Fraser Health doctors have penned a letter of support for provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Dr. Victoria Lee, president and chief executive officer of Fraser Health Authority.
The letter sent this month on behalf of Fraser Health Medical Staff Association Presidents’ Council – distributed to media Thursday (April 9) – and signed by the 12 hospital MSA presidents, states a desire to “express our confidence in your actions during a time of unprecedented volatility in at Covid-19 landscape.”
“As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, the growth of our knowledge base is accelerating. In order to be nimbly responsive in our ability to make changes to our models of care we must have two-way communication streams that transmit in both vertical and horizontal directions,” the letter states.
“We appreciate the efforts of the Emergency Operation Centre, your virtual town hall meetings and daily CEO and Provincial updates. Easy access to a central repository of information is important as we are bombarded by information from within and without the Authority.”
The FHA oversees hospitals from New Westminster to the Fraser Canyon.
Henry, along with Minister of Health Adrian Dix, has been providing regular updates to the public on the novel coronavirus and measures being implemented in an effort to stem the pandemic’s spread.
READ MORE: Two workers at seniors’ homes in Surrey, Langley diagnosed with COVID-19
Elaborating on reasoning for the doctors’ letter, Dr. Raymond Dong – chair of the presidents’ council and MSA president of Surrey Memorial Hospital – said the words are not intended to temper any negativity, as there has been no indication of such.
“This letter was a unanimous showing of support for Drs. Henry and Lee,” Dong told Peace Arch News.
“Their messaging has been calm, compassionate, and intelligent. Their hands were steady and recommendations were evidence-based.
“As respective physician leaders representing the medical staff at the hospitals in the Fraser Health Authority, we benefited greatly from the frequent and on-point two-way communication between us and the senior leadership.”
The letter states the MSAs will continue to serve as a conduit to bring future questions from “our healthcare colleagues” to the officials.
“The opportunity to work closely together further enhances the relationships between us. Although recent data from the Provincial Health Office has given us a hint of brighter days ahead, we are preparing for the burden of care to increase in the short and long term,” the letter states.
“We are making a commitment to stand with you in full support and look forward to sharing this burden with you as our leaders. Now more than ever, we must stand united and aligned in this battle.”
tholmes@peacearchnews.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
