Health officials cut loose THE NORTHERN Health Authority (NHA) has eli- minated one of its top ex- ecutives and has cut three other senior people to re- duce spending. Gone is Paul Brown, | based in Terrace, who had been the chief operating alficer for the northwest portion of the NHA taking in the area from the Queen Charlottes to Houston. As such, Brown was in charge of all hospital- based and. community health care in the north- west. The northwest is one of three areas belonging to the NHA, the others being the central north and the northeast. Each was set up to have its own chief operating officer reporting ,to the NHA chief exec- utive officer. A relative newcomer to the north, Brown had been head of the Northwest Community” Health Ser- vices Society (the old Skeena Health Unit) be- fore it and other northern health care agencies were merged last December to form the NHA. Also gone is Dieter Kuntz, who had been the chief executive officer of the old Terrace and Area Health Council before being named to the post of support services integra- tion director when the NHA was formed. Prince George-based communications director Patty Stewart, hired just last December when the NHA was formed, and planning director Rick Ro- binson, also from Prince George, were also laid off. Losing Kuntz, Stewart and Robinson reduces the senior executive comple- ,ment to 1] and cuts that administrative level by 20 per cent, said NHA chief executive officer Peter Warwick. “We have made a com- mitment. to. protect direct ‘other cuts will: Warwick, He said Brown’s job will be taken over, for now, by an existing senior official. That person is Suzanne Johnston, who also runs hospitals on the coast and on the Queen Charlotte Is- lands for the NHA. “The plan is*not to fill it,” said Warwick of the chief operating officer po- sition. Warwick added that be an- nounced soon as the NHA continues to find ways to reduce its threatened defi- cil. The projected deficit comes in part by having the provincial government freeze health care budgets for the next three years. Eliminating the posi- tions of Kuntz, Stewart and Robinson. will save the NHA annual salaries worth $304,239, according to in- formation received from the NHA by The Terrace Standard as a result of fil- ing a freedom of informa- tion request. But it will be some Paul Brown time before those savings are realized because of se- verance payments and pay outs of any applicable ac- . cumulated holiday and sick leave time. Michael Lancaster of the Public Sector Employ- ers’ Council, a provincial- ly-legislated body set up to oversee public sector pay and benefits levels, said senior executives could re- ceive up to two years of salary in severance de- pending upon contract conditions, length of ser- vice, age and likelihood of ’ other employment. QUALITY EXTERIOR & INTERIOR COATINGS AVAILABLE AT: GENERAL PAINT 3207 Munroe Terrace Interiors 5610 Lazelle Ave. Phone: 635-6600 Terrace Builders Phone: 635-6273 patient care, as we look at fi all ajeas in our organiza- tion to help us avoid a pro- jected 2004/2005 annual $40 million deficit,” said Stewart worried A STEWART town coun- cillor says there are ser- ious local concerns about an Alaskan idea to build a road linking the panhandle to the B.C, road system. Bob Harlow says the propdsed road up the Iskut River valley from Alaska’s Bradfield Canal might prompt a large number of tourists to bypass Stewart. Many motorized tourists head to Stewart because they can visit Hyder, Alas- ka just across the border, and say they went to Alas- ka. A.road link would open up access to Alaskan pan- handle towns as an alter- native for tourists who don’t plan to drive all the way through the Yukon to the big part of the state. “Hyder is the big draw,” Harlow said, “If they can go to Wrangell or Petersburg, that gives them another option.” Even larger concerns centre on the fact the end of such a‘toad could be- come a new U.S. port for export of northern B.C. re- sources, ° That would cost Stewart business, he said. “It would not be a pasi- tive thing for us,” Harlow said. “It would be B.C, re- sources going out through © an Alaskan port.” The road link would be built at U.S. cost but de- pends on B.C, government support, something the Alaskans hope Is a better prospect now that the NDP is gone and the B.C. Lib- erals are in power. The Liberals’ northern caucus is to examine the issue:this year. Harlow said Stewart council hasn't yet mounted a serious campaign over the issue. But he said they've had talks with area MLA Bill Belsey and Skeena MP Andy Burton. eee oR Our official ticket outlet is Visit our web ‘site! B www. mytlt, ca! ' ~~ UNGUNEE Courtesy Travel 4718A Lazelle Ave REDEEM THIS COUPON AT ANY CARTERS JEWELLERS LOCATION “Current common law standards arising from court settlements put se- verance to a maximum two years,” said Lancaster. Brown made $112,200 a year but any savings will also be affected by sever- ance. The cuts have been pre- dicted for some time, and. Warwick said it was im- portant to show that senior managers would also be affected by the need to save money, As well, the NHA has announced it- will cut the equivalent of 175 full time administrative and: office support jobs as it merges services, It will also cut 400 jobs in areas such as house- keeping, laundry and food services. Take a seat. Good for 7 days. One per customer. a teen Sale Savinigs daily wit the distinction of quality from Carters EPILEPSY. 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