Support cut for victims of HIV, hepatitis C

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http://www.bclocalnews.com/greater_vancouver/newwestminsternewsleader/news/81342\

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New Westminster News Leader

Support cut for victims of HIV, hepatitis C

By McQuillan - New Westminster News Leader

Published: January 13, 2010 11:00 AM

Updated: January 13, 2010 11:17 AM

Yet another New Westminster program has been cut by the Fraser Health Authority.

The latest to feel the sting of the budget-cutting knife is the Stride with

Purpose program. Operated by the Lower Mainland Purpose Society, it offers

education and support services for those infected by HIV and hepatitis C living

in Burnaby, New Westminster, the Tri-City area, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

The program's annual Fraser Health grant of $168,000 was reduced to $68,000,

resulting in the immediate loss of two Purpose Society staff positions and a

third next September.

Worse yet, said program case manager Truong, is some services are

eliminated and two staff must now look after the needs of 165 clients.

" A lot of them are going to fall through the cracks, " said Truong. " That's going

to cost Fraser Health more in the long run.

Many of the clients are at risk of homelessness, are unemployed and suffer from

mental illnesses. As a result, they're likely to get involved in the sex trade

and crime, or find themselves living on the streets because there are no

services for them to rely on, she said.

New Westminster MLA Dawn Black last week wrote to provincial Health Minister

Falcon asking for Stride's funding to be restored.

" It's fiscally irresponsible, " said Black.

The cuts mean Stride clients will become a burden on emergency services, like

police, fire departments, paramedics and hospital emergency wards, she said.

" It's critical to keep people out of emergency wards, which is the most

expensive way of delivering healthcare. "

The cuts are being made because Fraser Health is dealing with an estimated $160

million budget deficit. But the long term goal is to eventually restore funding,

said Portesi, director of health promotion and prevention for the

authority.

" We recognize these programs as best practices, " he said.

Programs provided by agencies like Purpose offering outreach and support

services are being cut because they are not considered " core services, " offering

front-line medical care, said Portesi.

New Westminster city council reacted to the Stride cutback by also writing a

letter to Falcon looking for restored funding.

There's no acceptable justification for cutting funding for this program, said

Coun. Jaimie McEvoy.

" This takes healthcare back 30 years. The battle to fund support services for

HIV was fought and won 30 years ago. "

Supporters of Stride are staging a protest today (Thursday) at North Surrey

Medical Health Clinic and Needle Exchange starting at 10 a.m.

In 2009, Fraser Health cut its funding for the Senior Peer Counseling Program,

which runs out of Century House, the New Westminster-based Domestic Violence

Response Team and beds at the Queen's Park Care Centre hospice. After numerous

complaints, the provincial government came up with temporary funding for the

Domestic Violence Response Team.

[Guest guest]

http://www.bclocalnews.com/greater_vancouver/newwestminsternewsleader/news/81342\

802.html

New Westminster News Leader

Support cut for victims of HIV, hepatitis C

By McQuillan - New Westminster News Leader

Published: January 13, 2010 11:00 AM

Updated: January 13, 2010 11:17 AM

Yet another New Westminster program has been cut by the Fraser Health Authority.

The latest to feel the sting of the budget-cutting knife is the Stride with

Purpose program. Operated by the Lower Mainland Purpose Society, it offers

education and support services for those infected by HIV and hepatitis C living

in Burnaby, New Westminster, the Tri-City area, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

The program's annual Fraser Health grant of $168,000 was reduced to $68,000,

resulting in the immediate loss of two Purpose Society staff positions and a

third next September.

Worse yet, said program case manager Truong, is some services are

eliminated and two staff must now look after the needs of 165 clients.

" A lot of them are going to fall through the cracks, " said Truong. " That's going

to cost Fraser Health more in the long run.

Many of the clients are at risk of homelessness, are unemployed and suffer from

mental illnesses. As a result, they're likely to get involved in the sex trade

and crime, or find themselves living on the streets because there are no

services for them to rely on, she said.

New Westminster MLA Dawn Black last week wrote to provincial Health Minister

Falcon asking for Stride's funding to be restored.

" It's fiscally irresponsible, " said Black.

The cuts mean Stride clients will become a burden on emergency services, like

police, fire departments, paramedics and hospital emergency wards, she said.

" It's critical to keep people out of emergency wards, which is the most

expensive way of delivering healthcare. "

The cuts are being made because Fraser Health is dealing with an estimated $160

million budget deficit. But the long term goal is to eventually restore funding,

said Portesi, director of health promotion and prevention for the

authority.

" We recognize these programs as best practices, " he said.

Programs provided by agencies like Purpose offering outreach and support

services are being cut because they are not considered " core services, " offering

front-line medical care, said Portesi.

New Westminster city council reacted to the Stride cutback by also writing a

letter to Falcon looking for restored funding.

There's no acceptable justification for cutting funding for this program, said

Coun. Jaimie McEvoy.

" This takes healthcare back 30 years. The battle to fund support services for

HIV was fought and won 30 years ago. "

Supporters of Stride are staging a protest today (Thursday) at North Surrey

Medical Health Clinic and Needle Exchange starting at 10 a.m.

In 2009, Fraser Health cut its funding for the Senior Peer Counseling Program,

which runs out of Century House, the New Westminster-based Domestic Violence

Response Team and beds at the Queen's Park Care Centre hospice. After numerous

complaints, the provincial government came up with temporary funding for the

Domestic Violence Response Team.