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Read Letter - Changes at the Cross Cancer
By Sherry Coffey
Written Feb. 19, 2010
A letter written to Mr. Jeff Johnson, Athabasca-Redwater
Dear Mr. Johnson, I had the unfortunate need to visit the Cross Cancer Institute of Edmonton several times in 2009 and am concerned by some changes I saw taking place there. Changes which in my mind are torn threads indicated much bigger rips in the fabric of our society. In February, there were enough chemo nurses to administer these drugs during the day - though it seemed they often had to work through their breaks and lunch time to get all their work done. As an able bodied visitor I often headed to the patient kitchen for a cup of tea or to get my Mom some crackers or cookies. The patient kitchen was a small comfort in an otherwise comfortless experience. When I had another visit to this institution in September, it became clear there were fewer nurses expected to work more hours. The one chemo nurse had to work through the night to administer the treatments. And changes in the kitchen saw the removal of most cookies and crackers, tea and cutlery, removing any comfort for patients and visitors. I don't believe cuts to public services will help Alberta thrive and prosper. The cuts that I witnessed at the Cross Cancer hurt some of the most vunerable people in our society - cancer patients and their families. I think it is objectionable that someone such as Alberta Health Services CEO Stephen Duckett is paid $575,000 dollars plus bonuses "for objective and quantifiable results" to cut costs on the backs of our citizens such as cancer patients and the nurses who care for them.
Written Feb. 19, 2010
Dear Mr. Johnson, I had the unfortunate need to visit the Cross Cancer Institute of Edmonton several times in 2009 and am concerned by some changes I saw taking place there. Changes which in my mind are torn threads indicated much bigger rips in the fabric of our society. In February, there were enough chemo nurses to administer these drugs during the day - though it seemed they often had to work through their breaks and lunch time to get all their work done. As an able bodied visitor I often headed to the patient kitchen for a cup of tea or to get my Mom some crackers or cookies. The patient kitchen was a small comfort in an otherwise comfortless experience. When I had another visit to this institution in September, it became clear there were fewer nurses expected to work more hours. The one chemo nurse had to work through the night to administer the treatments. And changes in the kitchen saw the removal of most cookies and crackers, tea and cutlery, removing any comfort for patients and visitors. I don't believe cuts to public services will help Alberta thrive and prosper. The cuts that I witnessed at the Cross Cancer hurt some of the most vunerable people in our society - cancer patients and their families. I think it is objectionable that someone such as Alberta Health Services CEO Stephen Duckett is paid $575,000 dollars plus bonuses "for objective and quantifiable results" to cut costs on the backs of our citizens such as cancer patients and the nurses who care for them.
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