Update on parking at Sick Kids
Dear OPACC families and friends,
On Tuesday March 26th, Susan Kuczynski and I had the opportunity to meet with senior management from the Hospital for Sick Children (HSC) to address concerns raised by our membership over the recent parking changes and rates at the hospital. Supported by our open petition around parking rate changes with over 800 signatures, both Susan and I felt very strongly in our need to advocate on our families behalf on this issue. During our meeting we were able to present specific items such as the new flat rate, usage of the automated parking attendant system, time rate differences between day and evening and most importantly, the impact of fee increases on families already facing financial burdens as a result of their child's diagnosis.
Overall we were pleased for the opportunity to have our collective voices heard and put forth our families' issues around current rates, timing of evening rate reductions, perceived lack of consultation in the decision making process and the need for ongoing communication about hospital initiatives. The reception from HSC was positive and the following points were noted:
HSC is and continues to be committed to child and family-centred care
Consistent with earlier indications, on March 22, HSC introduced 5 and 10 day multi-pack parking vouchers at $16 per day, which is equivalent to the maximum daily family rate which was in effect prior to October 1, 2012
Through its Social Amenities Fund, HSC strives to provide a degree of financial support to families most in need
HSC is committed to continuous improvement in all operational areas
Management decisions at HSC are made in an attempt to balance the provision of the best possible care and service to patients and families while ensuring that management's fiscal and other responsibilities are also being met
Recognizing that is not always possible to consult with all stakeholders prior to making management decisions, HSC is always open to suggestions and dialogue with its stakeholders. It was noted that the existing Family Centred Care Advisory Council would be an appropriate channel to bring forward issues
HSC is reviewing options to improve communication of parking issues with families
HSC will consider OPACC's specific suggestions regarding parking
We gladly accepted HSC's offer for continued dialogue and reiterated our thanks at having the opportunity to share our member families concerns knowing that their voice was heard by HSC. As this process may take a while we ask for your cooperation and support along with continued feedback and dialogue to ensure that we continue to bring your voice to the conversation. At this time we will taking our parking petition offline in terms of active solicitation but will always add anyone who wishes to put their name and voice to this issue when requested.
James Thomson
Resource Development & Community Engagement Coordinator
Ontario Parents Advocating for Children with Cancer (OPACC)
524 Bayfield Street North, P.O. Box 2005
Barrie, ON L4M 5E9
Tel: (705) 792-8771
Email: engagement@opacc.org
www.opacc.org