended Saturday’s meeting and, for the first time since she was dismissed, spoke briefly.

"I enjoy this community. I enjoyed the work that I did and the people that I worked with," she told a hushed room.

"I can’t speak highly enough of the support and the confidence that all of you have exhibited to me. It’s still my goal to want to try and stay down here . . . and I really do appreciate all of the efforts."

Some in the community let their MLA know that the clinic’s clerical employee was overwhelmed with work.

"In the middle of September, I had some calls . . . saying, ‘The nurse practitioner needs a little help down here. She can’t deal with 1,500 people and do (the clerical employee’s) work too,’ " said Mr. Theriault.

He said he mentioned the concern in the legislature on Sept. 22, and the health minister said she was unaware of any such needs.

Mr. Moir said talks to have the nurse practitioner return to work seemed to have been proceeding.

He said Kevin McNamara, the province’s deputy minister of health, indicated recently that residents were close to getting her back.

But when Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union representatives arrived at a meeting, which included representatives of the district health authority, they were presented with a "confession" letter, said Mr. Moir.

"This came out of the blue. The union didn’t know it was coming," he said.

It was an apology to be signed by Ms. Snider before further talks could take place.

It was said at Saturday’s public meeting that the deputy health minister told Jim Thurber, warden of the Municipality of Digby, that he was unaware of the letter.

Mr. Moir said it appears to be the brainchild of someone in the district health authority.

"I know you all want to see it, and unfortunately I can’t do that for a couple of reasons," he told the crowd.

Mr. Moir said the letter was to be signed by Ms. Snider, then published in three newspapers and posted on the door of the community clinic.

He said the dispute was fuelled by an article Ms. Snider wrote in Passages, a community newsletter.

"In that article, what she said was true," he said.

"We’ve got a fine practitioner. Let’s get her back on the job."

( bmedel@herald.ca)