The head of the London Health Sciences Centre says the organization is taking a cautious approach to how it moves forward after a tumultuous few months.
On Wednesday, LHSC held its first public community update meeting, which will happen monthly as the hospital works to rebuild community trust amid financial scrutiny and mass layoffs. The sessions are streamed live on YouTube, and people can submit questions via a form on the LHSC website.
David Musyj, who was appointed as the supervisor at the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) by the provincial government, also acts as the interim CEO of the hospital. When asked when LHSC would replace its board of directors, which Musyj announced last month had all “voluntarily” stepped down, he said they would not be racing to make any decisions.
“Racing to a conclusion sometimes gets organizations in trouble or fails to correct historical issues that got them into a particular predicament in the first place,” he said. “It took time to get into this predicament. It’ll take time to get out of it — get out of it properly.”
The predicament he is referring to is a projected $150-million operating deficit for 2025 on top of deficits in 2023 and 2024. Then last month the hospital’s board members behind the decisions that led to the deficit quit en masse following the public scrutiny.
“Right now, the leadership team, which includes not only administrative staff but also all medical professional physician leadership from the Community Medical Advisory Committee, and are focused on strengthening LHC management, operations and financials before we begin recruiting a new board or president and CEO,” Musyj said.
When speaking about what led them here, Musyj said it was not an issue of quality of care or patient care; it was an issue of governance, oversight and financial management.
In September, LHSC announced $14 million in staffing cuts. The hospital network eliminated 59 positions and reassigned 71 others in an effort to save money.
There is a law in Ontario that hospitals cannot have a deficit and that they have to have a balanced budget or a surplus, but LHSC signed a balanced budget waiver with the Ontario government for two years, which gives it five years to balance the budget.
While health experts have said most hospitals in the province are dealing with deficits, when asked how much government spending is a factor, Musyj said LHSC is responsible for addressing the part it played in getting where they are. He points to a higher deficit than other hospitals are dealing with.
LHSC has also announced a new community advisory committee of 10 community members who will provide their input and guidance to the leadership team on how to move forward.
The committee will send surveys to the community for feedback later this year.
During the meeting, a staff member also said the community would serve as the “community voice” while working towards a new board. Musyj encouraged the public to hold them accountable through this process.
“Our aim is to foster a spirit of transparency and accountability, ensuring that you, our patients, families and community members, feel connected to the decisions and actions that shape the future of health care. Here at LHC, when the new board of directors is renewed, this transparent platform will continue,” Musyj said.